| Author | Message | ||
     Jpgrego |
I currently have an '06 Lightning Long and love it, have had it for many years and have a blast riding it solo. My wife and I like to do an occasional trip together (like 1-2 per year), but she isn't comfortable on the back of the Lightning for more than about 100 miles due to the vibration. So I bought an old Honda PC800 for our trips, but the rare use means twice a year I'm cleaning the carbs, replacing the battery, etc due to the infrequent use. I'm considering a Ulysses and/or converting my lightning long to a uly seat/rear frame for the comfort and storage, but need to know if the passenger ride/vibration is similar to the smaller bikes. If it's the same as the lightning, then I just need to find something to fit this occasional need, but I really want to find a single bike that can do it all... | ||
| Etennuly |
Check your front engine isolator. | ||
| Jpgrego |
Front isolator is good, I had one fail around 20k miles and know what that feels like. | ||
| Etennuly |
They can be starting to fail or partially cracked, where it is not an issue solo. The additional weight of the passenger can make it "bottom out" to vibrate. Something mine has done. | ||
| Jpgrego |
I think 'our' issue is my wife doesn't like the way the bike's vibration feels. To be clear, it feels exactly the same to me with or without a passenger, and she has complained about it since the bike was new, so I'm certain it's not a mechanical issue. I'm just wondering if the cushier rear seat does a better job of isolating the passenger from the natural vibration of the engine. | ||
| Tpehak |
I was thinking women like vibrations. | ||
| Ourdee |
Run it one gear lower for better results from the vibrations.  | ||
| Mark_weiss |
I don't often carry a passenger, but I've had nothing but good reviews on rear seat room and comfort. | ||
| Big_island_rider |
Keep the bike as is and get a new wife. It will be cheaper in the long run. My wife rides her own and loves her 750 pound "vibrator" for multiple "reasons". | ||
| Jpgrego |
Lol, thanks for the advice guys. Sounds like there wouldn't be much difference so I think I'll just hang onto the other bike for the occasional trip. It's old enough it's not costing much in taxes and insurance. Maybe I just need to consciously use it more frequently and keep it on a battery tender. | ||
| Tootal |
At what rpm's do you ride? Ourdee makes a point. I rarely ride my Uly under 3000 rpm. Buell's and Sportsters don't have a compensator nut to smooth out those low rpm vibes. I heard from guys that used to ride big twin Harley's and they always complained about vibration until they learned to rev it up! | ||
| Etennuly |
I run between 3000 to 4000 most of the time. | ||
| Tpehak |
I run 1500-2500 as manual suggests. | ||
| Biffdotorg |
Usually have to pay double...  | ||
| Ourdee |
I run 1500-2500 as manual suggests. Much smoother if kept over 2500 on my bikes. I have found that riding under 2500 causes me to have numb hands. Sustainable engine speed is 6800 RPM I note that the recommended up shift point to 5th gear is 50 mph. That would put you very near 2500 rpm in 5th. That will numb my hands in as little as 2 minutes. The down shift from 5th to 4th in the next chart is 40 mph. If I am stuck in a 45 mph zone after a 50+ mph zone I shift down a couple of gears (to 3rd). Because it is safer for me to be able to feel my fingers. Higher RPMs give me a much smoother and enjoyable ride. | ||
| Tootal |
There's a perfect example of what's possible is not what works best. When I put the XB9 gearing in it raised my highway rpm. What I found was that it was smoother at highway speeds at that higher rpm. | ||
| Ourdee |
My XT became glass smooth at over 80. | ||
| Mark_weiss |
Mostly 2500 to 3500. | ||
| Big_island_rider |
Just to agree with everyone here about higher RPMs, my wife sporty does the exact same thing. While it does not have a tach, in 5th gear, it vibrates lots from 58 to 62 MPH then smooths out wonderfully over 63 MPH. Definitely more an engine revolutions issue than a gearing issue. Swapping the XB9 gears also seems to prove the point. | ||
| Jpgrego |
I'll give this a try next time I convince her to go for a ride. If I'm riding alone I am usually around 3k rpms or higher, but I tend to ride the bike much easier and probably at a lower rpm with a passenger on the back... Years back, I almost looped a bike with a passenger on the back because I forgot how much easier the front wheel would come up. |
