OOOkay, so.. "reboot" time on this problem. sigh.
Summary:

odd vibration at around 30mph, through right footpeg. kinda like idle vibration. Except that's a 1100rpm vibe, and I feel this when I'm going at around 4-5000rpm. Strongest @2nd gear, 3mph. But also present in 3rd. just... "different". not as strong?
When I go faster, I think the vibe speed increases and then just blends in with regular engine vibration.

Oil levels: fixed
chain:  re-adjusted.
Vibes are still there.


Pull clutch: vibe goes away

Does this mean "bad things inside my engine"? 

Random comment: I put my foot up on the R&G sliders to compare.  WOW those things have strong vibes! Like putting a tuning fork straight on the engine block I guess

Quote from: Phil B on October 25, 2011, 11:36:18 AM
I have now noticed, at about 40-50mph, a rythmic vibration kinda similar to when I idle.
(very even, between 1-2 beats per second varying on speed of bike)

Hmm. I also installed R&G sliders recently, which replaced the engine bar. Could overly tightening that, cause excess vibration?

Phil: Went back to your original post. None of the other stuff you talked about would cause the described issue, but *this* would. I'm not familiar with these sliders, but the change of the engine bar is structural change to the bike frame and would cause the issues you describe.

You report vibration similar to that at 1100RPM... this is in the ~20 Hz range for what is essentially a single rotating mass system. These frequencies are close to the natural frequencies of the frame/engine system... esp if the above modifications changed the natural frequency to a lower value, which is what I suspect.

Remove the slider system and put back your old engine bar, check that engine mounts are in place and functional, and that the frame bolts are torqued to spec. I'm 75% positive that this will fix your issue.

I've done engine bars & sliders on all of mine. They are not an issue.
You can have a problem if you did not tighten them down properly. If the engine is a little lose it could vibrate. You have to tighten down the main bolt. Maybe you left out some spacers that make things tight?
If installed correctly, the engine is locked into the frame just as it was before.

PS: R&G replaced the engine bolt. Then the brackets bolts onto that and are tightened.
After that, the plastic sliders bolt on. If the sliders are not tight, you might get vibration from the lose side. If the main bolt is lose, you'll probably get vibration everywhere.

2 bikes have R&G. Never a problem. So you probably errored in installation.

Quote from: Phil B on October 25, 2011, 11:36:18 AM
I just had my front and rear tyres replaced (stock, to pirelli sport demon), and also my chain lubed, and serviced.

I have now noticed, at about 40-50mph, a rythmic vibration kinda similar to when I idle.
(very even, between 1-2 beats per second varying on speed of bike)

it's overlayed on top of the regular 5k rpm type vibrations :-} which seem quite regular, so I dont think its any kind of misfire or something.

I feel this mostly through the footpeg.

Hmm. I also installed R&G sliders recently, which replaced the engine bar. Could overly tightening that, cause excess vibration?

I'm going to take it back to the dealers and ask them to test ride it. However, in case of cluelessness, can you folks suggest the most  likely culprit for this new vibration?

Or, things I could try myself, to try to isolate what the cause is?

It's a somewhat strong vibration, so its a bit worrying. On the other hand, I dont want to blow $250 for mechanic's time to give the bike a full look-see, if its just something silly :-/

That is how my Goat's first manifested itself.

GGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Cool.
Buddha.

Quote from: noiseguy on November 02, 2011, 11:08:19 AM


Phil: Went back to your original post. None of the other stuff you talked about would cause the described issue, but *this* would. I'm not familiar with these sliders, but the change of the engine bar is structural change to the bike frame and would cause the issues you describe.
...
Remove the slider system and put back your old engine bar, check that engine mounts are in place and functional, and that the frame bolts are torqued to spec. I'm 75% positive that this will fix your issue.

Mmm. I had "help" from a guy with one o them there big-ol-wrench thingies. He's an auto mechanic, not a bike mech.
He decided to tighten it "good-n-tite".

So.. too tight, can be a problem? what happens?

Tight is only an issue if something isn't supposed to be tight (causes bending or binding), if it strips a fastener, or if the tightening is done out os sequence. I'm not familiar with the system you installed... I've no idea what was done on your bike. 

I just know that from the descriptions you're describing it sounds like a frame vibration issue. I don't know how hard it would be to swap it back to stock, but I'd give that a shot and see if it fixes the problem if it's quick to do.

How did you install the sliders? Did any of the engine spacers fall out?
When I put them on, I take the nut off the old bolt. Then I push the new one in as it pushes the old one out. That way nothing falls off and the engine is always supported by the bolt (old and new as you're pushing it through).
Did this guy losen any of the other engine bolts? The right piece of the frame?

I always love:
1. It says press any key. Where's the "any key"?
2. I know excell. I could rewrite your program that way (then why did you buy our program?)
3. I have a friend who knows computers. He's a power user.
4. Your program just broke. It won't print anything in blue. "Are you out of blue ink?" ...... oh

I think the same idiocy applies to bikes.
* My friend works on cars. He should be able to fix my bike.
* That's the way he does it on cars. It should work on a bike.

Quote from: adidasguy on November 03, 2011, 11:10:39 AM
How did you install the sliders? Did any of the engine spacers fall out?

yeah one did :-/ but I put it back, honest

Funily enough... it was the right-side one.

Quote from: adidasguy on November 03, 2011, 11:10:39 AM
When I put them on, I take the nut off the old bolt. Then I push the new one in as it pushes the old one out. That way nothing falls off and the engine is always supported by the bolt (old and new as you're pushing it through).

Tried that. but the engine somehow slipped abit right when it was crossing the border between frame and spacer. arg.

Quote from: adidasguy on November 03, 2011, 11:10:39 AM
Did this guy losen any of the other engine bolts? The right piece of the frame?

Dunno what "the right piece of the frame" means. But we worked together on it.
(technically, i was working on it myself, but then didnt have a bar long enough with enough leverage to unfasten the original bolt!j, so he came and helped get the original lose. then helped me re-settle the engine, and tighten up. sigh)

The right front bar of the frame unbolts. I guess so you can remove an engine. Look at the frame - you'll see it. Couple bolts holding it together in the top front, top right and lower right rear of the frame (look at frame at the bottom right rear of the engine)

Engine slipped? Don't know how that could happen unless.....
1. Other engine bolts are lose. The other two keep it in place. (back and bottom of motor)
2. Frame is twisted

I've done 3 sets of R&G. Each time I push the new bolt in as the old one gets pushed out. Never have had the engine drop. The other engine mounts held it in place.

Check where the engine spacers are and be sure they are in there tight. I'd check your other engine bolts, too. They must be lose if the engine slipped.

Quote from: adidasguy on November 03, 2011, 11:54:12 AM
The right front bar of the frame unbolts. I guess so you can remove an engine. Look at the frame - you'll see it. Couple bolts holding it together in the top front, top right and lower right rear of the frame (look at frame at the bottom right rear of the engine)

Engine slipped? Don't know how that could happen unless.....
1. Other engine bolts are lose. The other two keep it in place. (back and bottom of motor)
2. Frame is twisted

bolts are tight.

frame must be twisted.

When I went down, silly thing managed to land on a rock.
There's a "dent" in the frame at the top front left corner.
Now, the edges/alignment look fine. The frame alignment seems fine enough, to the ol' eyeball. Buuttt.... there is a noticable dent. So I guess this means there is/was a slight, leaves a permenant effect, twist to the whole frame itself.
SIGH...

(even with that, though... I didnt notice vibration until after I put on the slider and had the bike chain/oil/tire service.)

That dent is not your vibration problem.
Some might say you need to junk the frame because its damaged, but as its steel not aluminium, and its a GS not a Hayabusa (and its your arse not mine!) I say ignore it.

Steel is tough. If hit hard enough to dent it, it could be slightly twisted. That might explain why the engine dropped - it was in a twisted frame. Now after one engine bolt was replaced, the engine and frame are not together exactly the way they were.
I'd check all over for lose bolts holding things together. When you remounted the engine, things just aren't sitting the way they did before. Something must be lose.
If you insure everything is tight, you should  be OK

Frig.
I guess I need to go over every #$@$ bolt (150 of them? 200?) with a torque wrench and a manual, then...

I think you can skip the tail light nuts, seat latch, and a few others.
Check the engine and that area. Maybe losen all engine bolts a half turn to let the engine settle back in to what might ne a slightly twisted frame, then re-tighten. Check that the spacers are there and tight.

Have someone rev the engine and then walk around, look, listen, touch parts..... trying to locate the spot with the most vibration.

Removing the engine bolt and having the engine shift position is a sign something is not right - somewhere.

If someone had to help get the engine bolt off before, it must have been under a lot of pressure maybe due to a torqued frame. A good socket wrench is all I ever had to use.

Possibly something else is out of kilter. Tank not sitting the same as before? Something else?

UUurrrrrrr... I'm wondering if the "something" is related to the oil filter O-ring not sealing as expected, by the dealer, when they did my oil change the first time.

I put it up on centerstand, but left it in neutral, and ran it for a bit. letting the chock set RPMs at around 3k.

I didnt *Feel* exactly the same vibes with my hands.
However, I think I did *hear* a similar frequency, very quiet rubbing noise, seemingly from inside the engine.
Big radiator/cylinder area.

Any chance my accident, made the pistons dig in and make the chamber a little uneven, or something?
Or could this in any way be a "carbs need to be rebalanced" issue?

Side note, funny story: I almost made a very messy mistake.
I ALMOST took the left side cover off the engine to look at it.... without thinking about, "Hmm.. this is inside the engine. There could be OIL inside there.

I had losened ALL the bolts, and was just starting to try to ease the thing off. When I noticed one small drop of oil collecting at the bottom of the seal area. OOPS!
So i tightened everything back up in a hurry
What should I expect in that area, in terms of mess, if I do take it fully off?
And what sort of things should I need to close it back up again?
new engine gasket/seal/whatever, since the thing probably hasnt been cracked open in 5 years, since it was made?

See the other thread with the goat picture.
Maybe the accident knocked a magnet lose? The rubbing is magnet parts on the stator? Just a guess.
Others may know more but looks like you're on to locating the problem.

Urrr. maybe. but now I'm in over my head. Havent seen any how-tos on "This is how you open the engine cover without making a big messs", not to mention, "here's how you put things BACK TOGETHER, without resulting in leakage everywhere"

(and whats with the goats? :-}  )

Quote from: Phil B on November 04, 2011, 01:06:49 PM

(and whats with the goats? :-}  )

When the epoxy fails or for whatever other reason a magnet comes loose it tends to get smashed up a little. We call this Goats after the first person here to have it.

Michael

Quote from: Phil B on October 29, 2011, 02:56:14 PM
odd vibration at around 30mph, through right footpeg. kinda like idle vibration. Except that's a 1100rpm vibe, and I feel this when I'm going at around 4-5000rpm. Strongest @2nd gear, 3mph. But also present in 3rd. just... "different". not as strong?
When I go faster, I think the vibe speed increases and then just blends in with regular engine vibration.
....
Pull clutch: vibe goes away

Does this mean "bad things inside my engine"? 

Random comment: I put my foot up on the R&G sliders to compare.  WOW those things have strong vibes! Like putting a tuning fork straight on the engine block I guess

I hate hanging mysteries. So I'm replying to my reaaally old post here...

I recently had to remove my R&G sliders, and go back to stock engine bolt.
I tightened to official torque.
Vibe went away!!

Disclaimer: They were tightened more than recommended torque. So I couldnt say definitively whether it was the bar itself, or whether it was because of mistorque, or some other factor at play But I just wanted to have the information recorded, that it WAS apparently due to the slider bar in some regard.
.