Vibrating mirrors?

[Hotpoker]

Hi Folks - just picked up my new KTM 690 SMC today.

Riding back on the motorway at around 100km/h I realised I cannot see anything from the rear vision mirrors.

What are the solutions so I can at least see something?

...and no smart arse comments about that I should have bought a V-twin instead of a single.

[CookMySock]

Hell no, on my vtwin the fucken windscreen nearly leaps out! :killingme

Steve

[EJK]

Tighten the mirror. Might work.

[GOONR]

Hi Folks - just picked up my new KTM 690 SMC today.

Riding back on the motorway at around 100km/h I realised I cannot see anything from the rear vision mirrors.

What are the solutions so I can at least see something?

...and no smart arse comments about that I should have bought a V-twin instead of a single.

Thought about bar end mirrors?

[blackdog]

Thought about bar end mirrors?

x2

look way better and i find them heaps better than the stockers on the old bandit

[GOONR]

x2

look way better and i find them heaps better than the stockers on the old bandit

Yeah, I only have the lil'bandit but the stock mirrors were shocking, couldn't tell if it was a truck or a moped coming up behind the vibration was that bad. Put bar ends on, crystal clear rear view vision.

[quickbuck]

What are the solutions so I can at least see something?

.
Turn your head.
Mirrors are only on there for a WOF requirement.

To get the best idea of what is behind you (if that matters) is to look around.

[The Stranger]

Turn your head.
Mirrors are only on there for a WOF requirement.

To get the best idea of what is behind you (if that matters) is to look around.

Bloody good advice that.
Personally I prefer no mirrors - they only serve to lull you into a false sense of security.

[cave weta]

What are the solutions so I can at least see something?

...and no smart arse comments about that I should have bought a V-twin instead of a single.

Try some decent sized bar -end weights - like 250g - they will take the harmonics out of the bars that singles get - especially with tapered fatbars.

[oldrider]

Turn your head.
Mirrors are only on there for a WOF requirement.

To get the best idea of what is behind you (if that matters) is to look around.


Bloody good advice that.
Personally I prefer no mirrors - they only serve to lull you into a false sense of security.

I have always believed that but now my neck is fucked with old age, it gets a bit tricky! :blink:

[denefoster]

If you have some spare (okay, f@ckton spare) cash,

http://www.highwaydirtbikes.com/HDB_Shop/index.php?app=ccp0&ns=catshow&ref=handguards

They kick much ass.

[cave weta]

If you have some spare (okay, f@ckton spare) cash,

http://www.highwaydirtbikes.com/HDB_Shop/index.php?app=ccp0&ns=catshow&ref=handguards

They kick much ass.

That is some seriously nice kit!

[denefoster]

That is some seriously nice kit!

I was going to buy some, actual cost isn't so bad.. but they wanted $100USD for shipping or something stupid like that. If i get serious about it, I'll get some shipped to my fam next time I'm due a birthday package.

Saw them installed on a DRZ400 over Christmas while I was back in Canada.. and yeah, very very nice piece of kit. You could hit a phone pole and wrap the bike around the guards.

[whowhatwhere]

Try some decent sized bar -end weights - like 250g - they will take the harmonics out of the bars that singles get - especially with tapered fatbars.

What this dude said.

[jeffs]

Heavier End weights will help, but if you find it was not enough ( like my old xt660 ) try this, it worked wonders for me to reduce vibration.

Make a home made bar snake.

Go to miter10 and buy some clear plastic tube, about 1m , the max diameter that will fit inside your handlebars. Go to a gun shop ( good one in Onehunga ) and buy small lead shot, enough to fill the tube to the length of your handle bars.

Cut the tube to the same length as your bar, minus the length of the bar end weights that go inside your bars. Seal one end, and using a funnel fill the tube with lead shot. Then seal the other end ( a bit of silicon sealer will do ). Feed you new bar snake inside your bars using some liquid soap to stop it sticking.

You can buy these already made up from the states, but a home made one cost me about $15 ( mostly the lead shot ).

Do they work ? YES.. A real and very noticeable difference over just bar end weights alone.

Heavier bar end weights reduced vibration on my single by 30%.
The added $15 home made bar snake took it down another 50% +

[The Stranger]

Heavier End weights will help, but if you find it was not enough ( like my old xt660 ) try this, it worked wonders for me to reduce vibration.

Make a home made bar snake.

Go to miter10 and buy some clear plastic tube, about 1m , the max diameter that will fit inside your handlebars. Go to a gun shop ( good one in Onehunga ) and buy small lead shot, enough to fill the tube to the length of your handle bars.

Cut the tube to the same length as your bar, minus the length of the bar end weights that go inside your bars. Seal one end, and using a funnel fill the tube with lead shot. Then seal the other end ( a bit of silicon sealer will do ). Feed you new bar snake inside your bars using some liquid soap to stop it sticking.

You can buy these already made up from the states, but a home made one cost me about $15 ( mostly the lead shot ).

Do they work ? YES.. A real and very noticeable difference over just bar end weights alone.

Heavier bar end weights reduced vibration on my single by 30%.
The added $15 home made bar snake took it down another 50% +

Ok, this has got me stumped. May I ask why?
I have an XT660, it vibrates a bit but it's a single I'd be surprised if it didn't.
I've ridden 600km a pop on it without any ill effect due to vibration.
Why buy a single if you don't want any vibration?

[cave weta]

Ok, this has got me stumped. May I ask why?
I have an XT660, it vibrates a bit but it's a single I'd be surprised if it didn't.
I've ridden 600km a pop on it without any ill effect due to vibration.
Why buy a single if you don't want any vibration?

I bought an XT and sold it within 3 months because it was foaming the blood in my fingers! horrible thing it was! now I have a BMW f650 and it is sweet as a nut I ride it at least 250 km every time I hop on it and it is smooth as! My KTM525 vibrates a bit but who cares when you have power like that on tap he he!

[jellywrestler]

rear vision camera like the trucks have

[jeffs]

Ok, this has got me stumped. May I ask why?
I have an XT660, it vibrates a bit but it's a single I'd be surprised if it didn't.
I've ridden 600km a pop on it without any ill effect due to vibration.
Why buy a single if you don't want any vibration?

Simple Stupidity, I wanted a motard and chose the wrong bike.

I suffered from carpal tunnel. and yes I did end up getting rid of the bike.

But while I had it, I did lots of practical experiments in what would reduce vibration.

Some of the bi-products of this was near vibration free mirrors on a big single.

[Hotpoker]

Thanks for the advice! The lead shot in the handle bar sounds like the go.

Also read that filling the mirrors with RTV silicone to add weight would also help.

And not worried about the thumper vibe - nothing wrong with that. Just would prefer to see the cops behind me (been caught out a couple of times) :shit:

[The Stranger]

I bought an XT and sold it within 3 months because it was foaming the blood in my fingers! horrible thing it was! now I have a BMW f650 and it is sweet as a nut I ride it at least 250 km every time I hop on it and it is smooth as! My KTM525 vibrates a bit but who cares when you have power like that on tap he he!

An XT660? Which model the X, R or Z?

[jeffs]

Thanks for the advice! The lead shot in the handle bar sounds like the go.

Also read that filling the mirrors with RTV silicone to add weight would also help.

And not worried about the thumper vibe - nothing wrong with that. Just would prefer to see the cops behind me (been caught out a couple of times) :shit:

Several people have suggested bar end mirrors, what this does is 3 fold.
1. Moves the mirrors out so you have an un-obstructed view. ( no elbows and shoulders in your line of site )
2. Shortens the length of the mirror arm, and intern reduces the vibration passed to the mirror.
3. Bar end mirrors tend to be lighter and so do not pick up so much vibration.

Their only real downside is they make you handle bar longer, which if positioned wrong can be a pain if lane splitting at traffic lights.

I use bar ends because I'm wide, and I love them.

If you ride with out mirrors, and use the motorways in rush hour, you will never see the bike behind you wanting to get past. Some will say ride faster
and no one will ever pass you. Good luck to those people, and if you take their advise and I hope you like hospitals.

[cave weta]

An XT660? Which model the X, R or Z?

It was a late 90s XT600 - I bought it off Motu. -furkin horrible!

[The Stranger]

It was a late 90s XT600 - I bought it off Motu. -furkin horrible!

Ok, we were discussing the XT660 a completely different bike with a completely different motor.
So your experiences are not relevant to the discussion at hand, but should we start discussing the XT600 feel free to chime in.

[jeffs]

It may vibrate, but my Xt660R was always great fun, and for all its snatch low speed issues and vibration white finger tenancies it was never once boring.
But when you commute and your hand can no longer operate the clutch because it hurts to much, fun or no fun it had to go. Shame though :(

[cave weta]

Ok, we were discussing the XT660 a completely different bike with a completely different motor.

Uhhh!? WTF? -read below before you start telling me where I can and can not post please!



It may vibrate, but my Xt660R was always great fun, and for all its snatch low speed issues and vibration white finger tenancies it was never once boring.
But when you commute and your hand can no longer operate the clutch because it hurts to much, fun or no fun it had to go. Shame though :(

I had one for a weekend from Waikato Yamaha to test last year and hated the harmonic rumblings and handlebar vibrations at certain speeds.
This was just after selling my earlier model XT600 which I found to be unridable on the open road because of its vibration.

Perhaps it is a completely different bike with a completely different motor- but we are not discussing that.
This thread is about handlebar and mirror vibration....

[jeffs]

The tips I offered are not bike dependent, just things I've personally tried because of vibration issues with a bike I had.
I'm sure and personally know that these options are transferable to any bike. As I fitted the bar snake and bar end mirrors to my ER6-n and
although this was not a " Thumper" I could see behind me ( bar end mirrors ), which is something the stock mirrors would not allow ( for me ).
Before you ask I fitted the bar snake because I had some left over and though " what the hell" And it did reduce the vibration.

I now ride a big four, because even though the ER6 did not vibrate in the same league as the XT660, the damage was done, the XT660 broke me and I had to have an op.
I still fitted bar end mirrors to my CB1300 because I think they are great while lane splitting on the motorway, and they look cool :)

[jeffs]

The tips I offered are not bike dependent, just things I've personally tried because of vibration issues with a bike I had.
I'm sure and personally know that these options are transferable to any bike. As I fitted the bar snake and bar end mirrors to my ER6-n and
although this was not a " Thumper" I could see behind me ( bar end mirrors ), which is something the stock mirrors would not allow ( for me ).
Before you ask I fitted the bar snake because I had some left over and though " what the hell" And it did reduce the vibration.

I now ride a big four, because even though the ER6 did not vibrate in the same league as the XT660, the damage was done, the XT660 broke me and I had to have an op.
I still fitted bar end mirrors to my CB1300 because I think they are great while lane splitting on the motorway, and they look cool :)

[The Stranger]

Perhaps it is a completely different bike with a completely different motor- but we are not discussing that.



So why did you quote my post specifically referring to the XT660 if you weren't discussing that model?
I guess one should not attribute to malice that which can adequately be explained by stupidity - so that's a rhetorical question.

[cave weta]

So why did you quote my post specifically referring to the XT660 if you weren't discussing that model?
I guess one should not attribute to malice that which can adequately be explained by stupidity - so that's a rhetorical question.


Perhaps it is a completely different bike with a completely different motor- but we are not discussing that.
This thread is about handlebar and mirror vibration....

Just because I quote you - please dont think Im picking on you, Im just saying that I found that that model and its predecesor both had very bad handlebar vibrations. As Jeffs said in his post.
Get over it:gob:

[GOONR]

yeah, that's why I chipped in, I ride a bandit and the vibes stopped me seeing behind me. Nothing much to do with a xtxxx whatever.

[The Stranger]

Perhaps it is a completely different bike with a completely different motor- but we are not discussing that.
This thread is about handlebar and mirror vibration....

Just because I quote you - please dont think Im picking on you, Im just saying that I found that that model and its predecesor both had very bad handlebar vibrations. As Jeffs said in his post.
Get over it:gob:

Picking on me? Not at all.
I simply thought that by quoting me and addressing my post that you were posting a response to my questions.
But now I see that by omitting that it was a different model you felt that was clarifying the situation.

I see however you had problems also with the XT660 as well as the XT600 all of which makes me wonder if you shouldn't see a doctor about those delicate girly hands of yours.

[pete376403]

Try not to laugh too much, but - '08 KLR650 mirrors have a good rubber mount (integral with the mirror stem) and are quite clear at 100 km/hr (and really good at lower speeds). Last time I bought one = $52 (which is far too much for a KLRista to spend but probably bargain basement in KTM terms)

[jeffs]

Picking on me? Not at all.
all of which makes me wonder if you shouldn't see a doctor about those delicate girly hands of yours.

LOL
I can not think of an appropriate non-rude reply to this helpful response, so ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWGn6_EH2gM

With bells on :)