Seeking advice on handlebar vibrations

[jsbkk]

Hello there! Reading reviews and the inline four engine of the CBR650F were enough to tempt me to book the CBR at the motorshow I visited a couple of days back. All the enthusiasm and excitement died out when this review from www.motorcycle.com spoiled the party

http://www.motorcycle.com/shoot-outs/middleweight-intermediate-sportbike-shootout-video

They have harshly critized the bike for being too vibey -

"
what surprised us was the amount of vibration coming from the 650F. “The Honda’s inline-Four is ridiculously buzzy,” says Mismatched Glove Editor, Tom Roderick. “If it’s not numbing my hands, it’s numbing my testicles.
"

Wonder how much of this is true? Can any one in the gt-rider confirm this? If yes , how serious is it? Can aftermarket solutions fix the problem?

Would appreciate some feedback from you guys.
Thanks
Sam

 

[Franz]

Hi Sam, you should try to get good grips, recommend the Rally Grips from PROGRIP Italy called # 714, used them on all of my thumpers as they quite isolated the vibes these engines naturally produced. Available at FAST CORNER in BKK or CNX. Vibes at the handlebar can also be helped a little with fitting some handlebar weights but you won't be able to get totally rid of them. As for vibes onto your lower torso, well a good workshop should check if they can isolate a little more the fuel tank as this is mostly the culprit for numbness in your testicles, making seat a little softer and also look for ways to isolate the footpegs a little further should do the trick. Just look at the Thai forums re the 650, they should have already come up with some solutions. Some problems can be worked on with a little ingenuity and thinking but don't expect miracles just ride it before you buy it and get an impression yourself. Anyway, you get what you pay for, not without a reason are Honda bikes done locally so cheap as someone has to save some bucks in cutting down on R&D, QC/QA and other processes including buying high quality materials.

 

[jsbkk]

Thanks for your valuable advise, Franz!

I did go to Bigwing yesterday for a test ride (should've done that earlier :sad1:: ) and guess what? I didn't like the feel of the bike! Just revving the bike above 4-5k, I could feel a lot of buzz on the handlebars and the mirrors. Maybe it was because of that particular bike. Unfortunately they rejected my request to try another bike or to test ride the bike outside their premises, which left me really frustrated.

Contrary to many reviews, I also found the riding position too aggressive for commuting.

Let's see, this weekend with test ride the Ninja 650R, then decide.

Thanks once again