GOT A 2013 STORM WITH 27K MILES. ALL I EVER DID TO IT WAS CHANGE OIL, PUT TIRES AND GAS IN IT. NEVER A PROBLEM. TILL NOW. HAS AN ENGINE VIBRATION LIKE A HARLEY. SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE WITH MILES. JUST ENOUGH TO MAKE YOUR TEETH CHATTER. ANY THOUGHTS? I PARKED IT TILL I FIND OUT ABOUT THIS. IT'S MY SUMMER WHEELS SO I NEED TO KEEP IT GOING. AS FOR BELT SQUEEK, A LITTLE BELT DRESSING FIXES IT.
ENGINE VIBRATION
- Thread starter KENT R
- Start date
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I would say check your engine mountings are not loose and if any are rubber check there not split .
THAT WOULD BE MY FIRST THOUGHT. THIS BIKE, AS THE R3-T I HAD DOESN'T HAVE A CONVENTIONAL FRAME. THE FRONT END CONNECTS TO THE FRONT OF THE MOTOR AND THE REAR END CONNECTS TO THE REAR OF THE MOTOR. THERE IS A TOP FRAME TUBE THAT KEEPS IT FROM FLEXING. THE VIBRATION COMES THROUGH THE FOOT PEGS, THEY ARE BOLTED DIRECTLY TO THE MOTOR. I MAY TRY HEAVIER OIL WEIGHT AS I READ ABOUT PISTON SLAP IN THESE BIKES. I HAVE NO ENGINE KNOCK OR NOISE OTHER THAN THE CAMS RUNNING ON TOP. IT HAS MORE VIBRATION AS IT WARMS UP. I RIDE 35 MILES OF OPEN ROAD TO WORK. IN THE MORNING ABOUT 20 MILES INTO IT THE VIBRATION BECOMES MORE PRONOUNCED. I REALIZE THIS IS A BIKE AND IT IS NOT GOING TO BE ABSOLUTLY SMOOTH BUT THIS IS MAKING A LONG TRIP SEEM UNNATRACTIVE. I LIVE IN TEXAS NOW BUT I'M FROM COLORADO. I STILL CONSIDER IT TO BE MY BACKYARD AND GO THERE OFTEN. THE ROCKET 3 WITH THE DRIVESHAFT WAS SPOILING I GUESS. THE OLD HARLEYS I HAD WERE FUN TO RIDE BUT YOU WOULD BE TIRED AFTER 300 MILES. ALWAYS HAD GUM IN MY MOUTH TO KEEP MY TEETH FROM CHATTERING.
Yes there was a problem with slapping pistons ? but im not sure wether it caused vibes like you describe , the other thing to check is the shaft drive for free play and bearing wear .
No, the piston slap issue, if that is indeed what it is, causes no vibes. I have it and my bike is smooth. It was very vibey when new but smoothed out in short time. At 27k it shouldn't be doing that. One thing i have noticed in 75000 miles/10 years+ of living with this bike is they will at times change in ways like this apparently due to the ECU adaptions. For example, you might take a long trip at altitude and the bike might adapt to that, then you go back down to sea level and the bike runs differently. I've had things like idle acting up then in time it goes away as the bike adapts. First thing i would try is doing the 12 minute tune by startiung the bike (do not touch the throttle) and letting it idle till the fan turns on, about 20 minutes. Then from the point the fan goes on let it idle 12 minutes further then turn it off. It adapts the bike and i think in some ways that riding doesn't. So if it;s some change in the ECU that may fix it. It's fixed a lot of issues for many people including myself.
If that doesn't do it then i'd try adding some liqui moly "jectron" injector cleaner. I have used many things like seafoam and techron etc, NOT ONE did anything notible. Tried jectron on the advice of a very knowledgable guy and i was shocked by how much better my bike was in literally just 1/2 a tank or less. Felt like i gained and extra 5 HP and iot ran super smooth and quiet. The stuff is magic. (if your injectors are not clean to begin with) And at 27k yours could well need the injectors cleaned especially if you got into some bad gas at some point. I would recommend everyone use that stuff once the bike has a some miles and do a maintenance tankful every maybe 1000 mikes or so. Years of trying all those snake oils but this stuff really truly does work. Of course if your bike doesn't need the injectors cleaned u may think it didn't work. Gotta NEED it b4 it does anything ! It also supposedly cleans carbon from valves, but i would assume that would take many uses before that actually happens.
If that doesn't do it then i'd try adding some liqui moly "jectron" injector cleaner. I have used many things like seafoam and techron etc, NOT ONE did anything notible. Tried jectron on the advice of a very knowledgable guy and i was shocked by how much better my bike was in literally just 1/2 a tank or less. Felt like i gained and extra 5 HP and iot ran super smooth and quiet. The stuff is magic. (if your injectors are not clean to begin with) And at 27k yours could well need the injectors cleaned especially if you got into some bad gas at some point. I would recommend everyone use that stuff once the bike has a some miles and do a maintenance tankful every maybe 1000 mikes or so. Years of trying all those snake oils but this stuff really truly does work. Of course if your bike doesn't need the injectors cleaned u may think it didn't work. Gotta NEED it b4 it does anything ! It also supposedly cleans carbon from valves, but i would assume that would take many uses before that actually happens.
SHANERED6, YOU MAY BE GETTING ONTO SOMETHING WITH THE SHAFT DRIVE. I LIFTED THE BACK END UP, PUT IT IN GEAR AND ROCKED THE WHEEL BACK AND FORTH. 3" TO 4" TRAVEL SEEMS A LITTLE TOO MUCH. I'LL HAVE TO STUDY UP ON HOW TO TEAR INTO THIS. NEAREST TRIUMPH SHOP IS 250 MILES AWAY. I MAY NOT GET IT GOING VERY SOON, I NEED TO GET THE CALVES WEANED, WORKED, AND THE COWS ALL PUT OUT BEFORE LONG. I REALLY LIKE THIS BIKE, I'M 65 YEARS OLD NOW AND DON'T TAKE WEEK LONG TRIPS ANYMORE. I FIGURED THIS WOULD BE MY LAST BIKE AND IT SHOULD HOLD UP BEING WATER COOLED AND ALL. IT'S JUST THE RIGHT SIZE FOR DAY TRIPS AND JUMPING IN THE BACK OF THE PU TO GO TO COLORADO. I HAVE COWS THERE TOO SO I GO THERE OFTEN AND WHEN I HAVE TIME RUN UP TO THE MOUNTAINS FOR A COOL RIDE. THANKS FOR EVERYONES INPUT. IT GETS YOU OUT OF A TUNNEL VISION MODE AND LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE.
May want to check rear wheel bearings as well. I know some older T'birds suffered from roller bearing failures in the rear. Check cush drive while in there as well.
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