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Vibration help

I did not try synthetic oil yet. I was waiting until i got more miles on it. I'm at 4,800 on it now.
 
not under warranty? now that really sucks! your dealer is very disappointing to say the least. lemon law in your state? I don't know if qualifies for lemon law status but might be worth looking at. regarding synthetic oil, I've read that the rings seat better with dino oil, so I'm hoping that putting 2000 miles on it before switching over is enough. please keep us posted with your situation and I suppose calling the Suzuki rep couldn't hurt. where on earth would you get their number anyway? good luck with this.
 
I did not try synthetic oil yet. I was waiting until i got more miles on it. I'm at 4,800 on it now.

I switched to Redline 10w40 at 2,500 miles. I usually switch to a synthetic around 2,500. My versys 650 had brutal vibes and noises. I tried spider grips but my hands still went numb. Switching to Amsoil 10w40 in that bike made a huge difference. I actually found myself riding around town unaware I was in a lower gear. You might be suprised what a good synthetic oil might do in relation to noises and vibration. I was going to use Redline 20w50 as I had a bunch left over from my KLR. I had about 900 miles on my bandit at the time. I contacted Redline, and they recommended staying with a 10w40 and waiting till 2-2.5k miles if I recall correctly. I immediately noticed the bike had less vibration, noise, and ran cooler, as the fan didn't kick on as much. I'm sure any motorcycle synthetic will yield similar results. I still have some buzzing in my pegs, tank, and grips, but its definitely better with the synthetic. And though there is buzzing, it still remains one of the smoothest bikes I've ever owned.
 
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I've never heard of Redline oil, who makes it? maybe its not for sale out west. I've been using Castrol on my 07 bandit and will use that on the 16. on the advice of mechanic I use oil that says its formulated for motorcycles. waiting till 2500 miles is ok by me.
 
I've never heard of Redline oil, who makes it? maybe its not for sale out west. I've been using Castrol on my 07 bandit and will use that on the 16. on the advice of mechanic I use oil that says its formulated for motorcycles. waiting till 2500 miles is ok by me.

Its just another synthetic oil. Started using it years ago in a sportster. They make automobile and motorcycle oil. Regardless I think any motorcycle specific synthetic oil will make a difference. Even the shifting has gotten smoother and continues to shift better as I'm approaching 6,000 miles. The bandit definitely has a notchy transmission out of the crate.
 
I will give that a shot, hopefully I have the same result. If not I don't think I'm going to make the effort to track down the issue through Suzuki. I really like the bike but I can move on to something else pretty easily.
 
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/daz1234/1250manual.pdf

Page 1D64 shows crank position for balancer install.
Page 1D65 shows installation and lash adjustment, which can be done without removal of the oil pan.
If the balancer was not properly aligned at factory, the pan must be dropped to correct, but appears to be removable IN FRAME.
1D72 bottom of page details removal and repair of the balancer. There are pin bearings, and dampers, in the shaft that can wear out or disintegrate.

This should be everything you need from the factory manual.
 
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http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/daz1234/1250manual.pdf

Page 1D64 shows crank position for balancer install.
Page 1D65 shows installation and lash adjustment, which can be done without removal of the oil pan.
If the balancer was not properly aligned at factory, the pan must be dropped to correct, but appears to be removable IN FRAME.
1D72 bottom of page details removal and repair of the balancer. There are pin bearings, and dampers, in the shaft that can wear out or disintegrate.

This should be everything you need from the factory manual.

This is the first I've heard of this procedure. Has anyone had success and why on earth wouldn't they get it right at the factory?
 
It appears that the balancer SHAFT is concentric and the adjustment removes any excess lash between the crank and balancer. This may be enough to remove the vibration if it is 'buzzing'.
 
I marked the position of the balancer shaft and tried adjusting it. No difference. I'll try switching to synthetic oil and see if that does anything. I've got a feeling it's just one of "those"bikes.
 
While riding my Bandit today, I felt around for vibration. Actually, the handlebar grips and footpegs seemed to be vibration free. The tank, however, does vibrate and it's very noticeable at 3,000, seems smooth at out 4,000. Never had a reason to put my hand on the gas tank while riding before. I also felt significant vibration on the fairing.

My Tenere and RT also vibrate but at a lower frequency. None of my bikes have enough vibration to make them unrideable. I use cramp busters so my throttle hand doesn't grip the handlebar tightly.
 
I marked the position of the balancer shaft and tried adjusting it. No difference. I'll try switching to synthetic oil and see if that does anything. I've got a feeling it's just one of "those"bikes.

I truly believe synthetic oil will make a difference. I've always noticed less vibration and noise in multiple rides when switching to synthetic. I do have some vibration in all the areas you have mentioned. But again, its no where near as bad as most other bikes I've owned. And most of the time I'm usually below or at 3,000 rpms at a steady cruise. I generally get into 6th as soon as feasible.
 
I am stuck on the point where pulling in the clutch makes the vibration go away. That smacks of a tight link in the chain. All it takes is one. With a slack chain or better yet with the wheel removed manipulate each link and look for any tight ones. Another possible culprit is the cush drive. Have you removed the rear wheel and inspected the rubber for correct installation or any funny wear pattern? If you set the bike at a given speed, such as 45 MPH and shift through gears from second to sixth does the vibration go away?
 
Pulling in the clutch makes it go away because it cuts power to the engine where the vibration is. The putting the engine under load is what causes it to vibrate. IMO
 
I'm convinced about 25% of the 1250's vibrate. There's no way the people in the "smooth as silk" camp are riding the exact same bikes that the OP and myself ride.

If the alignment of the balancer is OFF by ONE TOOTH, it makes the vibrations WORSE than if there was no balancer at all! Looking at the assembly instructions, that is possible, as the crank is not held tight while the balancer is installed, and IF IT SHIFTED, it would not be seen by the installer, as the alignment marks are on the opposite side of the case.
It needs something to lock the crank while the balancer is placed as an aid to assembly.
 
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I am stuck on the point where pulling in the clutch makes the vibration go away. That smacks of a tight link in the chain. All it takes is one. With a slack chain or better yet with the wheel removed manipulate each link and look for any tight ones. Another possible culprit is the cush drive. Have you removed the rear wheel and inspected the rubber for correct installation or any funny wear pattern? If you set the bike at a given speed, such as 45 MPH and shift through gears from second to sixth does the vibration go away?

The OP said it doesn't matter if the clutch is pulled in or not. It goes away when the rpm's drop. Even with the lever pulled in, if he revs it past 3,000 rpms's the vibration is the same as if he's cruising at 3,000 rpms.
 
I will give that a shot, hopefully I have the same result. If not I don't think I'm going to make the effort to track down the issue through Suzuki. I really like the bike but I can move on to something else pretty easily.

Any updates?
 
I drove an 08 with 20k miles that was a piece of junk and it did not vibrate. I tried synthetic oil and there was no change in vibrations. Problem is solved from my end now though, it's been traded in on a new R1200R. Thank you everyone for your suggestions and help, unfortunately I think it was just a "Friday afternoon or hangover Monday morning" bike.
 
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