I have a 2012 Ultra Limited. 36k on it, 6k are mine.

I noticed in the last few rides a vibration that seems to come from the drive line. I can feel it when I coast to a stop, when riding at a constant speed in gear about 25-40 mph, and when stopped in gear with the clutch pulled in. I feel it in the floor boards, seat and grips and it feels as if the vibration is directly underneath me on the bike. Also feels as if it's getting slightly worse over time.

I originally thought maybe I had a rear wheel bearing going bad because when I feel the vibration when the bike is moving it feels the same as my Dyna did when that happened. But I have put the bike on a lift twice to check both wheels for wobble, play, etc. Both roll smoothly and are tight. No signs of any grease leakage at all around the axles.

Also looked at the brake rotors. Both are fine, no signs of uneven wear.

I've never had any other bearings go bad - primary or transmission. So I'm not sure how to isolate ir diagnose any further. I'd like to have some sort of idea before dropping it at the dealer for them.to look at it.

Any advice is appreciated.

Paul

 

Is it RPM related or simply speed? Speed, I'd look at tire balance and condition. Spin the wheels and look for deformities in the tires.

 

It's definitely frame/motor/suspension. I can feel a clunking or metal feel in the vibration. And it seems to correspond with rpm or motor movement.

It does even out under acceleration but comes back when you roll off the throttle. Not as noticable rolling off at say 60+ mph, but more so at 40-45 mph or less. Have had an unbalanced tire and doesn't feel like that.

 

When I first felt this I solicited my rider buddies for opinions so I have already checked some things:

Found a loose muffler mount, really a mounting tab gasjet that had shrunk and was allowing some vibration at idle. Replaced both gaskets/washers and tightened up.

Checked front and rear motor mounts. Both looked fine. Checked and re-torqued mounts. Two of the front mounts bolts were out of spec for torque, but not loose. Reset all for correct torque.

Checked shock mounting bolts because I changed it to the newer premium ride 12" shocks. All fine.

 

I would check motor mounts, swing arm mounts, make sure the exhaust subsystem is tight with no broken brackets. Check for exhaust system contact with frame. floorboard, etc. . Make sure the muffler mounts are roughly centered. Also check bag / tourpack mounts. You can even try removing them to see if it helps. Make sure swingarm pivot bolts are tight. Next would to be either check crank runout or replace the motor/ swing arm mounts..