While I have not rode my Nightster a whole lot yet, I can say that at idle it'll shake, vibrate, "breathe", or however else you want to describe it, but I have not noticed any of that while the bike is in motion. It seems to ride pretty smooth (except for the rock hard suspension).

 

I have the same bike. It vibrates like mad! I can't see anything in my mirrors. Perhaps a set of Vibes will do some good. I'll check em out.

 

Dealers should have a sportster on hand for test rides that has a couple thousand miles on it with a well tuned stage 1. The smoothness, power, and throttle response will show them just how good they can run. Heck, put on a rear seat and shocks, oh no, na they wouldn't sell enough big twins then. BTW, to OP I had a Honda 750 ACE, they purposely put a single crank pin design in it to give it some shake, rattle, and roll.

 

I liked the definition

But your solution ( ear plugs?) kinda nullifies that.

Unless he holds the handlebars with his ears.

 

Riding with ear plugs, apart from reducing the risk of tinnitus, does have the effect of removing a lot of general cycle noise and you do kinda feel the bike is smoother for it?

I've always ridden with earplugs and on the rare occasion I ride without them, my bikes sound like toolboxes falling down the stairs!

Just to reiterate, this thread was never anti-Harley. It was about having a greater understanding of how our bikes work and what gives, or causes, their characteristics. Its also nice to be armed with some facts should you encounter any anti Harley people, something I quite often do.

Swithcback12, thanks for that info, I never knew that about the Ace.

 

We were first warned about the bad effects of noise back in the 1970s. Unfortunately that predates the internet by a wide margin and the bike mag which published an excellent article, based on work done by the US Forestry Service, disappeared long ago.

Noise creates tension! Add wind blast to the mix and we probably all hang on tight, especially when riding fast. Ear plugs reduce the effect of noise, hence also tension, so we can ride relaxed - or faster if you choose! Try it. I've been wearing ear plugs when riding for around 40 years.

 

When I got my 883 (2000, solid mount motor), it got unpleasant vibration right about 60; put new tires on it and it's not bad at 70 now. My '04 1200 is fine at 80, though the mirrors do blur a fair amount, don't think I've ever ridden a bike that didn't have some mirror blur, no matter how smooth it felt. Have you ever pulled the clutch at 70 and backed off the throttle to see if there's still any vibration? A motorcycle tire badly out of balance can vibrate bad at speed, too.

 

Must agree 100% on the noise/tension angle. I work around oil/gas rigs, and the difference is noticeable in all aspects of muscle tension and fatigue. Ever go home after a noisy job or ride and just sink into a couch? Quieting your experience a little will help some.

 

2014 Custom has factory balanced Michelin tires on it. I just ordered some of the Ride On Tire Sealant / Balance to replace the weights... I don't grip to tight and have installed a throttle boss to make riding easier. I'll try a few things over the winter months to help eliminate some of the vibes to make it handle better.
Handle bars weighted and maybe some type of rubber base under the riser would help a lot I'm sure.
I'm hearing impaired and have fought severe tinnitus for the last 20 years, that's why I'm up typing on the computer at 3am. I ride with a closed helmet with my hearing aids removed so the sound of the bike is pretty muffled even with the V&H Straightshots.

 

Great idea, I'll give this a try on the way home from work tonight. I'll also check all the engine mounts to make sure they're tight or binding in some way.