I just bought a 2006 883, with about 10k miles. It's my first bike ever, so I could be just ignorant. Especially to Hrleys. It has some aftermarket things done to it, nothing crazy. Lowered rear suspension, new risers, jetted carb, handle bars, pipes etc....
Now...when I start out in first gear, and am completely out of the clutch and accelerating, the front end seems to vibrate. Now I know it's a harley...but it just doesn't seem right. I don't think the rim is bent. It's probably nothing at all and I'm just paranoid, but like I said it's my first bike ever, so I have nothing to base it on. I bought it from a friend of mine, and I know he would have either A disclosed anything wrong with it, or B just sold it to someone else if there was a problem.

Is this normal? It's ridable! and It seems like it goes away in the higher gears, so maybe I'm just paranoid!!

Sorry to ramble...I'm just curious now. Thanks for any input. Positive and negative!

 

The Sportster has a high first gear. Without further info it sounds like you may be lugging the engine which will make it vibrate a lot and is bad for it. Try holding the clutch in longer (letting it out slower) when starting out and see if the vibration goes away.

 

+1. I find that I ride the clutch at any speed below 15 mph just because it is geared so high.

 

Kinda glad I own an older Sportster as I don't seem to have the clutch or vibration problems in first gear or low speeds.. Pherhaps Harley has changed the gearing since the solid mounts when away??!!

Check the front tire for a buldge

 

I agree it sounds like you are letting the clutch out to quick. What you explain sounds exactly like what I've experienced when doing so.

 

I don't see it as a "problem" on my bike. Lugging the engine is bad. It lets me know when it's unhappy.

My guess is it's not a difference in gearing but the characteristics of a rubber mounting system. The engine is allowed to move slightly so that the recoil of the engine lugging makes the engine shake. In a solid mount the engine would not be able to move around without moving a much larger object, the bike itself, so the engine gains no momentum and doesn't shake noticeably more than normal.

Either that or a solid mount already shakes so much that lugging the engine is a such a relatively small increase as to not be noticeable.

 

Thanks so much for all the replies. I didn't event think of the rubber mounting system as being a possibility. Thanks so much. I'm gonna post some pictures of it. I love her!

....anyone know how to post pictures? hahahaha

 

One way to make sure it's not the rim is to get up to around 20 mph, then pull in the clutch and coast back down to the speed where you are feeling the vibration. If it's a problem with the rim, or unbalanced tire, you'll feel the vibration when coasting with the engine at idle.

I also suspect that you are just lugging the engine. That's easy to do when you first get the bike.

 

Yea I don't think it's the rim. It doesn't do it in the higher gears. I just suck. How do you "lug" an engine? Am I waiting too long to shift? Or is she not warmed up yet?

 

Lugging engine is too slow for the gear. Boggs the engine down.