Taming the V11 bar Vibrations

[jrt]

I am curious to hear thoughts on how to fall properly.

Maybe it is worth a thread

 

troublemaker.

[Guest ratchethack]

Um, let me point out that in 99% of the serious accidents you might ever have the misfortune of being tied up in, it will happen so hard and fast the you simply won't have any time or ability to control your reflexes. You can, however, develop those reflexes, to a fairly substantial degree -- enough to prevent or lessen many kinds of injuries.

 

The best way to learn to fall is to fall. Many many times. The harder and faster the better -- up to a point, of course! I find that skiing (which I did for 26 years, some of which were 100+ full day seasons) taught me how to fall to the point where it completely changed the way I hit the ground at speeds of up to 40 mph. Some of my more notable falls were nothing short of spectacular, with Ski Patrol hustling over in several cases in apparent expectation of gathering up the remains in a bucket. . . Never broke a bone, but I did collapse 2 disks and had to be taken off the mountain for the first time in my skiing career on my last day and flown to Emergency by private plane. . .

 

Generally speaking, snow-covered mountains make more forgiving landing zones than non-snow-covered, but o'course, there are exceptions. . .

 

The way I really developed my "falling technique" over the years was to ride dirt bikes fast enough and hard enough to regularly enough get in over me head, realizing early on after repeat experience, and ever since, that "throwing it away" just before things get blurry in the crash was about the only deliberate and conscious act possible. It saved impact with the relatively sharp, hot, and poky parts of the bike just before the serious tumbling began, of which there is simply no earthly way to attempt to plan. It's all muscle memory and reflex. You either develop the raw instinct to "tuck in", or you don't have any ability to do it. It can (and often does, by my observation) make the difference between broken bones and dislocations (and worse) and getting up and walking it off.

 

BAA, TJM, but I doubt YM is gonna V.

[Guest 2 many guzzi]

Superb write up. Kudos to Graham in NZ, and thanks for posting the link, Jason.

 

With all the hundreds of posts on bar changes, I wonder if anyone else out there actually LIKES the stock clip-on bars on the Sports? I have to say that I just don't get it. One of the reasons I bought my Sport was that I liked the riding position so well, including what I consider a near-ideal bar position (adjusted to full "inside" angle). There are times when I actually think I might want them lower, though for me, the stock height and angle seem to be a near-perfect compromise for all-around riding.

 

Having suffered very serious back problems many years ago, I find that the "Sport tuck" provides a naturally comfortable curve to the spine with a nice balance between seat, bars, and pegs that's easy to "set" against the smoothed-out slipstream/bubble boundary created by my Stucci quarter-fairing at speed. I've been (mostly) symptom-free from back trouble for about 12 yrs and I get far more back irritation from driving a car than from hundreds of miles at a time on the Guz!

 

Now on to bar vibration. The PO of my bike had installed Throttlemeister Heavy bar end weights (the 14 oz-ers). With these, bar vibration has simply been so minor that I never perceive it as an irritation of any kind. As a guage of how sensitive to vibration I might be, I only occasionally notice vibration thru the right-hand peg. It only very occasionally registers as a slight irritation, and if I move my foot around a bit I can just forget about it.

 

As far as the mirrors go, yeah, they're a little fuzzier than I'd like, but they're effective enough that I have no desire to consider an alternative. I find that if I'm not currently in a riding situation that requires an instant response or reaction, I can steady the left-hand mirror with my hand long enough to get that sharper peek I'm after.

 

Just blessed with liking it stock, I guess! As far as I'm concerned, they got it absolutely spot-on in Mandello del Lario. Anyone else have the same take, or am I the Lone Ranger on this one? Maybe I'm just old enough and worn-out enough to realize that the only "perfection" that exists is perfect acceptance of "pretty damned good"??

[Guest 2 many guzzi]

Hi, personally I like the stock bars, and position. I found that, by inserting those small lead balls used for fishing in the bars, it makes the vibration almost disappear, two small bags in each end was enough on my V 11, and they can be pushed in till they almost become one solid piece. Ciao, Philip Summaria.

[savagehenry]

The best way to learn to fall is to fall. Many many times. The harder and faster the better -- up to a point, of course!

 

The way I really developed my "falling technique" over the years was to ride dirt bikes fast enough and hard enough to regularly enough get in over me head, realizing early on after repeat experience, and ever since, that "throwing it away" just before things get blurry in the crash was about the only deliberate and conscious act possible. It saved impact with the relatively sharp, hot, and poky parts of the bike just before the serious tumbling began, of which there is simply no earthly way to attempt to plan. It's all muscle memory and reflex. You either develop the raw instinct to "tuck in", or you don't have any ability to do it. It can (and often does, by my observation) make the difference between broken bones and dislocations (and worse) and getting up and walking it off.

Been there. I concour.

[gstallons]

EVERY circumstance is different. The only thing you can do is to maintain control of the bike until you have to let go. I watched a video where a rider got into a tankslapper from Hell. He was pitched UP in the air, held on the bars,dragged for a while, managed to hop back on and kept going....

a crash is at best 5 seconds long so you don't have "chess move" time to think much. It is mostly involuntary reaction time. The only advice I have is to control or influence your bike to a stop. When you give up and push off you give up control of being a rider and become a passenger.

I asked this old rider about high speed headshake and how to ride out of it ? His response was..."don't get into it".

[pasotibbs]

I asked this old rider about high speed headshake and how to ride out of it ? His response was..."don't get into it".

 

:thumbsup:

[Chuck]

For quite a few years when I was younger I rode dirt bikes (enduros)and have crashed many (!) times. I'd never been down on a street bike until a couple of years ago a freak accident had me sliding on chip and seal. For me, time slows down in something like this, and I had plenty of time to double my fists (keeps fingers from breaking) crossed my arms over my chest (you don't want your limbs flailing about, and kept my legs together. I was wearing Elkskin Ropers, and they burned through on one knuckle. I'll never wear gloves without knuckle protection again..

[GraeV11]

For quite a few years when I was younger I rode dirt bikes (enduros)and have crashed many (!) times. I'd never been down on a street bike until a couple of years ago a freak accident had me sliding on chip and seal. For me, time slows down in something like this, and I had plenty of time to double my fists (keeps fingers from breaking) crossed my arms over my chest (you don't want your limbs flailing about, and kept my legs together. I was wearing Elkskin Ropers, and they burned through on one knuckle. I'll never wear gloves without knuckle protection again..

 

Another tip from personal experience is to stay down when you come to a stop (unless you end up in the fast lane of course) until you are sure that everything required for standing is in working order. I had a major off and the shock and adrenalin had me jumping up on two broken legs and a broken ankle - this caused much more internal damage than would have otherwise been the case. Still makes me feel sick and that was more than 25 years ago ! I used to love that Yam LC350 powervalve ! It didn't like me very much.

[helicopterjim R.I.P.]

Has anyone had any experience with the VIBRANATOR? I know this technology should eliminate a great percentage of the vibration if tuned correctly. I think I am going to try it this year.

 

VIBRANATOR

[mfeeney]

I've a 2004 V11 Lemans with titanium mufflers, individual foam air filters and Hot Grips. Also installed are aftermarket clip-ons that do not take the factory end weights. To abate the hand grip vibration I've poured lead into each clip-on to eliminate the vibration I get at 4000 rpm and above. That has not helped very much and still cannot ride more than two hours w/o my right hand going numb. I'm close to selling the bike unless I can solve this problem. Please help if you have an idea.

 

mfeeney

[mfeeney]

Jason;

Thanks for the fast response regarding my bar vibration issue that Graham NZ has addressed. I cannot however get the link you offered because it says it is no longer available. Any others I can look at? Thanks!

 

mfeeney

[mznyc]

Manic Salamanders are still available.http://www.manicsalamander.com/products.aspx

[Cabernet]

I have gone with Maxton under top yoke clip-on clamps with OE tubes and Renthal 32mm dual density road grips. On the straights I can rest my elbows on my knees to save my hands.

[Zooter]

Graham in NZ has written up a very nice illustrated description of the iterations he went through to reduce bar vibrations on the V11. Included are changes in the brake lines, handlebars, mirrors (Italian, of course ) and bar ends. The text is here.cheers,Jason

link is gone south.