I've seen a couple of new riders complain about vibration on the AN650. I've ridden many different motorcycles and a few scooters. The AN650 is a real smooth machine. I never gave vibration a thought during the first 14,000 miles I put on mine. But something happened this morning.
I keep my hump bag and a smaller toiletry bag in the tail section of the trunk. My emergency gear is stored in them. Since I haven't had any emergencies, I haven't opened either for awhile - but today I decided to look through them.
I pulled the zipper pouch that contains my "Stop n Go" tire plugger kit out of the hump bag. The first thing I noticed was a small empty plastic bottle. The cap was now resting separately from the bottle. The bottle used to contain a fluid for lubricating the tire plugs to help push them through the tire. Now the bottle contains air - and the instruction booklet is well lubricated. :?
Next I unzipped the toiletry bag, and found everything inside it coated with a fine white powder. :shock: At the bottom of the mess I found what used to be a roll of peppermint lifesavers. Several lifesavers had come out of the roll and had been pulverized into the fine white powder.
What wreaked this havoc? Vibration is definitely the prime suspect.
So on my subsequent 85 mile ride, I focused on vibration levels a bit. Yes, there is a steady vibration felt through the handgrips, floorboards, and seat. Now compared to many other 2 wheeled rides, this is mild stuff. It is comparible to the vibration level that my cat has when I hold her and she purrs. Almost pleasant. If this level of vibration bothers a rider, they probably won't be happy on any motorcycle and few scooters. Despite modern advances in engine counterbalancers and rubber insulated engine mounts, the engine on a bike is just a lot more "up close and personal" than the one in a car or truck. Hiding it behind plastic panels doesn't change that. But it can have adverse effects.
Vibration tends to amplify as it moves along the frame away from the engine. So putting my stuff in the tail section of the trunk probably subjected it to the high end of vibration levels existant in the scooter. The one bolt I lost, was one that holds a brake line bracket to the swing arm, also toward the rear of the machine.
So it is important to look at your fasteners periodically. I do it when I dry the scooter after washing it. And if you carry contingency items long term in the trunk or in a tail box, you may want to have a look through them every now and then.
But if the vibration bothers you when riding, go take a ride on a vintage Triumph. That'll cure ya! Oh, be sure you count the fillings in your teeth when you finish that ride. Might be missing one or two! :twisted:
I keep my hump bag and a smaller toiletry bag in the tail section of the trunk. My emergency gear is stored in them. Since I haven't had any emergencies, I haven't opened either for awhile - but today I decided to look through them.
I pulled the zipper pouch that contains my "Stop n Go" tire plugger kit out of the hump bag. The first thing I noticed was a small empty plastic bottle. The cap was now resting separately from the bottle. The bottle used to contain a fluid for lubricating the tire plugs to help push them through the tire. Now the bottle contains air - and the instruction booklet is well lubricated. :?
Next I unzipped the toiletry bag, and found everything inside it coated with a fine white powder. :shock: At the bottom of the mess I found what used to be a roll of peppermint lifesavers. Several lifesavers had come out of the roll and had been pulverized into the fine white powder.
What wreaked this havoc? Vibration is definitely the prime suspect.
So on my subsequent 85 mile ride, I focused on vibration levels a bit. Yes, there is a steady vibration felt through the handgrips, floorboards, and seat. Now compared to many other 2 wheeled rides, this is mild stuff. It is comparible to the vibration level that my cat has when I hold her and she purrs. Almost pleasant. If this level of vibration bothers a rider, they probably won't be happy on any motorcycle and few scooters. Despite modern advances in engine counterbalancers and rubber insulated engine mounts, the engine on a bike is just a lot more "up close and personal" than the one in a car or truck. Hiding it behind plastic panels doesn't change that. But it can have adverse effects.
Vibration tends to amplify as it moves along the frame away from the engine. So putting my stuff in the tail section of the trunk probably subjected it to the high end of vibration levels existant in the scooter. The one bolt I lost, was one that holds a brake line bracket to the swing arm, also toward the rear of the machine.
So it is important to look at your fasteners periodically. I do it when I dry the scooter after washing it. And if you carry contingency items long term in the trunk or in a tail box, you may want to have a look through them every now and then.
But if the vibration bothers you when riding, go take a ride on a vintage Triumph. That'll cure ya! Oh, be sure you count the fillings in your teeth when you finish that ride. Might be missing one or two! :twisted:
