Which bike has most character - least vibration?

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Might have to sell the Duc and get something smoother. No two wheeled motorhomes i.e. gold wing's, legendary smoothness but too much the Buick Park Avenue of the bike world.

Something that's not boring has some uniqueness and character and heritage but not Honda, Suzuki, or Kawasaki. Yamaha might be okay. Back in the 80's I got to use my older brother's Yamaha Maxim 650 for a while after he upgraded to a Maxim 1100 and it was a fun bike.

Could the new Milwaukee 8 powered Harley Davidson Road King be smooth enough? Lots of reviews so far comment about how much less it shakes, with HD saying it shakes actually 75% less than the TC 103 engine. Reviews are useless compared to a test ride though, so maybe I should give one a try.

Going to double check all the easy to get to stuff on the Duc just in case a spark plug lead is loose or etc. Four spark plugs and four coils to check.
 
Originally Posted By: BigCahuna
I here you can get a "real deal" on a Victory about now.,,,


LoL, yeah saw that. No thanks !! Victory's have never stirred me, probably okay bikes but just seem soul-less to me...
 
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Oilhead BMW?
Triumph?
Super Tenere?


Triumph definitely a possibility, lots of Heritage and Character there.
 
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
I absolutely love Moto Guzzi.

Pure magic on two wheels. When I'm finally home, a Griso will be my homecoming gift to myself.


Agreed, but that longitudinal V-twin shakes too much.
 
I think this is very subjective.

Though I haven't ridden a newer MTS, I've ridden MANY Ducati and never one I would describe as anywhere near "buzzy" as you did in the other thread. Pretty much every Japanese inline 4 is buzzy, to the point that a ZX6 will make my hands numb.

You're just going to have to ride some and see what vibrations you're sensitive to.

A Road King would definitely be worth a ride. On the sportier side of the equation you might find a Honda Interceptor (VFR800) to have a lot of character and be very un-honda like.
 
Im a little dumbfounded as well, but anyway ...

If your looking for smooth as far as cruising above 10MPH, you will not find anything smoother then a 2014, 2015, 2016 Harley Touring Bike, be it a Road Glide, Street Glide or Road King. These models will jump like a jumping bean at dead idle but from 5MPH and over a TRUE 80 MPH you will not feel any vibration at all, I mean NONE, bike is awesome at interstate speeds, nothing short of amazing and I do not say that lightly.
We do a lot of interstate, nothing knocks our Road King around, doesnt matter whether its windy, whether there are 5 tractor trailers doing 75 mph in front of you, nothing. Open up the throttle, nothing but a big growl. Love it.

The same bikes above in the model year 2017 and later have the new engine which according to some, is almost scary until you get used to it, claiming that at highway speeds they thought the engine cut out because it was so smooth, its also very smooth at idle. With that said, in the forums, there are sitll first year bugs being worked out and one of those bugs is a vibration in some of the bikes at highway speeds. Me personally, I wouldnt buy one yet.

Next, onto my favorite, IF I COULD HAVE A SECOND BIKE and that would be ONLY the new 2016 or later YAMAHA FJR 1300. I love the idea of this sport tourer and the write ups have been fantastic with the new 6th gear, reports of smooth to an extreme here as well.
Because I ride with my wife and after two previous metrics and the fact my 14 Road King isnt 3 years old yet, I have to respect her wished for comfort and she will NOT part with the Road King, thats ok, I truly love the bike, I just get ADD real quick when it comes to motorcycles *L*
Love them all!

But as far as Character? I think the Road King is it. Cant beat it and again, Character ...
 
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The boxer cylinders look like they might afford your leg some protection in a low side crash.
 
Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
I think this is very subjective.

Though I haven't ridden a newer MTS, I've ridden MANY Ducati and never one I would describe as anywhere near "buzzy" as you did in the other thread. Pretty much every Japanese inline 4 is buzzy, to the point that a ZX6 will make my hands numb.

You're just going to have to ride some and see what vibrations you're sensitive to.

A Road King would definitely be worth a ride. On the sportier side of the equation you might find a Honda Interceptor (VFR800) to have a lot of character and be very un-honda like.


Maybe the dyno break-in on my Duc did something to make it vibrate more, although I don't know what that would be. It wasn't a dyno *pull* to measure output, it was a certain series of break-in run-ups and engine decel braking in the dealership's race shop before I took delivery, basically an extension of what they do at the factory.
 
Originally Posted By: alarmguy

But as far as Character? I think the Road King is it. Cant beat it and again, Character ...


Yes, I do like what they've done with the 2017 RK. Hydraulic clutch now, which is big improvement in my opinion. And of course the M8 motor.
 
I've always wanted one of the New Indians. I love that classic look.

Riding videos of the new 2017 Road King are REALLY amazing! Wow.... so smooth
 
I dont have a hydraulic clutch and honestly I am glad I do not. For me, no reason too and no maintenance on the clutch cable for almost ever. Im just not sure of the purpose of Hydraulic other then maintenance.

Been many recalls about the Hydraulic clutch since 2014 on the Street Glide and I am sure by now they got it right.
I do understand, this is the way of the world and I will have no choice if I buy another but I rather hace a simple cable.
 
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BMW flat twins have a little vibration at idle that smooths out once you get any power going. The engine is lower revving and isn't tuned for as much horse power (for the displacement) as many bikes but they are have a lot of torque.

BSW
 
Guys, we're talking about a medical condition here, that's no joke!
If you really must not ride anything that shakes, I would rule out everything with 1 or 2 cylinders.

Haven't ridden anything 3 cyl, perhaps others can chime in on that. Hear you like Triumph, how about the Trophy?
4 cylinders and above should shake even less. If you don't want anything Japanese, the BMW a few posts back is something I would consider. Or the 6 cyl BMW GT or GTL...

OR, (and don't hate me, it's your vision afterall), have you considered an electric bike? They are getting better and better these days, torque is certainly up to the task, and range is getting there, too.
 
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