Brand new 900 LT engine vibration

[oberuwe]

Hi Guys, just purchased a brand new 900 LT a week and a half ago, awesome ride, used to Suzuki boulevards, but like this bike way more.
After some driving around I noticed that a vibration from the engine gets really bad when exceeding 70mph, around 75 I am afraid that the bike is falling apart, I was be able to run my previous bikes way over 100mph with minimal vibration.
Called dealer and was told that it is "normal" on the 900, never owning a Kawasaki before I have to wonder if the dealer is trying to pull a fast one on me?
Any input would be appreciated, I really like the ride but it raddled so bad that it is not reasonable to keep the bike.:

[truckie453]

Welcome to the club.

She will get buzzy around 75-80 but don't worry she won't fall apart at 90-100 (on a empty straight stretch road middle of the night).

Fwiw, my daily commute has about 20 mins at highway speeds 75-80. It's not that bad. The engine is made to rev. I should be installing my 200 series Metz 880 and supposedly that should help with the revs. It is also reported that the scootworks pulley will help too (no experience with that though).

[Kaw-poke]

Originally Posted by truckie453

...don't worry she won't fall apart at 90-100 (on a empty straight stretch road middle of the night).

Seriously? You'll drive 100 mph in the middle of the night? How do you know that stretch of road is empty until you get there - at approximately 146 feet per second?

[Jace Bror]

Yeah she can be a bit buzzy up there, she's happiest at about 65-70. On Monday I did a test drive offer to get some Oakleys in the mail. So I rode the Yamaha Stratoliner Deluxe. Their bagger / wide glide. It has about 100 lbs on my classic and it has some buzziness around the 75, but after that it was fine. Actually anything above that was fine. I had her up to 120 and only slowed down cuz the shorty windshield was worthless and my helmet was being lifted so much I could see the chin portion without looking down much at all. Damn that bike moved. It sure is nice to go to a place and get to test ride all alone. Biggest problem I had was the heel shifter was virtually nonexistent, and barely clipped the side of my heel. Makes me want more power. Hopefully a new intake on my 9 will help with that.

[truckie453]

Not my smartest moment, but honestly, I just wanted to see what she could do. Not something I do regularly.

and FWIW it was a well lit highway between exits so yes the road was clear.

Originally Posted by Kaw-poke

Seriously? You'll drive 100 mph in the middle of the night? How do you know that stretch of road is empty until you get there - at approximately 146 feet per second?

[silenthill]

The 900 routinely "wins" ALL mid size cruiser "shoot outs". I read countless reviews before I purchased mine. It's frequently put up against the c50, 950, 750...and sometimes the venerable 650...and ocationally the 883. It ALWAYS wins. That being said, It's still a MID SIZE CRUISER. SUSTAINED SPEEDS ABOVE 70MPH (MY SWEET SPOT IS 120KPH) is NOT it's forte. Pulley's, front and rear, and/or a taller back tire will get you a few more comfortable top end speeds. But, the 9 won't EVER be a powerhouse on the superslab. I'm a HUGE fan of the bike, but it doesn't quite do it for a few. If you need sustained speeds above 80...switch bikes NOW!

Btw Truckie453, love your sig. quote. I've used it as my Facebook status several times.

P.S., ONCE, the wife and I were heading back from a rally.....it was cold, late and miserable out. I held the 9 at 160 kph (approx. 96 mph) for about 30 minutes. The wife and I are, hmnnn, on the heavy side and we were loaded down, the bike performed flawlessly AND buzzily. The funny part was, after that "jaunt" we passed many, many, ummmmm "other" bikes. We eventually pulled in to a Tim's (Canadian coffee joint) to warm up. After a while, "those" bikes pulled in and "circled" my parked bike. They gave it the once over, looked it up and down, and roared off. I nodded at them, they completely ignored me. The wife came out of the coffee shop and asked "What was that all about".....I NEVER was quite sure. I think they were surprised and wanted to check out what the hell passed them. I still tell this story on occation.....I'll leave it up to your imagination what those "other" riders were riding.....and my "little" 9 blew them away....

[Daboo311]

Originally Posted by Kaw-poke

Seriously? You'll drive 100 mph in the middle of the night? How do you know that stretch of road is empty until you get there - at approximately 146 feet per second?

I would think he drives it at 99 the first time to clear the road.

[Daboo311]

I am not an interstate guy but do take short runs to see how it runs at 70+.

It does vibrate and makes me wonder if I could stand this on a long trip. I'm sure a good seat and better handles/glove would help.

I'm mainly wanted mid-range bikes to cruise areas near where I live. I'm sure one day my taste will change and it will be time to move on up.

[Infidel]

I must have got lucky because I routinely ride my 900 LT at 80-85 on the freeway just to keep up with traffic and the vibrations aren't really noticable. My head, on the otherhand, tends to feel like its going to rattle off from the wind, even though I have a windshield. Might just be the 1/2 helmet, though, I dunno...I'm still learning all this new fangled motorcycle stuff...

[Daboo311]

Originally Posted by Infidel

I must have got lucky because I routinely ride my 900 LT at 80-85 on the freeway just to keep up with traffic and the vibrations aren't really noticable. My head, on the otherhand, tends to feel like its going to rattle off from the wind, even though I have a windshield. Might just be the 1/2 helmet, though, I dunno...I'm still learning all this new fangled motorcycle stuff...

Same here! I'm confused because I thought the windshield was to keep bugs and wind off the face. The wind is pretty tough to handle without one at those speeds. This why I do short bursts.