Taking a beating

[bluebike]

Hi,
I've put about 1,000 or so miles on my rebel in the last 6 months or so. Its my first bike and its been great to build confidence and its just really fun to ride. Lately though I've been on a couple of rides that were mostly at 50 mph or so and by the end of the day I feel like I've been in a street fight. There's a lot of vibration, and when I start to push 55 it just doesn't feel stable. Is this normal for these bikes? Are there adjustments that can help? There are about 3,300 miles on the bike -- would a tune up help?
Thanks,
Marcia
Blue '03

[jkersh]

I have felt the same way. Try adjusting the preload on your rear shocks to be a little stiffer. It helped with me and there isnt as much "buzziness" to the bike.

[GearJammer]

Welcome, Marcia! :wink:

Vibration is a relative thing. What one might consider to be a "lot", another might consider to be "normal".....it's hard to tell without being there.

You could check your motor mounts to insure that they're all tight. An inspection of the front-end, especially the front wheel/tire to insure no impending tire problems or bent rim. A quick check of the oil level to insure there's enough to keep motor parts working smoothly.........

[Snorebaby]

Hey Marcia!

I would go with everything that GJ and jkersh have said. Stiffening the shocks really help. Also, I don't know if you have a windshield on it or not, but having ridden my 450 both ways (windshield wise), I find that it is better to have one especially at hwy speeds. Rode my 450 without one for 5 years and at hwy speeds you are fighting hard to stay upright and it wore my arms and shoulders out (I am not a real small person, alot of area for the wind to push against ROTFL!! :lol: ). I recently put on a shield and love the difference it made. No more fighting the wind!

I have a female friend who is small in stature and she put a windshield on her 750 Honda and said it is a world of difference. She no longer has to fight to stay on the bike at speeds above 45mph.

If you have a friend who's bike has a windshield, maybe you can take it for a test ride to see if a windshield might work for you.

Hope this helps! :)

[bluebike]

Hey,
Great suggestions and I appreciate everyone taking the time to help.

When I bought the bike, I was sure I would put a windshield on, but I found I was getting pushed around so much on windy days without the windshield -- I was afraid the windshield could act like a sail and work against me in the wind. Anyone having that problem or I overthinking things (like usual)?

Thanks,
Marcia

[rcoolbaugh]

Get the windshield - it makes a huge difference at higher speeds.

[HondaRebelRider250]

One thing that is often overlooked is checking your spokes.

Look for loose spokes or if the wheel may be out of true or out of round.

Spoked wheels need periodic maintenance.

[Snorebaby]

Believe it or not....the windshield actually helps to steady the bike. With the curve of the windshield, the wind is more aerodynamically diverted around you rather than the wind hitting you straight on. This way the bike feels more stable rather than you being buffeted by the wind and trying to hold onto the handlebars causing the front end to "wiggle".