2010 right-hand vibration

[Krob]

I've a 2010 FJR with 7k on the odometer with, what I'd consider, excessive vibration on the right side, most noticeably on the throttle. On anything beyond my normal commute of 12 miles (and even sometimes then) the vibration in the throttle is enough to give me pins and needles and now that I'm running between SD and LA frequently, it's starting to damage my shoulder. I brought up the vibration at my 4000 mile servicing, but they claimed there wasn't much they could do other than make sure everything was tightened down. To both me and my doctor, this seems kind of unacceptable.

Searching the forums, I found a few similar posts that seem to indicate this is a fairly common "feature" with no real solution. At what point is this truly a mechanical problem that I can force Yamaha and/or the dealer to deal with? Over a decade on my Shadow and I never experienced anything like this.

I've tried adjusting my seating position to take the weight off my hands as some have mentioned, but it doesn't help. When riding, I have to take my hand off completely for 10-15 seconds for things to start to recover, any contact at all with the throttle keeps my hand, and through it, my shoulder, in it's agitated state. I've tried grip puppies, but they didn't help a whit and the larger circumference actually caused my hand to cramp up to boot. I managed to get my Wild Bill's on in time for my last ride and while the ability to lean back and off my hands helps mix things up, they do nothing for the agitation. I've got some gel grips that I need to put on and will look into some gel gloves, but seriously, how much money needs to be spent by the customer to get a ride that's not painful?

I'm contemplating the Helibars rig, more for the change in location of the bars, but this shouldn't be a necessary purchase. I'm also looking to get a Throttlemeister for some normal hand relief. I'm going to ride it hard for a few days and see if that helps (one rider noted that after a few days at the track, running around 5k RPM, the 4k vibration seemed to smooth out a bit).

Maybe I'm being a whiny git, but it seems like one shouldn't have to pick up 6-700 bucks worth of hardware/labor to make a brand new bike comfortable enough to ride, especially a bike that's pitched as a tourer. If anyone has any other suggestions on what might be done cheaply to smooth things out or any good helpful suggestions on what I can get the dealer to do, it'd be much appreciated.

Nate

 

[Donal]

The first thing I would check is that all the engine mounting bolts are correctly torqued in the correct sequence.

The second thing I would do is have the throttle bodies synchronised.

If you are still having problems try and get hold of another FJR that appears to be running without vibration and try it out.

My $0.02 worth

Don

 

[Bustanut joker]

Change your gloves.. I'm serious.

Somebody here had similar issues a while back and it turned out his gloves were to tight. As you are naturally gripping the throttle grip a bit tighter your left hand may not be affected..

Hmmm.. after re-reading this and seeing your shoulder is also affected, I would think you may have a spinal issue or even rotator cuff problems. Possibly a pinched nerve?

IIRC none of these can be diagnosed without an MRI.. Unless that has been done I wouldn't put much stock in what the doc says

 

[jazsr]

Tell you what,you have tried the bandaid stuff like grip puppies,etc. which never really address the root cause of the problem vibration. Many FJRs run silky smooth,why not yours? A recent thread(can't find it just now)put a new spin on this topic,

talked about a bike cured of similar after the fuel rail and bad injector were replaced,even though injector apparently checked out ok.If my bike acted this way I would be digging around for possible fuel supply and mapping or spark(coils/wires etc.)if everthing otherwise seems tight and well anchored w/engine and frame.

 

[03HiYoSilver]

Krob,

Here is how you do a Throttle Body Sync:

https://www.fjr1300.info/howto/efi-sync.html

Here are some Grip Puppies that help with your Gloves:

https://www.casporttouring.com/store/merchant.mvc?page=CST/CTGY/Yamaha_FJR1300

Hope this helps...

 

[kenporider]

It sounds like you may be pinching a nerve in you neck or shoulder, most likely shoulder. Put it on the center stand and just sit on it like you're riding for the same amount of time it takes for the discomfort to show up with the engine off. Don't invest in any mods until you know what the root cause is, it may not be vibration based on the shoulder discomfort. Vibration will dissipate in the elbow before it gets to the shoulder.

Also, wear the same gear you ride in while performing the test.

 

[Quality Guy]

My '08 has been like this since new. I put the heli-bar triple clamp on to improve the riding position and a Throttlemeister so I can periodically exercise my hand. 26k miles and I'm still in awe of this bike. Going to try some LD riding as soon as I get my Russell seat.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Before I got some decent gloves, I used to notice the the right hand getting numb.

I also notice the right hand numbness occasionally in the first hours of a long trip. I then remember to relax the grip and everything returns to normal and is great for the rest of the trip.

 

[Harald]

I also notice the right hand numbness occasionally in the first hours of a long trip. I then remember to relax the grip and everything returns to normal and is great for the rest of the trip.

My experience also. I have to consciously remember to relax my grip or else I get numbness in my hand also.

If you think about it, there's no logical explanation for why the right grip should vibrate more than the left grip. Actually because of the throttle tube isolating you some from the bar, you would expect LESS vibration on the right grip. Yet why is it that the right hand goes numb and not the left? The only difference is that the right hand has to grip the throttle to keep it turned. But it doesn't have to be a death grip! Relax the right hand!

I've found the grip puppies to help me and also using the Yoda riding position which gets weight off your hands. An important mod is doing the spring unwind which allows for less force required to keep the throttle twisted.

Good luck in your troubleshooting.

 

[wev567]

It sounds like you may be pinching a nerve in you neck or shoulder, most likely shoulder.

Carpal tunnel syndrome? Mine felt like that, up to the shoulder...

 

[Burnspot]

I deal with the aftereffects of an wrist injury during my USMC days and carpal tunnel syndrome...I've yet to completely solve the right hand numbness as a result. That being said, I improved things greatly when I finally moved from simple bar risers to a whole new riser plate, similar to Heli-Bars. That modification, plus the Grip Puppies and Crampbuster I've always used, has tamed the right wrist issue quite a bit. Not perfect, but given the circumstances, it works fairly well. I figure the next step will be to install an Audiovox cruise control, replacing the POS BrakeAway throttle lock I have.

 

[Yamalude]

I installed a set of vibranators and they really helped with the vibes.

 

[dsmack]

I've found that adjusting the Throttlemeister so that it drags just a bit is the way to go when in a cruise situation. Rarely do I "lock it down", just enough drag that it takes very little effort on my part to maintain current throttle position.

That, and a relaxed hand position on the throttle has relieved any stress or numbness in my hand.

Are you aware of any pre-existing condition in your right hand/wrist/arm/shoulder?

In my case, it was carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists from a lifetime of hard usage...

I hope you can find the cause, as it really sucks to not be able to fully enjoy your ride. The suggestions on retorquing the engine mounts and getting a TB synch done would be where I would start.

Please let us know what you find!

Don

 

[sporto]

Ditto on the Carpel Tunnel..go down and get a nerve test done, it will definatively reveal if you need the release surgery. Doc said CTS does not heal itself and only gets worse over time. Surgery is simple, common and you will be back to riding, golfing, tennis, etc..within a month.

I had my dominant hand 'released' and it was night and day difference, hand no longer falls asleep and I can now ride my YZ250 without my hand going totally numb within 15 minutes.

 

[FrednearBoston]

After reading several threads on this topic, there is definitely an issue of resonance with the FJR somewhere in the 4000 rpm range.

For example, I'm riding at 75 mph in 5th, rpm's in the 4000 range, my right side mirror is vibrating to the point of uselessness (left side mirror is clear), and my right hand is starting to go numb. If I downshift to 4th and keep the same speed, raising the rpm's, the vibrations disappear, both mirrors are crystal clear, and the bike is as smooth as butter.

I'm experiencing the numb right hand for the first time in my riding career due to these vibrations, and I am not doing the death grip. I still ride my 2005 FZ6, which is a vibration king, and have never had this issue this badly.

What I think is that the vibrations are affecting me most through the brake lever. I have grip puppies, good gloves, and a throttle rocker, so my grip is loose, but I like to keep my fingers on the brake lever. When I take them off the lever the vibrations affect me less, but holding them over the lever is tiring.

So, thanks to all for their ideas and the bar end suggestions - I'm going to try the bar ends. Plus I might get some brake lever covers to put some foam between my finders and the lever.

And this gives me all the more reason to live in the upper rev range!