Couple of (hopefully) minor, maybe dumb questions

[Lucien Harpress]

First off, my bike has been running AWESOME lately, and the questions I have here are things that I've been wondering about, but aren't necessarily end-of-the-world type problems.

First- 3K RPM buzz. I've heard this mentioned before, that the XS has a nice resonance vibration (buzz) at around 3K RPM. Is this normal? Reason being, I had one of my exhausts crack a few weeks ago and had someone re-weld it. Since then that vibration has gotten worse. Is there anything I can do about this, or is it just something I'll learn to live with? (It's more annoying than anything)

Second- top end noise (as in the literal top of the engine block). How much noise are these engines supposed to make off the top end? Mine seems to make quite a racket. Is a bit of clatter here normal?

Finally- rubber bits in the engine fins. I've got these little bits of rubber between the fins on the engine. What the heck are these for? Do I need 'em? What are they?

Thanks for indulging my curiosity!

[DGXSER]

First- 3K RPM buzz. I've heard this mentioned before, that the XS has a nice resonance vibration (buzz) at around 3K RPM. Is this normal? Reason being, I had one of my exhausts crack a few weeks ago and had someone re-weld it. Since then that vibration has gotten worse. Is there anything I can do about this, or is it just something I'll learn to live with? (It's more annoying than anything)

I have never noticed it so much on mine. You could try installing a rubber padding between the muffler bracket and the footpeg bracket to isolate the vibration from the exhaust.

Second- top end noise (as in the literal top of the engine block). How much noise are these engines supposed to make off the top end? Mine seems to make quite a racket. Is a bit of clatter here normal?

How much is normal, well it is alot more than alot of other engines I have owned. These valves do make a racket!! If you have not checked valve clearances in a long while or ever, you might want to. Otherwise, not alot to go wrong up there.

Finally- rubber bits in the engine fins. I've got these little bits of rubber between the fins on the engine. What the heck are these for? Do I need 'em? What are they?

Different theories on their purpose, some say vibration isolation, some say even out heat transfer. Bottom line is they are supposed to be there, I'd recommend leaving them in there. But, the bike will not imploed or die an unfit death anytime soon if they were not.

Glad the bike is running nicely for you!!!

[CatatonicBug]

Is it a stock exhaust? The heat shields will make a LOT of noise in that RPM range if they are not tightened down all the way with all 3 bolts.

[cywelchjr]

Finally- rubber bits in the engine fins. I've got these little bits of rubber between the fins on the engine. What the heck are these for? Do I need 'em? What are they?

Thanks for indulging my curiosity!

Well, those rubber bits are the ones left over from the web site, the ones that didn't go in the bit bucket.

Really they are just to support the fins and reduce vibration in the fins and prevent any noise you might get from said vibration.

I actually thought you said tits right up until I started to reply, and I was going to say everybody wants at least a couple of those. But with it being bits, that's what keeps everything together don't ya know.

[Lucien Harpress]

Is it a stock exhaust? The heat shields will make a LOT of noise in that RPM range if they are not tightened down all the way with all 3 bolts.

Heck no! I'm pretty sure I've got a Franken-exhaust. Normal headers, Harley mufflers, and resonator tubes from... who knows where (in that order).

The only thing I noticed different between pre-weld and post-weld job (other than the vibration thing) was the rear mounting bracket was a bit off- I needed to manhandle the exhaust a bit to get it to fit.

Again, that buzz is just annoying, really. Can't see out the mirrors from about 2.8K to about 3.1K. After that it does away.

Also, at cywelchjr- who the hell would want rubber tits?

[DiverRay]

Cy is just weird.... He LIKES that kind of thing!
The exhaust is probably NOW just rubbing or torqued so that it's vibrating against the frame. If you loosen ALL the bolts on the exhaust, and then tighten them up from the head on back, it MAY go away, or at least go down in amplitude.

[Lucien Harpress]

I'll take a look tomorrow. I'm not sure if it's pressed up against the frame or not (or was before I took it off, for that matter). Couldn't hurt, that's for sure.