Rhythmic Vibration in 3rd gear between 2000 - 2700 rpm

[Rodan2010]

Hi.
A longtime visitor, first time poster from Seoul.

I have a R18FE with just over 5000km on the odometer.
It started to make an rhythmic vibration in 3rd gear around 2000 - 2700rpm range which can be felt through the seat. (i.e. alternating vibration / no-vibration through the seat).
Spoken to the local Motorrad tech guy. Claims he had never experienced / heard of the problem yet.
The bike is scheduled for an inspection on the 9th of August.

Has anyone else experienced the same problem?

Learning a lot from this site.
Keep up the good work everyone.

 

[Deleted member 1344]

The R18 has a tendency to lope in 3rd gear at the rpm you noted. I think 3rd is a transition gear, not a cruising gear. If you accelerate in 3rd, the loping disappears. This loping rythym doesn’t happen in the other gears.
I have experienced this with the Kawasaki Voyager 1700 also. It is a mode of vibration present when the mass-rotation combination has a resonant frequency.

 

[Rodan2010]

The R18 has a tendency to lope in 3rd gear at the rpm you noted. I think 3rd is a transition gear, not a cruising gear. If you accelerate in 3rd, the loping disappears. This loping rythym doesn’t happen in the other gears.
I have experienced this with the Kawasaki Voyager 1700 also. It is a mode of vibration present when the mass-rotation combination has a resonant frequency.

Thanks for confirming my suspicion. I thought as much. Just wondering why it started to manifest. Perhaps a little too much/little oil during the last oil change to hit that sweet spot for the resonant frequency to take hold