2017 EX Front End Vibration

[2017EX_imp]

I finally got my bike back, and it is now smooth as glass. The cause of the front end vibration was two fold: First, the front rim was about 1/8" out of round, and has now been trued to within .004, which is even better than spec. Second, while the front tire was supposedly within the run out spec for being round, apparently sitting in the crate for roughly 5 months caused a flat spot. After truing the rim, vibration was reduced, but still there. It was only after putting a new front tire on as well and balancing, that the vibration was eliminated. This was a legit warranty situation, and I had to be very patient and persistent to get it taken care of fully. Any Honda warranty claim requires that the problem first be verified by a Honda trained and certified mechanic, and not all Honda dealers have one. Go to http://powersports.honda.com/?cid=main_r...rts_pmt_be , click on "find a dealer", and enter your zip code. You will get a list of all Honda dealers in your area, and each has a bunch of symbols next to their respective listings. What you are looking for is the wrench symbol surrounded by a red square with "Factory Trained". All dealers are independently owned, and are apparently not required to have a Honda trained mechanic, as dealers have to pay to send their mechanics to Honda schools to be certified. The dealer I bought my bike from new in the crate, did not have a Honda trained mechanic ( who knew?), and aside from not being qualified to verify a warranty problem did nothing to fix my vibration problem after two trips to the service department. My bike is the CA (EX Deluxe) model with spoke rim, so the rim being out of true was a factor. The SA (Standard) model has a cast mag wheel, so it is unlikely that the mag wheel out of round would be a source of vibration, leaving the tire and balancing as the likely source. In any event and from my experience: Use a Honda certified mechanic, make any warranty claims promptly within the 1 year warranty period, and be prepared to be patient and persistent with a legit warranty claim. Hope the info helps the membership avoid the heartburn I experienced. All that said, and now that the bike is right, I love my CB1100 EX.