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Maybe I'm going crazy, but for the life of me I could swear my '17 EX was noticeably less buzzy today on the freeway. Normally, I tend to hover around 70 mph on her, because 75 mph equates to 3,500 rpm, which is precisely where the buzziness kicks in, and it stays relatively buzzy until 5K. Once the tach hits 5K, it's smooth sailing again.
Today, 75 mph was as smooth as glass. This was the first time I've ever locked in on 75 mph and remained there, intentionally. I wanted to see if this new smoothness would stick, and it did. I never felt any need to back it down a skosh, in order to get out of the buzzy zone. This time, there really wasn't any buzzy zone. Honestly, between my last ride and this one, it was like hitting a light switch. The difference was that pronounced.
I only have a little over 7k miles on her. She hasn't had any recent servicings. The damnable brake squeal is still there. Nothing has been touched or changed.
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This is possibly of no help at all, but I relate it for what it's worth.
Back in '76 I had a Suzuki 750 water-cooled (we called them 'Kettles' or "Water Bottles"!) and the engine, straight from the workshop, was like an electric motor it was SO smooth. And then, suddenly, it would take on a little 'buzz' - this was when one of the three carburettors would go slightly out of tune. A quick visit to my mate in the workshop and the turbine-smoothness was back.
Could the 'buzziness' with the CB be an inlet or tuning imbalance, perhaps? I just don't know how FI controls airflow and such. But perhaps that's where the source of "buzziness" lies? And VLJ, yours has just slipped INTO tune?
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If there is any worth to be mentioned buzziness in the CB engine, it is there, because the Honda engineers have constructed unnecessary buzzes for a more retro and old feel. They could have left this gimmick out, but they didn't. It seems to be a bit like a very good picture that someone afterwards modified to look a bit more worse for a certain kind of retrocharme. So this valvedisplacement and the so caused buzzes will stay with the CB as long as it will run. Other than that may smooth out. After 5 years and 50.000km my CB still runs the same buzzwise. Though, her buzzes, if ever noticeable that much, don't bother me. It's per se a very smooth running engine right from the first start.
Wisedrum
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(03-11-2019, 03:18 PM)VLJ_imp Wrote: Maybe I'm going crazy, but for the life of me I could swear my '17 EX was noticeably less buzzy today on the freeway. Normally, I tend to hover around 70 mph on her, because 75 mph equates to 3,500 rpm, which is precisely where the buzziness kicks in, and it stays relatively buzzy until 5K. Once the tach hits 5K, it's smooth sailing again.
Today, 75 mph was as smooth as glass. This was the first time I've ever locked in on 75 mph and remained there, intentionally. I wanted to see if this new smoothness would stick, and it did. I never felt any need to back it down a skosh, in order to get out of the buzzy zone. This time, there really wasn't any buzzy zone. Honestly, between my last ride and this one, it was like hitting a light switch. The difference was that pronounced.
I only have a little over 7k miles on her. She hasn't had any recent servicings. The damnable brake squeal is still there. Nothing has been touched or changed.
I guess your buzziness was more tyre related than anything else. I don't think anything else on the bike can make so dramatic changes just by wearing off.
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The CB is a charm for sure. However, it could be luck of the ride conditions (e.g. air pressure, temperature, fuel, load conditions, etc.), psychological or both. I found myself saying that about pretty well every bike I owned. Some days the machine was butter smooth (compared to its usual behaviour), other days, just tolerable.
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Definitely wasn't due to any change in tires or road conditions. Same tires, same stretch of I-80 that I ride every day. Yesterday, the motor was simply less buzzy than it ever had been at 3500k/75 mph. It felt the same at 75 mph or 65 mph, which had never been the case before.
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(03-12-2019, 02:49 AM)VLJ_imp Wrote: Definitely wasn't due to any change in tires or road conditions. Same tires, same stretch of I-80 that I ride every day. Yesterday, the motor was simply less buzzy than it ever had been at 3500k/75 mph. It felt the same at 75 mph or 65 mph, which had never been the case before.
Tailwind?
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(03-12-2019, 02:49 AM)VLJ_imp Wrote: Definitely wasn't due to any change in tires or road conditions. Same tires, same stretch of I-80 that I ride every day. Yesterday, the motor was simply less buzzy than it ever had been at 3500k/75 mph. It felt the same at 75 mph or 65 mph, which had never been the case before.
I guess you'll have to ride that same stretch a few more times to determine whether it has less a buzz than before. If--or as soon as--you notice that the buzz is back at 75, maybe you could ID something that's different. If no buzz comes back over time, then perhaps the CB does "settle down" with higher miles.
I haven't really noticed much buzz on my '17ex with 4500 miles but I may be riding the majority of miles differently than how you do.
If the buzz is gone, some much the better! My breaks still squeak as well...but then again, I never tried to get rid of the offending noise.
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Maybe we should start a thread when our CBs running too smoothly? 
(maybe there is sumthin' wrong?)
(maybe needs RLETs - oh my goosh - how did that come out?)
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(03-12-2019, 02:49 AM)VLJ_imp Wrote: Definitely wasn't due to any change in tires or road conditions. Same tires, same stretch of I-80 that I ride every day. Yesterday, the motor was simply less buzzy than it ever had been at 3500k/75 mph. It felt the same at 75 mph or 65 mph, which had never been the case before.
What do you keep under your seat? Could that have changed or how it's packed?
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