Smooth as glass: vibration-free bars

[Ulvetanna_imp]

To wrap up this last loose end, I am posting about the CB500F bar fitment and my modifications to just the inital swap of the CB500F bar for the CB1100s handlebar.

The fit was very good, as forum members can read in [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=980]ChipBeck's original thread about this mod. Then there was my [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=9700]riser flip, which moved the low CB500F handlebars about another 3/4" further forward, which was just perfect for me.

The problem for me was the CB500F bars, even with the CB1100 internal and bar-end weights fitted, still vibrated excessively and were beginning to created issues for my hands. That stuff can be long-term and while grips can help the real solution is to use proper weights to damp the vibration.

I purchased all the OEM components for the weights originally fitted to the CB500F handlebars; internal weights, rubber grommets, end clips, bar-end weights, and Phillips mounting screws. All that stuff cost about another $60.00.

I immediately noted that the internal weights were half-again as long as those from the CB1100 handlebars, and they were made of a much denser metal, and were much heavier. The CB500F bar-end weights, while actually shorter, were also made of a dense metal and are heavier than the CB1100 bar-end weights.

I pulled out the CB1100 components from the CB500F handlebars which had been installed inside the bars during the initial modification, and replaced all components with those designed to fit the CB500F handlebars as installed on the CB500F originally.

The result was astonishing. The bike is virtually free of any kind of deleterious or intrusive vibration from 3,000 RPM to 5,000 RPM and above. It was so smooth I was revving right past my shift points and had to glance at the tach to make sure I wasn't overrevving. From 60-90 mph on the freeway, the bars are, for all intents and purposes, buzz-free. I test rode the bike at night and planned on just a short jaunt, but it was so incredibly pleasant and smooth, I put on about 65 miles of freeway riding. It's the smoothest bike I own now, and I'd consider this most likely the final modification.

My mods, for the record:

-Complete brake and clutch line replacements with Galfer stainless steel lines
-EBC HH sintered superbike pads for the front calipers
-Ikon shocks
-CB500F handlebars, flipped risers, CB500F OEM bar internals.
-Continental Road Attack II Classic Race tires
-OEM Engine guards

I doubt I will put any more money or effort into this machine as I could not be more pleased with it. I bought it in July, 2013 and it has a little over 10,000 miles now. The valve check was uneventful, no adjustments were needed. I hope to put on many more miles. This bike is a very nice contrast to the much more modern equipment I also ride.

It's reliable and well-adapted my style.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

I've been riding quite a bit more lately as I'm getting pretty well recovered from the hernia surgery. I've notice the QUALITY of the vibrations is much more pleasing now with this modification. At idle to about 3K, it feels like a nice mellow rumble. Above 3200 RPM it just smooths out almost completely. Really changes the whole vibe and feel of the bike, and I have to say gives it character at lower speeds, trolling around town, but on the freeway, I feel I could ride it all day.

Just over 10,500 miles now. What a bike.

[lash_imp]

Do you think changing the stock weights to the CB500 weights in the stock bars would have the same effect?

[the Ferret]

I find it interesting that some people feel, or should I say are bothered by the vibes in the CB1100. Of course being an inline 4, some vibes are inherent due to motor design, but honestly I just never feel them, at least to the point where they take attention away from the task at hand. Just yesterday I was on the freeway on mine for awhile and remember thinking how smooth it was at 75 miles an hour. Of course on the 6 speed that's still below 4000 rpms, but I don't recall being bothered by vibes on my 2013 5 speed either. Maybe because 5 of my last 6 bikes have been I-4's and I'm just used to them? My V4 seems to have more vibes than my CB.

27,000 on mine now and I agree, what a bike!

[4 Paws_imp]

I'd love to ride Ulvetannas' bike around the block to feel the differences. I like all the mods he has described and am tempted to try some of them on mine (my skill set doesn't warrant Ikon shocks). Lash poses an excellent question, hope someone takes the plunge and reports back. I really haven't noticed the annoying handlebar vibrations (I did add a set of grip covers along with a cramp buster to help ease hand aches) and they probably help deaden vibrations.

I knew when I bought the CB that an inline four danced to its own beat just like most other engine configurations do to theirs. Seems like I keep on scheming and dreaming about improvements but when I go ride it I just relax, get into the moment, come back feeling refreshed and haven't noticed any distracting short comings.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

Do you think changing the stock weights to the CB500 weights in the stock bars would have the same effect?

I was wondering about that. I don't know if the inner weight would fit, the one from the CB500F bars is much longer. I could measure the length and check for you.

Thing is it is amazing how Honda works all this out. The exact length and precise weight is tuned to produce a comfortable ride. They obviously use different alloys of metal with varying densities as well.

But I never had any issue with vibes with the stock bars. I just didn't like the riding position, being up in the wind and also the sporty position was something I wanted.

Trouble came when I realized after a few hundred miles that the CB500F bars, with the stock CB1100 weights, were very buzzy much of the time.

That's when I thought to try the CB500F weights and mounting hardware.

It just changes the whole character of the bike, gives you a rumble around town and silky smooth on the open road.

The stock bars were less vibey at lower engine speeds but I do seem to recall they vibrated more at the freeway speed around my town, which are going to be 80-90 mph. Honda seems to have got the sweet spot for the stock bars around 60 mph, above 70 it starts to buzz.
Speaking of mods, I was going to mention after yesterday's ride, now that the new HH pads are broken in and the lines are all bled, the binders on this machine are extremely powerful and very easy to modulate. Really about as good or better many supersport bikes stock. Honda really got the ratio between the master cylinder and calipers spot-on. The brakes are better, I have to say, than my 2015 ZX-10R or my 2012 GSX-R 750, and both those bikes have full stainless steel lines and the same EBC HH sintered superbike pads. Those bikes have a different type of master cylinder; I hear tell the hot tip is to drop about $400 into the Brembo m/c but I'm not quite ready to do that.

[dsan1964_imp]

Smooth as silk. What a bike... take it from ex Harley rider.


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[beardyweirdy@me.com_imp]

I've fitted Renthal Lows or Ultra Lows, can't remember, and love the riding position, but the vibes are too much on long journeys. Esp. as I've lowered the gearing and motorway blasts are too buzzy.
Just wondered, do you think the cb500F bar weights and ends would fit the renthals? I'd need to drill a locating hole perhaps.
Failing that I'll have to go with CB500 bars as well...

[Ulvetanna_imp]

I've fitted Renthal Lows or Ultra Lows, can't remember, and love the riding position, but the vibes are too much on long journeys. Esp. as I've lowered the gearing and motorway blasts are too buzzy.
Just wondered, do you think the cb500F bar weights and ends would fit the renthals? I'd need to drill a locating hole perhaps.
Failing that I'll have to go with CB500 bars as well...

Renthals look awesome but vibrate like crazy. As ChipBeck pointed out, the inside diameter of any of the aluminium bars is substantially narrower, so nothing would fit.

The CB500F bars fit perfectly; the color is a match for some of the black found already on at least the '13 Standard, but I'm sure the bar could be stripped of paint and chromed if desired.

My hands are starting to become more sensitive to vibrations, my electric toothbrush actually bothers my hand more than my motorcycle riding. Something about the frequency. So yeah, it comes on kinda sudden and takes forever to heal up or just gets annoyingly chronic. So getting rid of those vibes is a good idea. You'll be in it less than a hundred with the CB500F bars and all the parts for the CB500F weights, internal, external.

You just need to drill a couple of locating holes for the switch gear as ChipBeck has pointed out. Very easy. Flipping the risers forward helps with tank clearance but is not necessary, but you have to be careful about not allowing the bars to hit the tank.
After recalling you are from London and the way you likely use the bike you will for sure want to flip the risers forward. You are gonna love it. BTW if you can retain the four rubber grommets from the CB1100 internal weights, you don't need to purchase those that are spec'd for the CB500F weights. But they do have more contact area and I think it would be worth it just to order them up, because I think this amount of contact area is figured into the engineering. If you lose or damage one those from the CB1100 will work though. It was a little tricky figuring out how they went on to the outer part of the internal weight because there is a clip that locates these weights inside the bar to set them in position but I am very sure you will figure that out without any real headscratching.

[beardyweirdy@me.com_imp]

I've fitted Renthal Lows or Ultra Lows, can't remember, and love the riding position, but the vibes are too much on long journeys. Esp. as I've lowered the gearing and motorway blasts are too buzzy.
Just wondered, do you think the cb500F bar weights and ends would fit the renthals? I'd need to drill a locating hole perhaps.
Failing that I'll have to go with CB500 bars as well...

Renthals look awesome but vibrate like crazy. As ChipBeck pointed out, the inside diameter of any of the aluminium bars is substantially narrower, so nothing would fit.

The CB500F bars fit perfectly; the color is a match for some of the black found already on at least the '13 Standard, but I'm sure the bar could be stripped of paint and chromed if desired.

My hands are starting to become more sensitive to vibrations, my electric toothbrush actually bothers my hand more than my motorcycle riding. Something about the frequency. So yeah, it comes on kinda sudden and takes forever to heal up or just gets annoyingly chronic. So getting rid of those vibes is a good idea. You'll be in it less than a hundred with the CB500F bars and all the parts for the CB500F weights, internal, external.

You just need to drill a couple of locating holes for the switch gear as ChipBeck has pointed out. Very easy. Flipping the risers forward helps with tank clearance but is not necessary, but you have to be careful about not allowing the bars to hit the tank.
After recalling you are from London and the way you likely use the bike you will for sure want to flip the risers forward. You are gonna love it. BTW if you can retain the four rubber grommets from the CB1100 internal weights, you don't need to purchase those that are spec'd for the CB500F weights. But they do have more contact area and I think it would be worth it just to order them up, because I think this amount of contact area is figured into the engineering. If you lose or damage one those from the CB1100 will work though. It was a little tricky figuring out how they went on to the outer part of the internal weight because there is a clip that locates these weights inside the bar to set them in position but I am very sure you will figure that out without any real headscratching.

Renthals look awesome but vibrate like crazy. As ChipBeck pointed out, the inside diameter of any of the aluminium bars is substantially narrower, so nothing would fit.

The CB500F bars fit perfectly; the color is a match for some of the black found already on at least the '13 Standard, but I'm sure the bar could be stripped of paint and chromed if desired.

My hands are starting to become more sensitive to vibrations, my electric toothbrush actually bothers my hand more than my motorcycle riding. Something about the frequency. So yeah, it comes on kinda sudden and takes forever to heal up or just gets annoyingly chronic. So getting rid of those vibes is a good idea. You'll be in it less than a hundred with the CB500F bars and all the parts for the CB500F weights, internal, external.

You just need to drill a couple of locating holes for the switch gear as ChipBeck has pointed out. Very easy. Flipping the risers forward helps with tank clearance but is not necessary, but you have to be careful about not allowing the bars to hit the tank.
After recalling you are from London and the way you likely use the bike you will for sure want to flip the risers forward. You are gonna love it. BTW if you can retain the four rubber grommets from the CB1100 internal weights, you don't need to purchase those that are spec'd for the CB500F weights. But they do have more contact area and I think it would be worth it just to order them up, because I think this amount of contact area is figured into the engineering. If you lose or damage one those from the CB1100 will work though. It was a little tricky figuring out how they went on to the outer part of the internal weight because there is a clip that locates these weights inside the bar to set them in position but I am very sure you will figure that out without any real headscratching.
Your dead right, If I'd thought about it a little longer before posting then I'd have remembered they were very thick walled and a different beast entirely...

The riser filp is indeed a good mod, and I had already tried it. Although I didn't keep it with the Renthals. I'll give it a whirl and see how it feels. I think eventually I'll go the CB500F route depending on how I use the bike in the new year.
Thanks
kev