Hitchcocks Forum

I have read that the Bullet vibrates a lot so never bothered about mine vibrating, until I saw a couple of other bullets with the same UCE engine, compared with mine they were a very smooth, not like a twin but not bad.

My Bullet is an Electra EFI purchased last November, it is so bad that the Pilot lights blow before I even get back from service, it has fractured the heat shield to exhaust pipe mounting ( waiting a new one under warranty ), nobody has mentioned at any of it's 3 services that it vibrates a lot, it has now done 4600 so can be considered almost run in.

Anybody think that mine could be excessive.

Looking at the parts catalogue there are some LED Pilot Lights but I cannot fit these until it is out of warranty are the LED bulbs in the catalogue a replacement for the 2W bulb.

Check the head steady is not broken, (known fault,) Our host stock a new English made replacement part number 92679 page 113 in the 2016/2017 catalogue.

Get the vibration sorted while still under warranty.

Head steady not broken, bolts did work loose at one point as did he front tank bolt, not broken though.

The rear tank mounting bolt came loose on one of my Electra EFIs during a 50 mile ride home from work. The resulting vibration was so bad that I had to stop and tighten it up at the roadside. What about your other engine mounting bolts?

The EFi engine can be quite vibratory – the design will guarantee this (big single no balance shaft). In many cases this vibration occurs at around 55-65 mph. One method to reduce vibration that works with some machines is to slacken all engine bolts and run the engine for a few moments at fast tic-kover then re-tighten the engine bolts.

Presto; Really? How does that work then? It sounds intriguing. My Effie shakes her bits a lot too!

I too have a 2016b5 vibes like a tuning fork 30 to 45 mins riding and finger tips getting numb, had same prob with iron barrel til I got crank balanced now can go 4 to 5 hours with ease. Also pulled the avon tyres off at 600klm dont like sm handleing and was amazed to find front rim tape about 25% on side of rim and tube sitting on spoke nipples, glad I swapped tyres for k81s. Think I will have to go over this bike very carefully just to be sure.quarter of tape clear of nipples is a no go.

The ‘mechanics’ of the thing is that in some cases the engine fixing bolts are tightened with the engine slightly misaligned – this can create points of stress and induce vibration at certain specific frequencies. Running the engine with the bolts slack allows the engine to settle so that the fixings are then tightened with the engine mounting points/frame mounting points more accurately aligned and with less stress at those points. Anyway - its works in some cases and is worth a try.

The vibration of the EFI lessens /a lot/ during and after the running-in. Presto's trick with the engine mounts is an old dodge that works on most british bikes. All engine mounts have to be secure including those at the rear and the head stay. The front of the tank on the C5 is rubber mounted and it doesn't pay to over-tighten this as it can crush the thin tube through the rubber bungs.



You had it serviced, so I presume you bought it from a dealer and it has warranty? I would throw it back at that dealer to get spannered asap, it's not rocket science.

When my C5 went for first service at Hayballs, I know the mechanic went right through the bike and Loctited every thing in sight, replaced missing bolts, because he told me and showed me the bits and bobs. Not just an oil change and kick the tyres. I also think he loosened and re-tightened the engine mounts because you can see the marks on the engine where the mount was shifted.



The engine on the RE is a stressed member of the frame, there's no frame loop under the engine. When the bike is ridden the engine is hanging from the frame and trying to splay it apart, on the centre stand the engine is pushed up and the frame trying to spring back together. If it weren't for the engine bolts. There will be a happy point somewhere between the two. The easy one is to loosen the front bolts on the stand but loosening them off the stand with you sitting on it may be more effective. Try both?