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[Rattlebattle]

Yes, it’s a well-known trick on the UCE models to loosen all the engine mountings, run the engine and then re-tighten them so that the engine finds it’s own best position. Having recently removed my engine to rebuild it I can say that it’s obvious that the engine is a structural part of the frame. I doubt that they’re made in a jig, the Haynes manual author seems to have had a lot of trouble getting the engine back in the frame because the mountings didn’t line up.... He even had help. I did mine myself using a trolley jack and a cord through the little end.
Having said that mine smoother out nicely at around 2,000 miles only to start vibrating like a jack hammer after another 2,000 miles because a bearing went South. I’m hoping it’ll smooth out again when the new piston and rings are bedded in. We’ll see.

[PeteF]

Another well known trick I didn't know about

[Rushour]

When the EFI bikes first came out in 2009 - mine vibrated a lot - at the first service the dealers were told by the importers to slacken off the engine mount bolts - start the engine and rev it up - and tighten - it worked! reduced the vibes by 50% I reckon.

[Rattlebattle]

That was back in the days when Watsonian Squire were the importers. The dealers in those days knew they were selling quirky machines that needed careful pdi and first servicing. Sadly these days some of the new dealers just assume the bikes can be treated like any other and can use any old oil (mine put in 10/40). Half the trouble with new REs these days I’d poor dealers in my opinion. I doubt they even have factory training.

[PeteF]

Too true RB. My highly skilled dealer put 20/50 mineral in mine
He'll not get his hands on it again.
In fact, I've decided to do it all myself from now on. Warrenty be damned.
Anyway, as I said, the vibration is quite acceptable now. I may try the loosen/tighten trick and see if it improves even more.

[Rattlebattle]

As long as it was motorcycle oil he might have unwittingly done you a favour. I’m not too sure it’s a good idea running in an engine on fully synthetic oil because there’s a danger that the piston rings never run in properly and the bote then glazes. I remember the BMW oil heads used mineral oil until the first service then semi-synthetic after that. If the rings weren’t properly run in because they weren’t given increasingly harder work to do the engines burned oil ever after. FWIW one of the issues sorted on my UCE during its recent rebuild was a new piston and rings to cure a loss of compression. This might have arisen from the oil initially put in the new engine - who knows? (The new piston was by choice, the rings were necessary).
Really, apart from the EFI and emissions, there’s nothing that different from, say, a Honda XBR which used to use mineral oil and rack up high mileages. I suspect the recommended synthetic brand has more to do with emissions than actual lubrication, though it won’t harm anything except the wallet...

[Presto]

(I know it's all been said before - but repetition has it's use: 'Tell them you're going to tell them; tell them; tell them you told them!'

Loosening the engine bolts is a good trick to reduce (in most cases) vibration. Often when the bolts are tightened originally the various points of contact between frame and engine are not aligned so as to minimise stress between these components. Loosening the bolts with the engine at tick-over helps it settle reducing the stress at the mounting points.

It’s the difference between a rod being held at each end and at the middle with the middle fixing off-centre putting stress on the rod and the same rod being held at three points with the middle fixing on-line and without stress placed on the rod allowing it to remain straight.

As for the oil question - well that's a another matter!?!