BikerchickMT03

Anyone on here ride a virago 535? I've just changed over from an MT03 660 single to the '96 virago and boy the suspension is... rough. I've never ridden cruisers before and while I get on with the bike quite well (and understand it's a totally different engine), it's the suspension that's giving me trouble (I've already changed the rear shocks for softer ones, checked the tyre pressue, and confirmed the forks are working just fine). Anyone have any experience riding both cruisers and tourers? My voice is shaking from the ride (when I speak to my husband over our headsets) and my shoulders are taking a beating. Is this just "how the virago is" when compared to other bikes? Wondering if this is the normal experience others have had, as a sanity check. Thanks all!

Anyone on here ride a virago 535? I've just changed over from an MT03 660 single to the '96 virago and boy the suspension is... rough. I've never ridden cruisers before and while I get on with the bike quite well (and understand it's a totally different engine), it's the suspension that's giving me trouble (I've already changed the rear shocks for softer ones, checked the tyre pressue, and confirmed the forks are working just fine). Anyone have any experience riding both cruisers and tourers? My voice is shaking from the bumpiness of the ride (when I speak to my husband over our headsets) and my shoulders are taking a beating. Is this just "how the virago is" when compared to other bikes? Wondering if this is the normal experience others have had, as a sanity check. Thanks all!

The ratbike boys are saying more of less the same. http://ratbikezone.forumotion.com/t167-round-three-ding-ding-beware-long-post Plan of action: Raise rubber mounted bars (already have massive bar end weights on them), grip puppies, seat gel, re-gear with a 16 sprocket, and weighting experimentation (some sandbags should do it). If that doesn't work, I'll lead shot the bars and/or use barsnake, check the balance shaft, and get a new set of tyres If THAT doesn't work, we'll I'm going to buy bulk ibeuprofin and get on with it

Hahaha thanks for the hand! Yep it’s a weirdo alright, and just as quirky to ride! Can’t wait to do some mods on it including IMMEDIATELY installing metal plates on this tank. Plastic tanks are dumb

Going to change the sprocket from a 15 to a 16. No idea how dramatic that change would be but hopefully it will push the shitty vibes to more 5,000 or 6,000rpms. I spend a lot tress time at that revolution so that would be way better. If led shot, grip puppies, raised rubber mounted bars, seat gel, front highway rests, potential reweighting (gonna put some sand bags on it to see what happens) and a new sprocket doesn’t fix it, i say “it can’t be fixed!”

Woohoo! Girl riders for the win!! Noob being the appropriate word, I have no idea how to add a photo to this forum! Photo of the bike I just bought is here: https://imgur.com/a/8OIrA It won't look like that for long though, as I'm from the school of rat bike. Already rasied the bars (including the use of some washing machine parts) and that pillion seat is desperate for a hack job. But I'll be keeping the engine happy happy happy! So I'm sure I'll be on with questions

It’s very strange that my body position on the bike changes the vibe of experience so much... my husband (much taller and heavier than me) reports some vibe, but he doesn’t get the vision issues like I do. I think this all leads to not a problem with a bike, but a problem with the rider! This is where it’s tough to read reviews, as so many are written by taller/ heavier men. Being shorter and lighter (easier for the wind to blow around?) really changes things. I’ve got small hands as well which means for now, the grips are basically no more than some electrical tape around the bars. I’m sure this isn’t helping. Maybe the grip puppies will make a difference - though the thought of fact grips makes me shake! The vibe is only a problem cruising at 50-55 (it actually smooths back out around 60-65). Just hoping to tone this down a bit for B-road riding when there’s a straight in between the twisties. Would this really go out of balance after 3,900 miles? Step 1 - grip puppies and gel seat + the addition of forward highway rests for cruising (which sits me in a better position). Hopefully this helps!

This is the question. What is “vibey”? I fully anticipated some buzzing... but vision blurring? Shite. Engine mounts are lovely, so not that

I ordered a set of grip puppies and also installed handlebar risers to ensure I’m sitting back (far FAR away from the engine). Still think a bit of seat gel is in order. Interestingly, I get far less vision problems when I scrunch up my shoulders and tuck my head down like some kind of spastic turtle OR if I duck down and try to “lay on the tank” like a sports bike. Do I know what this means? Do I fuck. Cheers for the info. I think anything that’s hard to dry is good for me to avoid since I ride in all weather.

Does lambs wool help with vibe? Or just long term comfort?

Yeah I read the vibe would be bad at 60-70mph (as with any single) and have heard that pushing the bike over 70 is just not doable. But cruising at 50? I knew vibe would be happening, but surprised that it’s blurred vision levels of vibe... Thanks for the tips! I heard gel does a better job of vibe dampening than sponge, but maybe that’s all hogswallow. If fleece might work, I’ll surely try that first. If anyone else has any ideas or has had an my success in vibe dampening, that’s be great!

Hi there all - just bought a 2008MT03 660! Just saying hi to all my fellow owners out there xx

So I just bought a 2008 MT03 660 with 3,000 miles in hilariously good condition. Thing is all stock with no new parts or mods. I love the position and torque and knew full well it would be a vibey Bike. However at about 5000 RPMs the vibe is so intrusive that I get blurred vision, a bit of a chatter in my teeth, and am left with a headache the next day. Is there any way to combat this? I’m mostly a B-road rider, but do also cruise at 50/55 mph. I regularly enjoy rising 8-hour days and your Europe so headaches the whole time sucks. I love the bike, torque, pop and punch, etc - but not sure I can put up with how bad the vibrations are. Seat gel? Rubber mounting? Anything? Help!