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intermittant vibrations @ highway speeds

I can dig that but...the vibrations would come and go while at the same speed. (I had the cruise on.)
That's exactly how the belt issue manifests itself, as the cruise control opens the throttle the vibration is felt then as it backs off the throttle the vibration disappears. The cruise is constantly adjusting the throttle so the vibes come and go. If you climb an incline the cruise opens the throttle more so you feel the vibes more, then it backs off and the vibes disappear.

The fact it's happening to your bike in the 60ish mph range indicates that your drive belt is just on the slacker side of its adjustment range.
Personally, I think you're being given a lot of worry beads in this thread. I'd adjust the belt a little slacker and take it for a ride, you may find you've almost no vibration or it is less but at slightly lower speed. If you run the belt pretty slack but the vibration remains where it is at present, then you might look elsewhere for the issue.

A golden rule when fault finding...only ever test one change at a time otherwise you won't know what fixed the issue. Of course, you knew that... :)
 
Thanks, guys. I was going to make a trip down to Woodaddicts house tomorrow but my folks (in their mid 70s) aren't feeling well and have some other health issues. Until I know they don't have this beer virus, I decided to stick closer to home (they live about 45 minutes north of me, Woodaddict is about 1.5 hours south of me). If they get better (meaning they just have bad colds), I'll reschedule w/Woodaddict.
 
I have read all the posts in this thread so far and would like to add my 2 cents worth.
As an ex National Bureau of Standards Lab Rat that specialized in Physical Dimensional measurement, calibration and repair and who is currently dealing with this issue on my new 2019 RT with just over 2k miles on it I, from experience, know it is belt tension as a function of length between pulley contact points.

What's occurring is Resonant Frequency Amplification. There is tons of math and physics involved, so I will try to explain it simply. I will be the first to admit I hated doing resonance work in the lab, 'cause it was too much trial and error because of all the variables...but it was part of my job. To give you an idea of what they were like, we used to call them "Guess and Go's".

Simply put, Resonant Frequency (RF) on our drive belt is primarily a function of length, temperature and tension. Length remains a constant determined by axle adjustment (Distance between pulleys). Tension is constantly variable through load, speed and belt temperature. As we ride, the belt is always "Twanging" like a guitar string, whether we can see it or not, and the frequency of the "note" is always changing. However, once the note hits the resonant frequency of the bike's frame, that note amplifies and is felt throughout the entire machine as a vibration as the bike "rings" in harmony with the belt, which in turn, causes the belt to ring even louder. It turns into a self amplifying circle. Any change to one of the variables causes the note to rise above or drop below resonance causing the vibration to diminish or stop entirely. That's why it will come and go even on cruise on level ground.
A shifting breeze will even affect it because of the slight change in loading.

Anyway, all we can do is find the happy medium to mitigate the effects of it as it will always be lurking there somewhere, at some speed, at some load and temperature.
Using a tensioner is one solution, as it effectively shifts the frequency into a higher octave by "halving" the belt length between contact points, much like placing your finger on a guitar fret halfway down the neck. Changing belt tension is another means of shifting the resonance, like tuning that same string.

I'm looking to shift mine first through belt tension so the RF occurs at above 80 since I rarely ride faster than that. Failing that, I will look to adding a tensioner and work with a combination of the two to find the "Sweet Spot" for me.
Currently, my vibration at 78~80 is so bad it almost feels like I'm riding a vibrator, and it's driving me nuts since I do 50 miles daily freeway running at those speeds.
 
As an add on to the above post, if I DO go with a tensioner, I will be sure to NOT have the tension pulley dead center of the belt length. That would double my trouble through Harmonics. Off-center the tension pulley by an odd measurement so the Resonant Frequencies are different, and to a point self-cancelling through phase shifting...I know, here I go with "Lab Speak" again...Please forgive me folks, just trying to help.
 
Yeh, but the real question is: Why do some bikes pluck the string and others don't?

And, don't place your tensioner at the 7th fret or you'll get the second harmonic.

And, with resonance at 80mph your belt will be too tight and you'll likely get a bearing whine at low speeds in the lower gears. ;)
 
Yeh, but the real question is: Why do some bikes pluck the string and others don't?

And, don't place your tensioner at the 7th fret or you'll get the second harmonic.

And, with resonance at 80mph your belt will be too tight and you'll likely get a bearing whine at low speeds in the lower gears. ;)

I like your attitude:firstplace:

I'm very well aware of axial loading and it's warning whine. That's why if I can't remedy it with just mild belt tension adjustments, I will add a tensioner, shifting it forwards and back on the swingarm, combining it with tension changes until I find my sweet spot. I'm not afraid to work at it till I get it right.

But like I wrote in the first post, there are too many variables to mention, everything from metal wall thickness, weld profiles and compounding impurities to rider weight which can cause resonance amplification or dampening. No 2 bikes are EXACTLY alike, even if they rolled off the line nose to tail, so they will all respond differently. And after riding, building and wrenching on bikes as a side job/hobby/love for over 50 years, I have run into a lot of weird problems I had to figure out.

To be honest, the only reason I looked at the Spyder in the first place was because I can't have a knee replacement due to a genetic condition and my Ortho told me I could either keep my Harley, or my leg, because when my knee finally goes, I lose the leg from the knee down. (Backing up a Thousand Pounds of glide at least twice daily was destroying what's left of it)

On the up side, in all the bikes I've owned in the last 50+ years, it is the most fun to ride and I wouldn't trade it for anything!:thumbup::ani29:
 
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