V twin vibration

John said:

Anyone had experience with the engine in the SS regarding vibration when loaded up? Reason I ask, my current ride is an I4 and is real smooth. Today on a ride the battery crapped itself (6 year old so that's what I get for pushing my luck) so I had to get a lift home 2 up to pick up the trailer etc. Rode on the back of a V twin KTM 1190 Adventurer. Man what a shock, no doubt the thing can pull like a tractor, but the massive engine vibs also made it feel like one.

Every time the throttle was rolled on that big V twin just thumped through the whole bike and would nearly rattle the fillings in you teeth out. I just couldn't own something like that. So that has me wondering what the V twin in the Duc is going to be like.

Anyone got any experience or thoughts.

Regards,
John

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Certain engine configurations are inherently balanced, others are not. An I4, for example, is not balanced and most designs have balance shafts driven at twice crankshaft speed to quell them. V8s and I6s are perfectly balanced as-is and need nothing else to make them smooth. A 90-degree V-twin (like Ducati's engines) has perfect primary balance, but have a slight secondary imbalance due to the fact the rods are next to each other rather than in the same plane. The 90-degree V-twin is as close to perfect balance that there is, however, in a twin cylinder configuration.
The KTM V-twin, at 75 degrees, is not as smooth as a Ducati. In addition, it's a large twin at 1190cc, so any imbalance is amplified. There is also the fact that twins don't have as many firing pulses per revolution, so, from that standpoint fours will feel smoother to you. I say ride a Ducati and decide for yourself what is acceptable.

Get a test on a Hypermotard which is more or less the same, although Ducati claim 80% of the engine is different. Whilst the power and torque curves are different the vibrations are going to be very similar.

I'm thinking of doing the same, at least as soon as the weather gets better.

Italian bikes don't vibrate.
Japanese inline fours vibrate, so you sooner or later wanna pee. Italian bikes just shakes.

mine doesn't vibrate, er, although i have to pull the clutch in to see anything out of the mirrors >

ok, thats a little unfair, it's only at certain speeds... and so far those speeds are anything over 30mph...

I do have a workaround though... never go slow enough to have anyone catch you up and then never use the mirriors 0

Sounds like @Spanner has figured it out. Mirrors are good for seeing who the first loser is and I don't really care all that much :grin2:. I think it's all what you're used to honestly. I can't stand inline 4s and haven't ever owned one. I have owned V, L, parallel and opposed twins and I love them all.

If you're coming from a in inline four then a Ducati is quite a cultural shock. It feels more like a tractor engine than a motorcycle.
However after riding the demo bike, I just couldn't wait to get back on another. Some how the feeling is addictive, I just love riding mine. It has character which not all bikes do.

But it's Marmite

Must add, I thoroughly enjoy the shaking and vibrations when rolling on in too high a gear. I agree it's marmite, love it or hate. I'm loving it.
Moto guzzi le mans III with lafraconi exhausts and 48mm dellorto's gave the same shake and I loved that too.