1190 ADV : present/annoying vibration or not?

I read all the reviews on the web about the 1190 adv. Some reviews are mentioning that there is a present/annoying/excessive vibration that can be felt while crusing above 75mph/120kmh, mostly through the handlebars. Some reviews indicate that that vibration is present above 6000rpm. Some reviews dont mention anything about the vibration.

Reviews are nice, but what's the real life experience from 1190 owners?

My demo ride confirmed that the 1190 does get a bit buzzy above 6k. There was no perceptible vibrations at 65-75 in 5th and 6th. This was my concern also. It was so smooth at hwy speeds, I was convinced to sell my 800XC and get an 1190. Under hard acceleration, the twin isn't as smooth as the triple. It just can't be. But I believe the 1190 will be a fantastic touring bike.


Tapatalk response filtered through the NSA.

According to the speedo 6k is around 100 mph?

Its a motorcycle.....

vibrations over 6k....hahahahhaa.....

There will be wind and noise too....

Well, I've had my 1190 for just a few days now, but I've been riding for 47 years, and ridden most everything out there, and had LOTS of my own bikes...
This is my 5th KTM ( 06 950 Adv S, 07 SuperDuke, 08 450 EXCR, 12 990SMT and now the 1190 R) and while not vibration "free" I'm glad it's not.
I've had relly smooth bikes ( the inline 4-cylinders come to mind )that lacked "personality" had no character and were ultimately uninspiring. So, I let them go.
I would get a faster bike, and a faster one, then a lighter one... What I found-for me-YMMV, was I like the gentle 'heartbeat' of V-twin bikes. Parallel twins buzz too much, flat (boxer-you know who you are) twins never really agreed with me, but Vs I like. Ducatis may have the most soul, but they're too high maintenance, parts take forever to get, and they don't make a proper Adv bike. Aprilias are very nice. Harley's have their place, but I'm not in that place. KTMs have the balance for me, of performance, handling, acceleration, off road-worthiness(the best!)light weight, and pleasing character, and the 1190 is by far the most refined katoom yet.
It's NOT as smooth as a gold wing or flat six Beemer, but those bikes don't do very well off road...and if THAT kind of smoothness is what you're after, or expecting, then perhaps you're on the wrong forum...
When the revs get high, and the pace picks up, I like to feel a motor working-not straining-working, and the 1190 really delivers. Sure there's a few vibes, but I like it!
See if you can find one somewhere to demo...
Btw, if you're above 6-6.5k on the tach, in sixth, you're going to be attracting the blue light special- unless of course you're on the German Autobahn... That was a real hoot on my Suzuki GS 1150 in the late 80's, when I was stationed over there...
That's just my 2-3 cents, you may have different criteria
Cheers,
J

I second that. Once hooked on V-twins, that's it. I'm on my second Ducati. Yes, unfortunately they don't go well on dirt. But I also have a Tiger XC which is what I'm thinking of trading for an 1190. The triple motor is too smooth, it feels odd riding that bike on dirt. Maybe one day we will all be riding electric bikes, I dread that time. The Tiger XC gives me that idea, as it is electric smooth, but that is not what I'm looking for on a motorcycle. In-line fours are horrible, they are smooth but buzzy... I like a motorcycle with a pulsing heart under power.

I recommend reading the book "Bodies in Motion" by Steven Thompson. Motorcycling is all about the vibes! But different people like different vibes...

Comparing to the 990, would you say it vibrates more, less or equal?

Have you ridden a 990?

No one should buy a motorcycle without test riding it first. Especially when they are expensive. All motorcycles vibrate. I recommend you test ride the 1190 and then come up with your own conclusion whether you think it vibrates or not. It changes from person to person, it is more subjective than you can imagine. That's why the reviews differ from one another.

It's called a motor.

Are you serious? Wow, I'm impressed!

That said, I'm always surprised by answers like that. Don't know if people think they are funny, or maybe they think we are stupid to ask questions like that on vibration. Recognizing that all bikes vibrates at some level because you sit on an engine is one thing, but completely ignoring that some bikes vibrates more or much more than others is another thing. What's wrong with asking the level of vibration of a particular bike to owners? If someone think the question is stupid or irrelevant, well just don't spend time answering it. But I'm sure that some people understand the interest of the question and want to share their experience. Thanks a lot to them.

My previous bike was a 990, that's why I'm asking.

That's obvious. But the whole point of a forum like this is people exchanging on their experience. I will not base my choice only on other people comments, but that doesn't mean it's not interesting to know what are the 1190 owners - people who lived with the bike for weeks or months - experience.

That said, there will be a shortage of 1190 R at my dealer (I need to buy there because I have a tx return). All their 1190 R are already sold and almost all the R that will be arriving in the spring are presold. I will test ride a 1190 in march, but there is a good chance that there will be only std model available for 2014 if I decide to buy only after my test ride in the spring.

If the vibes bother you there are lots of easy things to do. Fill the bars, bar end weights, risers with rubber mounts, or grip puppys to name a few

Agree, but on vibey bikes, vibrations can also be felt through the seat and the footpegs.

That said, I'm also curious to know how the 1190 compares to the 990 adv in terms of vibrations felt through the bars/seat/footpegs?

Coming from a Super Tenere, my new 1190R is noticeably smoother. I find it to be silky smooth up to about 6500 RPM.
The only issue I've had with mine was a front wheel that was delivered out of balance. It was really bad and unbearable. Are you sure thats not the issue? Mine took 1 oz of weights on it to make it perfect. It was only noticeable on the freeway above 70 MPH.

As mentioned above, damped bar mounts or other options will only improve the harmonics in the bars.

I have just under 6k km's on my '14 adv r and yeah, it does have some irritating vibes at around 6k rpm. They are not bad, but my right hand starts to go a bit numb sometimes. I put grip puppies on, but the jury is still out on if I like them or not (well...I dont like them, but I am giving them a go to see if they make things better and I get used to them!). I had a Tiger 800XC before this and it made my hands numb as well at times...as did my tiger 1050 before that so i am starting to think it may be a symtom of age rather than the bike!

Ultimately, yes the bike has some vibes. they are not bad, and certainly not a deal breaker for me...this is one of, if not the, best bikes I have ever owned.

For me the vibes felt in the seat and pegs is almost non-existent.

Age and wear and tear for me plays a big part in the right hand numbness.

I purchased my 2014 1190 without a test ride, only went on reviews and youtube clips. I traded my 2011 K1300s for the 1190, this bike is simply amazing.
The ride is so involving so joyful, you forget about all that shit about wind noise and whatever else bugs you....
Its an amazing engine its not perfect, but why would you want a perfect bike.
No challenge in that ...

my signature tells the truth...

It is much smoother than my 950 was but is not even close to my BMW K1200LT( I never expected it to be either). I have done a couple of long dual sport days now and find that at 75 to 80 on the freeway the vibes are not bad at all, it is the wind noise. The seat with a sheep skin on it makes a big improvement, no vibes felt there . On the 950 at freeway speeds my head felt like it was inside a popcorn popper and the bike had lots of vibes but the 1190 there is hardly any buffeting just a lot of wind noise, I have the touring screen on now and it is better but not by much, hopefully CeeBailey or others will solve this soon. I have custom moulded ear buds that I love for long freeway rides but even these were of little help. I may sell my BMW and use the 1190 for the long touring trips if the wind noise can be managed.

All these complaints seem bitchy to say the least. Vibrations, I've never thought of it, it's a dirt bike. Has anyone ever rode a dirt bike? I mean if you want a smooth ride or no noise, shouldn't you buy a Goldwing? The 1190 is a giant dirt bike that won't get blown around while on the highway commuting to the next patch of dirt. Am I not right in thinking this? KTM developed this bike to be an aggressive powerful bike geared for the dirt. What are people complaining about when it's not acting like a cruiser? And for KTM to only offer the R with street tires is ridiculous. I'm not trying to pick fights, just saying...

What in this thread makes you think that were are refering specifically and exclusively to the R version? I'm sure you know there is a non-R/standard version, and this standard version is market by ktm and sold as a road/touring bike with off-road capabilities, and not as a giant dirt bike with on-road capabilities.