Is there a way to stop the fairing vibration? Is this noise normal for the 500? It appears to be more predominant at lower gears. Please advise.

 

Check the motor mounts and make sure there is no unnecessary vibration coming from the engine. Also check the fairing connections for being loose.

 

Wax,

I have the same problem, but I have only noticed it when I first start the engine in the morning and I am warming it up. After that it doesn't rattle. I checked all the mounting bolts / screws and they are all tight, in fact, I gave the bike the once over last weekend and made sure everything was tight.

Tim

 

I've also checked the screws and bolts. After the bike warms the nosie/vibration does subside. Maybe...just maybe...Kawasaki does not give the 500 as much TLC as their other more expensive bikes? Don't get me wrong I LOVE MY BIKE. Notstock, your 500 does not have a vibrating noise?

 

Don't worry about it.....as long as you know everything is tight. Mine has a really annoying one - the front fender vibrates - as soon as you touch it, the noise stops.

Oh, just to let you know, Notstock does not have a 500.

 

As so nicely pointed out by bb I do not have that particular bike, she does though and her input is first hand and just because she is a girl doesn't mean her input should be discarded lol

JK bb

You may want to check the condition of the faring mounts, the rubber (vibration isolators) may be worn.

 

Can a brand new 2006 with less than 2000 miles have worn mounts? I have only had my 500 since the first of July and it has been vibrating like that pretty much since day one, I just thought it was the nature of the beast.

Wax,

I think you are on the right track about Kawasaki not giving the 500 as much attention as other models, heck look at the 250, it is one of their best selling bikes and it "looks" much nicer than the 500 with that full fairing like some of the bigger more expensive models. I plan on buying an aftermarket Targa lower fairing which fills in the gap and makes a more complete looking body, they come in factory colors or plain and make the bike look alot better.

Tim

 

Tim,

How much does it cost? How difficult is it to install? Is there any drilling? Just a few questions.

 

Parallel twins are notorious for vibration, they use heavy counterbalancers to try and even things out, but they are still a "buzzy" engine. Those vibrations are translated to everyother part of the bike. When I'm sitting at a red light my mirrors often vibrate to the point of being useless. Every nut, bolt and screw is torqued to spec, it is just the nature of the engine and the material nature of plastic to flex and vibrate. on the 500 there really arent any rubber bushing between the front fairing mount and the plastic, hence vibrations are transferred directly to the fairing.

My bike (a 500 obviously) has an annoying harmonic vibration at about 3800-4000 rpm. The radiator cover buzzes and creates this midrange hum that sounds like a coffee can of pissed of bees. Once I get past 4k, it settles down. Again, just the nature of the engine. Which is why v-twins are supposed to be a more popular configuration of the twin cylinder engine, they are more balanced and usually less buzzy.