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08-14-2014, 06:52 PM | #1 |
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Long Island New York
Posts: 101
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Front End wobble
Just put on new Michelin Commander II tires front and rear. Have about 700 miles on them. Like the ride and have no issues until I noticed something today. I took both my hands off at about 30 MPH to adjust my helmet. Front end wobble started about a seconds after I took my hands off the handlebars. Bad enough that I had to grab it right away. Never had that before. Can not feel it at all even with just a very light grip only when both hands are off. Just did 400 miles over the weekend and many times with one hand on the handlebars. No issues at all.
Could always take my hands off before and maybe get a slight drift but never where the handlebars shook back and forth. What do you think? Login or Register to Remove Ads |
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08-14-2014, 07:08 PM | #2 |
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Join Date: Aug 2012
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Common problem bad head bearings. Get "all balls" head bearings
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08-14-2014, 07:35 PM | #3 |
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There are numerous threads here about this very subject. Use the search function. It also helps to include the year, model and mileage when asking questions like this.
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Scott "Cactusjack" Hanks VBA #00105 H.O.G. #4250060 2011 H-D Ultra Limited 103ci :: 2011 HD Electra Glide Ultra Limited w/Stage 1 :: Rallies: Mesquite '08|Custer '09|Cortez '10|Crescent City '11|Kanab '12|Antlers '12|Estes Park '13|Antlers '13|Orofino '14|The Dalles '17 |
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08-14-2014, 07:47 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Newmarket Ontario Canada
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Usually a new tire helps solve it for a while too. New bearings, and tightening didn't fix it for me.
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08-14-2014, 09:23 PM | #5 |
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New tapered roller bearings in the head didn't solve my bike's head shake until I tightened them more, finally got it settled down and no head shake at all and the steering still moves freely from side to side.
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Smokey Capt(retd) Canadian Forces National President CVFR (Canadian Veteran Freedom Riders) 2010 VN1700 Voyager, ABS www.cvfr.ca VBA #02220 Login or Register to Remove Ads |
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08-15-2014, 09:23 AM | #6 |
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You just put on new tires so it's not that, assuming they were properly balanced at the time. Loose steering nut would be my guess. Worn bearing second guess. You can jack up the front wheel and check for obvious looseness but in my case even though there was no discernible play the steering nut was indeed loose. Cranked it down till it passed the 'bounce' test and all's been groovy since - rock steady at all speeds. If it's not that then the problem is back in the tires - get them rebalanced or just put in some Dynabeads (much easier and they work!)
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08-15-2014, 10:29 AM | #7 |
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I had this wobble once too. Well, the bike had it, not me personally...anywho...it turned out to be a tire pressure issue, it was underinflated. Added air to the proper pressure, and the wobble stopped.
I've had a few wobbles myself over the years, but it had nothing to do with my air pressure ;)
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Peace ~ Win_surfur ~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2011 Voyager Kury ISO grips V&H Twin Slash Cobra FI2000R Chucksters BAK Ray's Throttle Mod 4 Polk DB521 Alpine KTP-445U Amp |
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10-01-2014, 11:34 PM | #8 | |
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Quote:
Same here I have been riding with no wobble all summer. Rode home one night about 5 miles of the ride hands free. Temperature dropped over night about 30 degrees cooler then normal and I got a wobble. Checked the pressure and was under 20 pounds (I run 30 lbs normally). Aired it up to normal and no wobble at any speed.
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My friends call me KC!! Wichita, KS VBA #02089 Previous Bikes: 75 Yamaha 175 09 Vulcan 900 Classic 11 Vulcan Vaquero Harleys: 75 Sportster XLCH 84 Sportster 1000 85 FXRT 79 Low Rider |
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08-15-2014, 09:10 PM | #9 |
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Ankeny Iowa
Posts: 3,697
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I would get it balanced again and see if that helps if not you need to do this:
http://gadgetjq.com/steering_stem_adjust.htm
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VROC#34321 VBA#01867 2012 NCR Rally Savanna. IL. 2013 National Rally Estes Park, CO 2014 NC/SC Rally in the Ozarks, Mountain View AR 2014 NE US/Eastern Canada Rally,Lincoln NH 2015 VBA/VRA Eureka Springs AR 2015 Antlers Rally, Antlers OK. 2016 SCR Rally Salem MO. 2016 NCR Rally Hillsboro WI 2017 Eureka Springs AR 2017 National Rally Lake George NY 2004 Blue and Silver 1500 Nomad(RIP 9-26-19) 2000 Red and Silver 1500 Nomad 2012 Pearl White 1700 Voyager |
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08-21-2014, 09:34 AM | #10 |
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I have the same problem with my 2010 voyager also.............and guess what tire I put on " commander II,s " front and back. Yep also have same front wobble. Kind of makes you wonder if it is safe..........I think it is just the bike design....but might be bearings....geee I only have 17000 miles on the bike you would think we should not have problems yet....
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08-21-2014, 10:41 AM | #11 |
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Location: Colorado
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Had the same problem with Shinkos, put Commander II's on with Counter-Act beads and it was 85% better. Checked the tire pressure and my tire guy had 40#psi in front, dropped it to 30#psi and is smooth as silk. Owners manual recommends 28#psi. Check that the tires are running in the right direction they run opposite direction of each other, Im thinking my front Shinko may have been installed in the wrong direction, there is an arrow for direction on the tires. I only have gotten 490miles per 1/32 of tread out of my last two Shinkos and my buddy seems to be getting 1250 miles per 32nd on his Commander II's. I measure them every time I ride with him. Hope I get the same!
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08-21-2014, 11:27 AM | #12 |
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Orleans, ON, Canada
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Correct me if I am wrong but having a tire mounted in the wrong direction will not have an effect or cause a wobble, it is mounted in a certain direction so the tread pattern works to dissipate water correctly for the most part. I accidentally mounted my front wheel on backwards on the voyager, yes you can do that, the indication was that the cruise control didn't work as the sensor was sensing the wrong side, had no effect on the handling at all, and I rode a couple of days like that until I noticed what the problem was.
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Smokey Capt(retd) Canadian Forces National President CVFR (Canadian Veteran Freedom Riders) 2010 VN1700 Voyager, ABS www.cvfr.ca VBA #02220 |
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08-21-2014, 11:46 AM | #13 |
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I have the same tire with 10,000 miles on them. My Nomad does the same thing. But, there again it has done it will all the tires I have used over the last 4 yrs and 40,000 miles and it different tire pressures.
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Bill (usranger74) Blake 2016 Goldwing VBA # 1505
Last edited by usranger74; 08-21-2014 at 11:49 AM.
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08-21-2014, 08:27 PM | #14 |
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Ankeny Iowa
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You will have to come up one of these days Bill and I will tighten that stem bearing for you.......then you can ride back to Omaha hands free
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VROC#34321 VBA#01867 2012 NCR Rally Savanna. IL. 2013 National Rally Estes Park, CO 2014 NC/SC Rally in the Ozarks, Mountain View AR 2014 NE US/Eastern Canada Rally,Lincoln NH 2015 VBA/VRA Eureka Springs AR 2015 Antlers Rally, Antlers OK. 2016 SCR Rally Salem MO. 2016 NCR Rally Hillsboro WI 2017 Eureka Springs AR 2017 National Rally Lake George NY 2004 Blue and Silver 1500 Nomad(RIP 9-26-19) 2000 Red and Silver 1500 Nomad 2012 Pearl White 1700 Voyager |
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08-21-2014, 01:18 PM | #15 |
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Location: Columbus,OH
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Just went through the same issue last week. My front tire is a Commander II that now has 14K on it. The head shake had been mild but lately had gotten way worse. I figured I needed a new tire but I also needed to service the steering head bearings anyways (20K on bike) so I started there. I went ahead and ordered the All Balls tapered bearings just in case I got in there and needed them. The stock bearings looked good and still had an acceptable amount of grease but, since I already had the front end off I went ahead and changed them.
Results - ALL the head wobble was gone. I could even lift my hands off on decel which was better than new. I thought for sure the tire was causing at least some of the wobble but It looks like I was wrong. Also, I think if I would have cleaned and re-lubed the stock bearings that I would have still had good results. My opinion is that these head bearings are a hair loose from the factory and over time/miles they will break in just enough to allow a wobble. The manual calls for 21 ft-lbs. I went with 25. I also run 40psi front/back.
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Dave "Dogleg" Pettigrew VBA #01124 CVRA & AMA member Pataskala, OH 2006 Nomad 2011 Red Vaquero - Sold 2008 Nomad - Sold |
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