free website stats program 2009 Road King Classic handling woes | Harley Davidson Forums

2009 Road King Classic handling woes

black bart

Member
Hi Folks

Looking for some information regarding my 2009 Road King classic. Has anyone done any work on the steering head of this model, maybe upgrading the bearings to taper roller, any links or information or feedback would be great.

It all started with the Road King wobble at speed.
I felt the original suspension was bottoming out, especially when I was loaded for touring or had a passenger, checked the air pressure in the shocks and it was up at 11psi, the manual said 9psi max. fitted a set of hagon shocks and this has solved that problem.

Did not like the excessive fork travel on braking so fitted the progressive upgrade with sealed gas shocks, again problem sorted.

Bike still had a tendency to wobble at speed, only certain bends, and more often than not, downhill left handers, with the throttle rolled off, or just on the overrun. so fitted true tracks offering that pins the lateral movement down at the back of the engine, again an improvement, it feels checked but is still there sometimes, although I think the tyres are due for replacement, they have done 9000 miles, and have plenty of tread left but they are cupping on the front, and squirming over white lines. Only Dunlop make the rear tyre, anyone tried anything different on the back?

Has anyone done any work on the steering head of this model, maybe upgrading the bearings to taper roller, any links or information or feedback would be great.

thanks
bart
 
Heck, I didn't know I could adjust the air in the front shocks. There is an issue with the head adjustment on the FLHR's. One of the first things they look at during the service. Mine was loose at the second service. My front end started to feel like it was 'floating' on the highway after about 5500 miles but it turned out to be the tire. maybe take a good look at yours. That's all I can tell you about mine.
 
they already have tapered bearings in the head stem, after all that work i cant see how you can have a hanlding issue as the stock bike is a good handling unit. i think the tyre may be a good thing to look at if its work un even, aswell as the head stem bearing tension
 
Had a loose front end on my 07 too. A steering head adjustment took care of that. The bottoming out front end braking was cured also by changing to a heavier oil in the forks from the factory 5 wt.

Did you check into the recall on the front tires?
 
Had a loose front end on my 07 too. A steering head adjustment took care of that. The bottoming out front end braking was cured also by changing to a heavier oil in the forks from the factory 5 wt.

Did you check into the recall on the front tires?

thanks for the dfeedback so far guys!

I did not know about a recall on the front tyre, the only one I have been informed about was the petrol tank mountings, I figured my problem would not be whether the tank leaked in a serious accident....:newsmile030:

I think I will look at the adjustment on the bearings next, although I dont have any clunking or noticable movement, anyone have any info on the adjustment on the steering for the 09, I dont have a manual for the settings
 
The bottoming out front end braking was cured also by changing to a heavier oil in the forks from the factory 5 wt.

HEY Glider, when you say bottoming out in the front end are you refering to when you hit a pot hole and the front end makes a big clang? is it truely hittng bottom? will it cause problems? and what can a person do to fix it?
 
HEY Glider, when you say bottoming out in the front end are you refering to when you hit a pot hole and the front end makes a big clang? is it truely hittng bottom? will it cause problems? and what can a person do to fix it?

I don't feel it's truly bottoming out hitting a pot hole but it sure sounds like it. I believe it's the fork oil not being able to move fast enough to respond with a movement but the front ends on the touring rigs are very soft and mushy. I have tried different fork oils and find that the SE 15 wt is a bit stiff if you like it that way but the 10 wt will improve things over the factory 5 wt that comes in the forks.
Then again some have dented the front fender with the brake splitter fitting under the bottom triple tree from hard compressions.

Fork Oil Weights - Harley Davidson Community
 
I don't feel it's truly bottoming out hitting a pot hole but it sure sounds like it. I believe it's the fork oil not being able to move fast enough to respond with a movement but the front ends on the touring rigs are very soft and mushy. I have tried different fork oils and find that the SE 15 wt is a bit stiff if you like it that way but the 10 wt will improve things over the factory 5 wt that comes in the forks.
Then again some have dented the front fender with the brake splitter fitting under the bottom triple tree from hard compressions.

Fork Oil Weights - Harley Davidson Community

I fitted the progressive solution to fork dive on the Road King, here is a link to it
Harley Davidson Shocks :: Harley Monotube :: Progressive Suspension
It certainly has improved the front end, no worries about which fork oil as it is not used for dampening with this solution, only as internal lubrication.
thanks
bart
 
Back
Top