Low speed wobble
- Thread starter dfbales
- Start date
Point well taken Hoop, that is why I recommended after all the stuff was tried the first time around, that he start working his way through adding items to suppress the natural oscillation...Sportbikes, having more weight on front and very aggressive steering geometry NEVER get it controlled, so steering damper, fork and swingarm bracing were common add on remedies or before "building" them into the designs (as long as they had couple years) to refine and cure the problems in specific models...
Welcome to the HDTimeline forum...and not to worry Westy, a stock bike has no tendency to wobble...and has to perform, that is why there are so many Product Safety rules and regulations in the industry. Fact is in Post #9 brought up the issue a simple change like that tour box up high along with weight can in rare cases, cause disruption of aerodynamics, load distribution and suspension tuning, altering the normal frequency of oscillation of the bike.
On the Crossbones...like most non-baggers, the stability is much better because the stock H-D has a lot of wind tunnel and test driven miles to work out any issues. Touring bikes are more problematic due to the less aerodynamic design and much varied load factors. Just a reminder that if you add accessories and suddenly come across a handling problem, it might be due to the last accessory added or loaded on to the bike BESIDES the usual things that TQ listed in Post #7.:s
On the Crossbones...like most non-baggers, the stability is much better because the stock H-D has a lot of wind tunnel and test driven miles to work out any issues. Touring bikes are more problematic due to the less aerodynamic design and much varied load factors. Just a reminder that if you add accessories and suddenly come across a handling problem, it might be due to the last accessory added or loaded on to the bike BESIDES the usual things that TQ listed in Post #7.:s
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Mad Dog Jim
Banned
Something I do every ride once I get up to about 50 mph (not advising to do this!) is let go of the bars for a few seconds (in the high hole so it doesn't decel). I'm looking for wobble. I know from experience that different weights or shapes of gear I'm packing can bring on the hippo dance when it wasn't there before. So can replacing just one tire. Case in point. Last summer on tour in Montana. Needed a rear tire so I had that done in Kalispel. So, rollin down the road at about 50, hands off the controls... wobble. Not a bad one, and only if I was hands free, so I was aware of it being there and just kept that in mind not to ride one handed at 70. Nothing about the bike or load had been changed, just a new rear tire. 300 miles later I got rid of my camping gear (cuz we didn't need it anymore... left it behind at family's house). Wobble gone - TOTALLY.
So figure that one out. All the gear - No Wobble. Add new tire = Wobble. Drop off a tent and two sleeping bags - Wobble gone.
tells me that minor changes can make big changes in performance
So figure that one out. All the gear - No Wobble. Add new tire = Wobble. Drop off a tent and two sleeping bags - Wobble gone.
tells me that minor changes can make big changes in performance