Posted by Bare | Last Updated August 23, 2013 This article is written for those experiencing steering wobbles and struggling to resolve them. Steering wobbles can come from unexpected places outside of the usual suspects and most riders don’t realize how tiny little things can have a magnified affect on steering wobble under certain conditions. It is important to understand that steering wobbles can be caused by one big problem or a combination of many small ones. This means that diagnosing a wobble can sometimes take a lot of time, testing and troubleshooting before a true solution to the problem is found. The first thing I usually recommend to someone experiencing a steering wobble is to ask a trusted friend (and experienced rider!) to take the bike for a spin. Obviously this doesn’t apply for dangerous or severe wobble situations, but a second opinion of a “normal” wobble can sometimes be enlightening. It has been my experience that sometimes people will overanalyze a problem like this to such a degree that they begin to confuse normal functioning with characteristics of steering wobble.

This list is loosely compiled from easiest to check/most likely to cause problems at the top and harder to check/less likely to cause problems towards the bottom. Things to check when experiencing steering wobbles: Check your tire pressure Check for “cupped” or badly uneven tire wear (especially the rear tire) Check both wheels to see if they lost a wheel weight Check for bad bearingsmotorcycle clothing kissimmee Check trueness of axlesebay 250cc motorcycles for sale Check trueness of the wheels (primarily for spoke wheels)motorcycle tire deformation Reinstall both wheels making sure they are installed properlymotorcycle shops in granada spain

If you have a windshield, remove it. If the wobble goes away with the shield then reinstall it but adjust it. Minor tweaks of as little as 1/8″ can impact airflow and in turn cause or affect wobble. Sometimes a windshield can be mounted unevenly and this can cause wobble. This same thing applies to lowers as well. Sit on the bike, squeeze the front hand brake to lock the front wheel and push forward. Do this a few times and listen for a clicking noise. motorcycle repairs montague gardensSometimes loading the front end in this manner will cause a bad or dry (all grease is gone) bearing to click. motorcycle shop las piedrasWhile doing this also watch closely to see if the steering stem/triple tree shows any signs of movement or “slop” in the bearings. With the bike on a lift slowly turn the front end side to side, lock to lock and feel for flat spots, rough spots, etc in the bearings.

Anything other than a completely smooth motion is an indication of bearing problems. Make sure when you’re doing this that you do not confuse drag or rubbing caused by wires and cables with actual bearing problems. Like in the last check you can also try lightly pushing and lifting the front end to check for movement or “slop” in the bearings. If either of the 2 checks above point towards bad steering stem bearings then replace them If all else fails to show improvement and the bearings appear to be ok you can try adjusting the stem tension using the assembly article as a guide. Obviously you will not need to disassemble and reassemble the entire steering stem, just use the article as a guide for setting and checking the proper pre-load. Check the swingarm bearings, bad swingarm bearings can cause the wheels to not track in a straight line. Do you have overly sagged or worn-out front springs? Is it possible you have worn out fork components like slider bushings?

Do you have enough of the proper weight oil in the forks? (usually only an issue after a fork seal leak) Are your forks aligned properly in the triple trees? Are your rear shock bushings worn out? Has anything suspension related been adjusted that could throw the steering geometry out of whack? Are you running mixed brands front and rear? On rare occasion 2 different brands won’t “play well together” Are you mixing bias-ply and radials? This is only OK if the radial is in the back Has the bike been wrecked or laid down? Are the front forks and triple trees twisted? Is it possible you have a bent frame? When all else fails start checking around the bike for any bit of weight that can vibrate. It is best to remove whatever you can, even if only temporarily, to eliminate the source of the problem. If you get to this point and nothing else has worked then you really need to start looking long and hard at almost every nut & bolt on the bike for a cause or solution

Adjust exhaust hanger brackets Check motor mounts and mounting hardware Check luggage and saddlebags – ensure they are packed in a balanced manner Leave a Comment Here - .(Questions Posted Here Will Be Deleted) Wobbling could be generally defined as side-to-side movement of a wheel. Note that wobbling can occur at the front wheel, as it can also be present at the rear wheel of a bike. With the rear wheel wobble being easier to control, a wobbly front wheel can crash a bike in no time. Wobbling can be caused by a lot o factors, among which the most likely to met one is failing to properly align the front wheel when landing a wheelie. The Internet is literally full of videos showing guys spilling in the most interesting, funny or horrible ways after improperly landing a wheelie. At the same time, violent accelerations might cause the front wheel to wobble due to the lesser pressure of the wheel pushing the ground. Wobbling may also be caused by improperly loading your bike, defective wheel alignment, lower tire pressure or faulty rims.

The basic symptom of a wobbling bike is a lateral shaking sensation which varies with speed and cornering. Literally, you and your bike are shaken off the straight, smooth trace and in more severe cases, there is a powerful shake in the handlebars. If you've gotten to the point where you feel that are not in full control of the bike and handlebars, it's best to pull over and make a quick visual inspection of the bike, checking for a deflated tire, bent components, even loose bolts and so on. It's advisable to have a mechanic checking the bike, and in case you have to drive on, do so at a low speed. It's true: the rear wheel wobble can even pass unnoticed in case of heavier bikes or heavy riders, despite the fact that those riding behind you will definitely see the abnormal dynamics of the rear wheel. At low speed and especially with a heavy load on the bike, the rear wobble is harder to detect, but just like in other case, pulling over and taking a look at the bike is critical.

All in all, there is no need form drama, so far. Your bike may wobble because one or both tires have lower pressure. The lesser the air force opposing the weight of the bike, the more will the tire wall bend, especially when turning. This bending will send vibrations through the entire bike and is almost impossible to miss. He whole motorcycle feels a bit flabby, and control over a smooth round trace is harder to obtain. As the tire flexes uncontrollably, the bike will shake accordingly, sometimes giving unsuspecting riders quite a good scare. Like in any critical scenario, not losing your mind is a good thing: slow down progressively and inflating the tires to their normal pressure should rid you of the wobbles. Please note that running lower pressure in the tires for longer periods of time will cause them to wear out in a different manner, with a negative impact on handling in turns.Slight wobbling poses the rider in no critical danger. Of course, some pilots with lesser or no experience at all may find it difficult to stay on track even with this light wobble effect and crash or get off the road.

This king of wobbling has a simple mechanical cause in most cases, and this cause can be eliminated relatively easy by taking the bike to be verified in a workshop. Now, the greater the speed, the bigger the number of dangerous things which could meddle with a nice afternoon ride. High-speed wobbling is the most dangerous since the forces shaking the bike or handlebars are much harder to counteract. As we've mentioned above, improper alignment of the front wheel with the direction the rear one is facing will surely cause the bike to wobble violently. The force is so strong that the handlebar can oscillate almost fully to the right or left, and in this case a crash is imminent. Even with lower oscillation angles, such string wobbling makes the rider lose control of the bike and could possibly send him/ her off the road or on a collision track with other cars or obstacles in the traffic. Powerful wobbling can shake the rider so bad that the feet can fling from the pegs and knees slap hard on the fuel tank, hence the nickname “tank slapper” some use for this effect.

There are many opinions as to which is the best solution to making it safely after your bike starts wobbling. One of the downsides when it comes to dealing with wobbling is the fact that this phenomenon only last for a few seconds, which might prove fatal in some cases. Like any other critical situation when riding a bike, there is not much time to think and act, and good instincts and sometimes, a good deal of luck may be the savior. Most of the experienced pilots agree in one point, though: it's best to keep your hands on the handlebars, but with a somewhat relaxed grip. It may sound funny talking about a “relaxed grip” in such conditions, but things make sense. Your goal is to gradually minimize the forces shaking the handlebar, but since we're dealing with a rather violent movement, trying to stabilize them will transfer that shaking to the rest of your body, make it shake even more, instead of adding stability. And with the perspective of a very nasty crash, the potential wrist and forearm injuries which could result from you trying to control the handlebars are minor.

Instead you could try to absorb as much of the oscillatory energy by grasping the handlebars rather gently and attempting to gradually decrease the wobble. Applying a panic front brake will only make things worse , as more of the bike's weight will shift to the front wheel, maximizing its grip and maximizing the effects of the wobble. Some riders advise throttling up, as crazy as it may sound. Technically, the front wheel will become lighter and maybe even decouple a bit from the ground, thus missing the grip on the road and being much easier to control. There still is a strong debate about this method to escape a tank slapper, with a lot of people taking sides and arguing about the positive result.One of the best ways to limit the effect is having a steering damper installed on the bike. This gadget may sometimes be costly but the benefits are quite clear. In a few words, a steering damper is a shock absorber which is installed on your fork and it allows for ample handlebar movement when done easily and at a low speed.