Pages: [1]   Go Down
Print

Topic: Wobble at freeway speed???  (Read 2946 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Andrew
If you think education is expensive try ignorance
*

Reputation 46
Offline Offline

Years Contributed: '07, '08, '09
Motorcycles: YA I got a few
GPS: Left Coast
Miles Typed: 4801

My Photo Gallery


May you hear the music as well




Ignore
« on: August 29, 2008, 10:02:05 pm »

OK, this is not about my bike and I am not trying to pick a fight, just trying to get some info, so please NO HD BASHING

One of the guys at work has an Electro Glide (I think, the one with a frame mounted faring with dual headlights, looks like a nice freeway flyer.) I was talking with him today he was asking if my bikes wobbled when ridding on roads with rain groves. I told him that nether the FJR or BMW GS did but my old GL1000 did (got rid of the GL several years back)  and that I thought it was more to do with the tires than the bike.  Apparently his HD does, he says (he thinks) it is due to worn rear suspension bushings? I have a hard time believing this due to the fact his bike has less miles than anything I have ever owned and he cares for it like it was one of his children. Has anyone else had this problem?? Is it the suspension bushings or tires? or something completely different??
P.S. the bike is maybe 2 years old, less than 20k on the clock? With hard bags and a trunk.
Logged

"Wild seeds grow in the sand and rock, may the four winds blow you safely home again"  GD
"Small wheel turn by the fire and rod, Big wheel turn by the grace of God Everytime that wheel turns round it's bound to cover a little more ground"
Sport-Touring
Advertisement
*


Remove Advertisements

Stray Cat
*

Reputation 15
Offline Offline

Years Contributed: '07, '09, '10
Years Supported: '11
Motorcycles: 2001 "Damn Sexy" Honda CBR1100XX
GPS: Isle of Cat, Pugetopolis
Miles Typed: 2573

My Photo Gallery


Weeeeeee!!!!!


WWW

Ignore
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2008, 10:29:32 pm »

I Think Chornbe mentioned something about rear bushings on the big 'glides a while back. Maybe he'll see this and offer up some sage HD advice.
Logged
chornbe

« Reply #2 on: August 29, 2008, 10:50:44 pm »

The swingarm is rubber-mounted and flexes in turns. Unfortunately, it's a real and serious problem. The specifics are thus:

As the bike leans into a turn, usually at extra-legal speeds, the rear swing arm's rubber bushings allow the swing arm to pivot laterally just a little bit and the wheel goes to the outside of the turn. The bike attempts to self-correct - its natural design and inclination wants the wheels to be in line, so the front end weaves out a little, which puts more stress on the swingarm pivot - rinse, repeat. The more severe your rear tire wear (flattened out from lots of highway miles), the more this problem is exacerbated.

Several "solutions" to the problem exist, the two most notable are the Sta-Bo bushing replacement kit, and the RideStr8 lateral link system. The sta-bo is a step in the right direction, but the outer rubber bushing should be replaced for maximum stability. Of course, people whine about the increase in vibrations, so it's kind of a no-win scenario.

I have experienced this in-lean wobble at some extra-legal speeds on big sweepers and I don't mind saying - it can be quite a wake-up call. The bike needs to have the rubber mount removed, replaced with proper bushings and bearings. If vibes are really that much of a problem, Harley needs to better isolate the engine from the frame. Or... as I've been saying for quite some time... put the "B" engine from the Soft Tails into the FLxx frames as they're so, so much smoother. That would handle the vibes and ditching the rubber would fix this problem. Viola.

Having said all that, you can mitigate the problem by exercising body-position steering modification by slightly "hanging off" in those intense turns and keeping the bike more towards vertical and farther away from that threshold at which the swingarm will lever out. You can also just take the sweepers slower.

These bikes are also pretty sensitive to having the steering-head bearings in proper adjustment.

PS... the one with the dual-headlight, frame-mounted fairing (highway bar mounted, actually) is the Road Glide. All of the Electraglides, street glides, road glides and road kings are mechanically identical, the differences being, primarily, appointments above and forward of the steering head. The road kings have tank-mounted instruments where all the glides have fairing-mounted instruments.
« Last Edit: August 29, 2008, 10:55:55 pm by chornbe » Logged
Advertisement



fritzcoinc
*

Reputation 0
Offline Offline

Motorcycles: 96 Guzzi V1100 Sport, 03 Harley Road King Police, 96 Honda XR650L, 86 Husky 400 XC
GPS: Cypress, Texas
Miles Typed: 58

My Photo Gallery





Ignore
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2008, 06:27:17 pm »

I second the steering head adjustment as a cause of wobble. I replaced the swing arm bushings at about 20K and still had wobble. I just put 08 front brakes on my bike now with 33K miles( see post ) and re-built the steering head. After proper adjustment of the steerhead bearings, known as "swing by adjustment" wobble is nill.
Other Post:
03 Road King Brake Upgrade
Steering Head Bearing Adjustment 03 Road King
« Last Edit: September 02, 2008, 06:33:28 pm by fritzcoinc » Logged
chornbe

« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2008, 09:21:21 pm »

You may be correct. I was responding to the notion of the weave when leaned over. If his bike is experiencing this in a stand-up, straight line, then tires, pressure and steering head bearings are the first things to check.
Logged
Andrew
If you think education is expensive try ignorance
*

Reputation 46
Offline Offline

Years Contributed: '07, '08, '09
Motorcycles: YA I got a few
GPS: Left Coast
Miles Typed: 4801

My Photo Gallery


May you hear the music as well




Ignore
« Reply #5 on: September 02, 2008, 11:11:39 pm »

Thanks for the info Chornbe Thumbsup

I think Steve, my coworker was referring to a wobble while straight up while on a grated road  Headscratch
The Stem bearings sound like the best place to start, the bike is rather heavy.

Road Glide  Thumbsup  OK My mistake (I know very little about HDs, but I am learning)

Thanks again Bigok
Logged

"Wild seeds grow in the sand and rock, may the four winds blow you safely home again"  GD
"Small wheel turn by the fire and rod, Big wheel turn by the grace of God Everytime that wheel turns round it's bound to cover a little more ground"
Pages: [1]   Go Up
Print
Jump to:  



ST.N

Copyright © 2001 - 2013 Sport-Touring.Net.
All rights reserved.

 
SimplePortal 2.3.1 © 2008-2009, SimplePortal