Why not try some balance beads. I mounted my new tires myself and added the right amount of balance beads then. Smooth as a baby's butt.

 

Or maybe Ride-On,...http://www.ride-on.com/motorcycle-formula-mot.html

 

Energy takes the path of least resistance. The path of least resistance on a bike is the hinge at the steering head. Yes, it's entirely possible that something out of wack on the rear end will manifest itself in a front end wobble. Place a bike on a jack, just enough to support the bike straight up and bounce the rear end, the bars will wobble side to side. A front end wobble or symptom does not necessarily mean a front end problem.

Check everything on the rear end. Tire bead seated, tire out of balance, tire out of round, rear axle alignment, blulge in tire, tire belas separating, swing arm alignment/bearings, etc...

And no, don't trade it, find the problem and fix it. If it occurred right after new tire, my money would be on bad tires or install.

 

OP... I'd check a couple of things. Does the steering head need adjusting? Check the pinch bolts on the front end and make sure they're torqued down.

 

The guy gave you a new front tire? Just trying to figure out how you got to $1000 you haven't bought any tires you paid a guy to re-grease your bearings for 1k?

 

thanks for the help everyone. the only issue i have with contacting the person who put the tires on is the time that's passed. it's been a year now since the first tire change and i dont know if he would still honor the job by putting a new tire on at this point, especially after already replacing the front. i did mention that i had it in the shop 4 times after this to go through all alignment, bearings, joints, and replace what needed replacing and grease what needed greased. This added another $400 to my $650 tire job, which is how i'm over $1000. I just have a hard time throwing any more money at this thing without a guaranteed fix. the more i think about it and read, the more i think it is just the back tire, or the Michelin's altogether. if money wasnt an issue throwing another set of dunlops on would be my next move.

 

When you get money I would replace rear tire. I would also use a different mechanic than did the tires. Not sure if same place changed tires and did the other work? Seems like simple math no wobble before tires then immediately after new tires it wobbles. If rear tire is changed and problem goes away, I would contact tire manufacturer. I had a problem with a rear tire on a 91 Softail. It was a huge hassle but Continental finally made it right.

 

that's not a bad idea...at least then it would be undeniable proof to Michelin that their tire was bad and would definitely be the cheapest solution to fix my problem and keep me riding

 

Is it a slow swaying wobble with no bounce? If so, it's unlikely it's the tires. An unbalanced or a defective out-of-round tire will create more of a bounce than a wobble, although you might get a little wobble with it too. If there's no bounce and only a wobble/sway then, as I mentioned before, check that the steering head is adjusted properly. Could be the steering head bearings too. Also, check the pinch bolts on the triple tree. I went though all this last fall while I was on the road trip after I had new tires mounted. I first thought the tires were defective. While riding I felt a bounce and a slight wobble.

Long story short, stopped at a HD dealership who said it was the wheel bearings (had them replace them) and they also adjusted the steering head. Bounce was still there and the wobble became worse (a slow swaying wobble). Went to another dealership 300 miles away and found out the front tire wasn't balanced. They balanced the tire. Bounce was gone but slow swaying wobble above 65 mph was still there. Like you, at that point I thought it was the rear wheel and that maybe it wasn't aligned. Had the rear wheel checked and it was fine. Found out later that the idiots who adjusted the steering head didn't tighten and torque down the pinch bolts after they did the steering head adjustment.

Start with the simplest thing that won't cost you a dime. Put your bike on a lift and first check to see if your steering head bearings are worn. How to check that might be in the service manual but in case it isn't I'll include a youtube video on how to easily check for that. Once and if you determine that your bearings aren't shot, adjust your steering head according to the service manual. Then take the bike out for a long ride and see if the problem is fixed.

 

i had the steering head bearings checked and the wheel bearings replaced in one of my trips to the shops. i guess my main question is, would a bad back tire cause a front end wobble? everything that has to do with the front end, including the tire, has been inspected and/or replaced. if it is just a new back tire i need, i can afford that and it keeps me riding.