Front End Jitters
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Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 118
Likes: 24
From: virginia
Front End Jitters
So, I missed the Harley, after buying the Honda VTX. A Dyna came up and I decided to jump. Love the engine, but hated the overall ride. After about 1000 miles, my "impression" is that the front forks are too stiff....jitters on the back roads, and heavy hydraulic lock on a large bump on a bridge. After a bit, I decide to try thinner fork oil, as a start. I used a syringe to try to measure the oil viscosity of ATF, 10wt and 5wt fork oil, then the old oil in the forks....the harley oil. I think it was filled with 15wt based on my testing, and I wanted to go thinner about 15%. My forks drained out 26 oz, so I used 24 oz of 10wt and about 2-3 of 5wt. After a short test down the back roads, and also running over my bump a couple times, I can say that it is much better. I can now actually feel the rear shocks banging a bit over the big bump, fronts OK. Might need some better rear shocks...BUT, I am really happy with the suspension now....almost normal. I still have the Honda, and like to change up to compare. Honda VTX 1300 motor OK but not nearly as nice as the 96 TC. Trans and shifting about the same. I added floor boards to the Dyna, so setup similar. VTX has spokes and large tires, Dyna has mags and small tires, making the ride a bit more harsh. But, this thing is almost suitable for the human body now.
Welcome back to Dyna-hood!
Fork oil is a common culprit - people often think more is better, but the correct level is at least as critical as the viscosity.
Also worth checking while you're going over the front end is the front tyre pressure - even a few PSI +- variation does horrible things to the handling and particularly on the inner-tubed tyre bikes (street bobs and several others with spooked wheels), pressures drop fairly fast (I check mine one a week). Also, headstock bearings can have play or be too tight.
Something that I swore was an issue with my forks/front suspension (a clunking over even-small bumps like it was bottoming out) was actually a loose gas-tank mounting bolt!
If you have any dollars available, consider at least a basic upgrade of the front and rear suspension. The cheapest would be Progressive fork springs and some basic shocks in the back. Progressive 412s are not great, but are good enough if money is tight. I think of them as the shocks that Harley should have shipped the bike with. I run that setup and it's good enough for the relatively conservative way I ride, but if you want to arc things up, improving suspension is the best way (IMHO) to keep things fun, safe and fast.
.
Fork oil is a common culprit - people often think more is better, but the correct level is at least as critical as the viscosity.
Also worth checking while you're going over the front end is the front tyre pressure - even a few PSI +- variation does horrible things to the handling and particularly on the inner-tubed tyre bikes (street bobs and several others with spooked wheels), pressures drop fairly fast (I check mine one a week). Also, headstock bearings can have play or be too tight.
Something that I swore was an issue with my forks/front suspension (a clunking over even-small bumps like it was bottoming out) was actually a loose gas-tank mounting bolt!
If you have any dollars available, consider at least a basic upgrade of the front and rear suspension. The cheapest would be Progressive fork springs and some basic shocks in the back. Progressive 412s are not great, but are good enough if money is tight. I think of them as the shocks that Harley should have shipped the bike with. I run that setup and it's good enough for the relatively conservative way I ride, but if you want to arc things up, improving suspension is the best way (IMHO) to keep things fun, safe and fast.
.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 118
Likes: 24
From: virginia
Thanks DD, agree with all your thoughts. I am now thinking that with softer fronts, the rears can be a problem......and did talk to Progressive. They recommended 444, which is expensive, for me. I will continue to look at the reviews here of what folks think works for the rear. Unfortunately most do not bring up my problem, which seems to be too much damping, causing the harshness or skitter across the rough roads. We like to go fast on the twisties, and all kinds of things can raise problems. Our HD friends did not seem to pay enough attention to those details and that does amaze me. Thanks for the 412 thoughts.
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