Help with a handling issue
Thread Starter
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,673
Likes: 16
From: Norfolk, VA
It is an 07 Street Bob. The belt tension is still good, the shocks are both adjusted to max preload as I am a fat ***. When I hit the hole the shocks almost "adjusted" me right off the bike. It was a hard hit, I have been riding for a long time and I do not ever recall feeling an impact like that stupid hole. The spokes look good. I grabbed all of them and they are all tight and there does not appear to be any issue with them at all. Thanks for the ideas, I appreciate it.
I hate to admit it, but I am thinking about taking it in to get a rear tire which I will need soon anyway. I will let them take a look at it.
I hate to admit it, but I am thinking about taking it in to get a rear tire which I will need soon anyway. I will let them take a look at it.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,968
Likes: 34
From: Lockport Township, IL
If you hit a pot hole as hard as you describe, you could easily have some cords in either or both tire that are busted. If so, this could certainly cause the symptoms you describe. Until you rule that out, I would not recommend riding the bike at high speed! You could blow a tire.
I've had this happen to me several times with car tires. Driving slow, it feels like the car is "wagging its tail" (if it is a rear tire with busted cords) and at speed it is a shimmy that you feel. If the busted cords are on a front tire, driving slow and holding steering wheel very loose, you will see the steering wheel moving left to right, and again, at speed you will feel a shimmy. I have never had this problem on any of my bikes, but if tire cords are busted, the tire will be out of round and will cause handling problems.
I've had this happen to me several times with car tires. Driving slow, it feels like the car is "wagging its tail" (if it is a rear tire with busted cords) and at speed it is a shimmy that you feel. If the busted cords are on a front tire, driving slow and holding steering wheel very loose, you will see the steering wheel moving left to right, and again, at speed you will feel a shimmy. I have never had this problem on any of my bikes, but if tire cords are busted, the tire will be out of round and will cause handling problems.
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: Yukon, Canada
This might be over simplified, but a worn flat rear tire will feel like it is falling over in a turn when you roll up on the corner created by the flat tread. Makes the bike feel really unstable. The contact patch is changed significantly. This is one of the reasons everyone feels like their bike handleing improves so much when they change to a new tire.
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,123
Likes: 1
From: Dallas TX
This might be over simplified, but a worn flat rear tire will feel like it is falling over in a turn when you roll up on the corner created by the flat tread. Makes the bike feel really unstable. The contact patch is changed significantly. This is one of the reasons everyone feels like their bike handleing improves so much when they change to a new tire.
Thread Starter
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,673
Likes: 16
From: Norfolk, VA
I considered the tire wear being the problem, but the fact it started just after I hit the pot hole made think there was something else wrong. The wear pattern has been the way it is since last August and I did not notice this problem. Now it could be I did not really notice it because I was not paying attention. After I hit the hole I was riding real carefully and looking for something to be wrong. Or, it could just be my imagination. I know the dealer will recommend a new tire, and I really need one anyway.
Thread Starter
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,673
Likes: 16
From: Norfolk, VA
Alright, I figured this out. I wasn't going to post about it because it is sort of embarrassing, but what the hell. Might as well laugh at myself. I ended up having a bad front motor mount, but that was not causing the handling issue. I have been riding road bikes since I was 16, and on the dirt much longer than that, but I still made this mistake 
.
So, over the past six months I had not been riding much. I started working at home almost all the time so I really did not spend that much time on the bike. About 4 months ago I also ruptured my bicep tendon playing hockey. As in my bicep rolled up like a window shade up to my shoulder. It required surgery to repair and took a while to heal. Anyway, over the time I was not riding much I dropped 50-60 pounds. While I had the bike up on the lift in my shed I decided to strip it down and give it a good cleaning. That included pulling the saddle bags off the bike. The bags use a detachable easy bracket system. Between the easy bracket and all the crap I had shoved in the bags I would guess they weigh at least 40 pounds.
So basically the load on the bike is about 100 pounds less than it was the last time I was riding on a regular basis. The day I hit the pothole was also one of the first days I started riding again. It was not really my imagination, the bike is handling differently. But there is nothing wrong with it. My fat *** losing weight and removing the bags made it handle better, just better in a way I was not use to. BTW, it took someone that does not ride pointing out my weight loss when I got off the bike to make me think about that being the possible cause.
Yeah, I could have just let this thread die, but I hate when someone posts up with a problem, asks for suggestions and does not post how the issue was resolved. So, the answer to my problem was the bike was 100 pounds lighter and I am an idiot.
.So, over the past six months I had not been riding much. I started working at home almost all the time so I really did not spend that much time on the bike. About 4 months ago I also ruptured my bicep tendon playing hockey. As in my bicep rolled up like a window shade up to my shoulder. It required surgery to repair and took a while to heal. Anyway, over the time I was not riding much I dropped 50-60 pounds. While I had the bike up on the lift in my shed I decided to strip it down and give it a good cleaning. That included pulling the saddle bags off the bike. The bags use a detachable easy bracket system. Between the easy bracket and all the crap I had shoved in the bags I would guess they weigh at least 40 pounds.
So basically the load on the bike is about 100 pounds less than it was the last time I was riding on a regular basis. The day I hit the pothole was also one of the first days I started riding again. It was not really my imagination, the bike is handling differently. But there is nothing wrong with it. My fat *** losing weight and removing the bags made it handle better, just better in a way I was not use to. BTW, it took someone that does not ride pointing out my weight loss when I got off the bike to make me think about that being the possible cause.
Yeah, I could have just let this thread die, but I hate when someone posts up with a problem, asks for suggestions and does not post how the issue was resolved. So, the answer to my problem was the bike was 100 pounds lighter and I am an idiot.
Thread Starter
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,673
Likes: 16
From: Norfolk, VA
I should know better. I guess the lesson here for me is to stop looking for the complicated solution first, work from simple to more complex. I was looking at the suspension instead of starting with the thing that can most effect the suspension and that is the weight put on it.
It was not a complete waste of time, it gave me an excuse to change the fork oil and replace all the bushings and seals. I also pulled the neck bearings and greased those. One less thing to worry about I suppose.
It was not a complete waste of time, it gave me an excuse to change the fork oil and replace all the bushings and seals. I also pulled the neck bearings and greased those. One less thing to worry about I suppose.
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