Front end wobble
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 351
Likes: 2
Brake induced wobble has nothing to do with knowing how to ride, except on how to properly deal with it.
I have experienced the Dyna wallow, but I have never had a wobble occur while lightly braking into or through a corner and how many of you have? It really sounds like a mechanical problem and needs to be addressed asap.
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 224
Likes: 0
From: 3rd Rock
The single rotor set-up is not the best system for breaking in curves, you will tend to load up one side of your forks more than the other. That would be my best guess at what caused the front end to wobble. I put a fork brace on mine for this reason it helps keep the front forks working as a single unit. IT also helps to put 15wt. bellray fluid in the front, the 5wt that harley uses from the factory is really just too squishy imho.
Last edited by Squirrel67; Apr 10, 2011 at 10:15 PM.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 6,519
Likes: 0
From: Nomad
I am with Spanners39. The OP describes it as a 55 mph sweeper and he was scrubbing a little speed off, sounds safe and sane to me. I use my front brake when cornering almost exclusively and with all due respect it seems there are a lot of riders on this thread who need to take the course and not necessarily the OP.
Brake induced wobble has nothing to do with knowing how to ride, except on how to properly deal with it.
I have experienced the Dyna wallow, but I have never had a wobble occur while lightly braking into or through a corner and how many of you have? It really sounds like a mechanical problem and needs to be addressed asap.
Brake induced wobble has nothing to do with knowing how to ride, except on how to properly deal with it.
I have experienced the Dyna wallow, but I have never had a wobble occur while lightly braking into or through a corner and how many of you have? It really sounds like a mechanical problem and needs to be addressed asap.
Since we're talking about 2010 Dyna and not a 1965 Sportster, we can safely rule out years of abuse and neglect.
There are things that OP said and didn't say.
He didn't say "I over-cooked it into this corner and was running wide or grinding a hole into my foot"
He said that he was already IN THE CURVE when he got uncomfortable and decided to scrub off speed.
He didn't say "I got back on the gas and rode out the wobble"
He implied that "it went away after a while"
He didn't say "I take this corner at 55 all the time, but this time something went wrong"
So, here is what I concluded from his statements:
He didn't look into what he did to make the bike wobble. A good rider with some riding or racing experience or someone with good knowledge of his bike would think differently. I would prob think: hey, I just put XXX miles on the bike and took XX curves, so what did I do different this time and why does my bike wants to eject me?
I think OP was just day-dreaming like we all do, woke up mid curve and got spooked. He then "chopped" the throttle (wich collapsed the suspension) and grabbed a handfull of brakes.
When I find myself in this situation (as I do often), I turn my head to look thru the curve, slide my *** off the seat, lead in with my shoulder and give it some gas. Guess what? I usually find my self going waaaaay slower than I can, so I give it lots more gas. Now that curve that was uncomfortable at 55 becomes a "hoot" at 80.
All the things you guys listed to check are great, but bad head bearings on 2010 bike?, bad spokes, brake pads or warped rotor would be obvious at any speed and in straight line. Bad tire or inflation issue? That is something you need to be aware off BEFORE you get leaned over in a curve.
Just my useless opinion.
Tourer
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 413
Likes: 3
I agree with you. A little touch on the rear can help plant the bike if needed. Using front break in a turn can be very dangerous. I have seen quite a few bikes dumped in parking lots by folks hitting the front brake while turning sharply at just 5mph.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,736
Likes: 1,524
From: Coromandel Peninsula New Zealand
At 500 miles I went through my bike and the fade away was only 2 inches, it was way too loose. It should be 3 1/2 to 4 inches . I adjusted to 3 1/2 and allot better.
The front fender is 4 inches wide and I used it as a guide adjust 1/4 inch each side.
Be sure to recheck when all is tight.
The front fender is 4 inches wide and I used it as a guide adjust 1/4 inch each side.
Be sure to recheck when all is tight.
What exactly are you talking about here? Never heard of fade away....sounds interesting........
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,864
Likes: 126
From: Aussie lost in Switzerland
Wow, shoulda got myself a beer and a bag of popcorn when I started this thread 
So, firstly thanks to all for the tech tips and the bitch slapping
I have a lot of good info to think about.
As for braking in corners there seems to be a fair amount of debate on the subject, and I'd be the first to agree that grabbing a hard handful of front brake whilst cornering is not a great idea, but as mentioned it was a light touch, just to take an edge off, and yes I coulda done 2 or 3 different and perhaps smarter things.
The point is the front end went into a wobble that was disturbing. It wasnt violent, just enough to give you one of those WTF moments. Front ends shouldn't wobble under any braking conditions, and it has certainly never done under those conditions in the past. Just trying to work through a potentially nasty front end problem is all, then again, it may never happen again, but I still got a lotta good info out of it on all fronts.
So, firstly thanks to all for the tech tips and the bitch slapping
I have a lot of good info to think about.As for braking in corners there seems to be a fair amount of debate on the subject, and I'd be the first to agree that grabbing a hard handful of front brake whilst cornering is not a great idea, but as mentioned it was a light touch, just to take an edge off, and yes I coulda done 2 or 3 different and perhaps smarter things.
The point is the front end went into a wobble that was disturbing. It wasnt violent, just enough to give you one of those WTF moments. Front ends shouldn't wobble under any braking conditions, and it has certainly never done under those conditions in the past. Just trying to work through a potentially nasty front end problem is all, then again, it may never happen again, but I still got a lotta good info out of it on all fronts.
Last edited by Krazy8s; Apr 11, 2011 at 01:10 PM.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 6,519
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From: Nomad
hey Krazy8s, you seem to have a good attitude about this.
What I said was not a personal attack, but a comment about 90% of h-d riders.
Did your bike get you home alright? Then I doubt there is anything wrong with the bike.
I bet it was just a right combination lean angle/ weak suspension/ too much brake ... maybe a small pothole to set it all in motion. Perfect storm.
Take it as sign and go take an MSF rider course. They got a really cool 1 day class for experienced riders.
What I said was not a personal attack, but a comment about 90% of h-d riders.
Did your bike get you home alright? Then I doubt there is anything wrong with the bike.
I bet it was just a right combination lean angle/ weak suspension/ too much brake ... maybe a small pothole to set it all in motion. Perfect storm.
Take it as sign and go take an MSF rider course. They got a really cool 1 day class for experienced riders.
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 779
Likes: 4
From: Upstate New York
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,864
Likes: 126
From: Aussie lost in Switzerland
hey Krazy8s, you seem to have a good attitude about this.
What I said was not a personal attack, but a comment about 90% of h-d riders.
Did your bike get you home alright? Then I doubt there is anything wrong with the bike.
I bet it was just a right combination lean angle/ weak suspension/ too much brake ... maybe a small pothole to set it all in motion. Perfect storm.
Take it as sign and go take an MSF rider course. They got a really cool 1 day class for experienced riders.
What I said was not a personal attack, but a comment about 90% of h-d riders.
Did your bike get you home alright? Then I doubt there is anything wrong with the bike.
I bet it was just a right combination lean angle/ weak suspension/ too much brake ... maybe a small pothole to set it all in motion. Perfect storm.
Take it as sign and go take an MSF rider course. They got a really cool 1 day class for experienced riders.
I am thinking you're maybe right with the perfect storm scenario, but I'll still check out a few things on the front end in any case, if for no other reason than to do it and learn from it.
Would love to do an MSF course but they don't have them here, and the equivalent course is in German so I wouldnt understand a damn thing anyway, so instead I rely on twenty something years of trial and error experience and good advice from bikers here and anywhere else
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From: Nomad
here is something German for you
