I am hoping some of the Dyna Death Wobble experts can chime in here. My bike is a bad vehicle to use as an example of shimmy and rear steer because my geometry has been altered both front (extended Springer) and rear (lowered shocks), but does having tall handlebars contribute at all to the infamous Dyna wobble?

I have decent tires with an Avon Venom up front (36psi) and a dunlop in the rear (34psi). I also have a True Track installed. I still feel as if I am getting just a touch of high speed wobble in the corners, and I am wondering if its my 15 inch apes on 3 inch risers causing this issue. Is rear steer and shimmy something any motorcycle with big apes will encounter at high speeds, or is this still a Dyna thing? Any suggestions or opinions are encouraged.


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I thought the death wobble was from the front trees, I've never had it so I don't know. The dynas do have a weird feeling in some turns because of the swingarm being bolted like it is to the tranny. It feels like it shifts a little when your in a turn, at least mine does, it freaks me out if I haven't rode in a while.

 

The "Death Wobble" going in a straight line is neck bearing related if youre running stock forks. Running 16 inch apes can amplify a problem and make it seem worse than it actually is. With the springer, all you can do is check it closely and see if theres any wear that doesnt look normal.
If youre talking about the wishy washy action in turns, most of that should have been corrected by the True Track. You can try stiffening the rear shocks a notch or fine tuning the rebound adjustment if you have one.

 

don't know sorry, i have wide trees and apes but no wobble so can't help

 

bikerlaw.................PM sent@ this ungodly hour............LOL

 

I put 16" Apes on my 07WG earlier this year. I never really felt the "death wobble" until I put the apes on the scoot. So...my experience is - yes, apes do contribute. Scared the sh*t out of me when it happened. I was rolling down the road stretched out. I hit somewhere around 80MPH...all of a sudden I thought my front wheel was coming off. I pulled over slowly. After I cleaned my drawers, I checked everything and found nothing wrong. So...I hit the road again and pushed tried to duplicate the wobble. Hit around 80 and there it was....
I found that if I loosened my grip and relaxed, the wobble decreased. But...still freaks me out when it happens.
Forgive the crappy pic...just took it a minute ago so you could see the apes.
Skid..

 

Thanks guys.

Special thanks to SteveO-II. You guys can't see it but he spent the time to PM me a huge in depth detailed response that was a great help. Thank you, PM sent back.

Skid Row, that was exactly what I figured. I believe they do but just to make sure I am not insane, I wanted some one else to confirm they had the exact same issue.

Junk, at least with me it was rear steer. I say that because of how much the true track improved it. Its just that last little bit I wanted to address. But I'm really thinking the apes play a part. They aren't going, so I will deal with it I guess.

KK, it does it with 12 and 13 inch shocks and on any preload setting. Stock forks, DNA Springer and Paughco Springer all had the issue. The Paughco Springer with the True Track has been the best combo yet. Neck bearings and fall away are good. Well, as good as I can make them. Only time it NEVER does it is when the the wife is on the back. Strange huh. Add 200 lbs of weight on the back seat and the bike is rock solid. Like 100 percent dead perfect. Had she never sat on the back I would never have known that "last little bit" could have been fixed, or even existed.

And remember guys, the vast majority was fixed with the true track. Its only that teeny, tiny bit that I am thinking might be due to the apes, i.e. the apes amplifying it. Like it would have vanished if the apes were gone. Now, since they aren't going, I was wanting to at least know that it was THEM giving me that tickle so I could stop looking elsewhere. Then I could just call it done and move on.

 

I think steering head bearing (fall away) was culprit in my slight wobble, and seems to change based on tire, risers, etc. recently added 6 inch curved risers to my bike..and now front seems a little more loosey-goosey. may have to adjust my fall away again

 

The apes do not cause it they magnify what is already there. If you take a death grip on them you can cause it but apes do not cause it, the only time I ever get wobble is if I put to much weight on the *** end like when I have the tour pak loaded and 2up and that happens even with my tbars. Only other time was when I still had spokes.

 

Well, thanks again for the responses. A group of us just went for a ride till it got so freaking hot we came home. We were bombing down a curvy road and since we never broke 70 the bike was rock solid. The True Track is really doing the job and the bike really tracks well in all but the must forced conditions, and even then its just the tiniest little shimmy. No where near like it was prior to the install. Everything else I checked seems OK. I will play with the air pressure a bit but at this point I am going to chalk up any tiny shimmy that the bike has to being a 15 year old Dyna, with an extended Springer and 18 inch apes. Its just not a Ninja, and never will be.


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