I recently started experiencing this on my 07 streetglide, its a bad feeling kind of like rear tire is shifting back and forth on the rim. I have had it since new, currently have 32000 mi. I replaced the front motor mount this afternoon and it seems to be corrected rode it hard thru some twisties tonight with no problem.

 

i ran older wings for years, and the 1200's had a wobble around 23 mph. i was told then it was designed that way, as oppossed to higher speeds, youd be less likely to have a hand off the bars at that speed, and more likely to at hiway speeds. it would only happen though, if you took 1 hand off the bar.

 

The front tire doesn't track true with the rear tire this is what causes it. Reason why radial tires don't work on Harleys. Best thing to do is when it happens is to have a lite touch on the grips and let off slowly on the throttle. The bike will correct itself.

 

It's an issue mostly with a loaded tourer, it's the reason that Tru Truck is in business.
The fast sweepers coupled with weight will make the rubber swing arm mounts sway which in turn makes the front end sway the opposite direction to compensate. Rider input can make it worse. Weight above and behind the rear wheel (tour pac) makes it worse. It's the reason that HD changed the chassis in '09.
The '09 and up bikes are much better, you'll notice one frame in the video states it's an '06 motorcycle. A frame stabilizer such as a Tru Track will lessen the wobble. A light hand on the bars also helps, as does proper loading / not over loading. Nothing eliminates it.

 

My FXR did the same thing for years!!!! In the end I fitted a steering damper off a GSXR and problem solved.

 

Well, again I've never experienced it. But I would bet going into curves a bit slower will cure it.

 

That's a great executive summary! Let's ignore all other brands of bike, except to say that things like early shovel dressers and early Goldwings had such awful frames they simply flexed. 'Bagger wobble', which does indeed affect Dynas, has it's origins in Harley's rubber mount systems.

All bike engines are designed to vibrate in the vertical plane, in other words up and down. Harley's rubber mount system is designed to allow it to do that, so we mere humans, plus fragile stuff on the bike, are saved from the worst affects of vibration. On our Evo touring bikes Harley provides top and front stabilizers, intended to stop things moving in any other direction than the vertical.

Let's deal with Dynas first. They have two rubber mounts, one in front of the engine, the other behind the trans. The swingarm is mounted to the rear of the trans. Harley in it's wisdom reckons those rubber mounts are fine and need no other form of support. A True-Track kit provides missing lateral support and will transform any Dyna. It allows the engine to vibrate, while preventing it from shifting laterally. I had one on my T-Sport and it improves the steering and handling from the moment you start moving. The rear mount can be a swine to get on, but it still worth the effort and expense.

On to our baggers, which have a different rubber mount system, originally designed by Erik Buell. If you take a close look at any Buell bike, or a rubber-mount Sporty, you will find they have a stabilizer link by the trans. It is on the back wall of Sporties, on top on my Firebolt. The rubber mount system on those bikes is similar to our touring bikes.

Early dressers like my 1990 FLHS had swingarm bushings that were composite 'cleve blocks' and were blamed for the wobbles that our bikes suffered from. When Harley replaced them with steel bushings, the handling problems were not so bad, but also were not cured. What is missing is something that does the same job as that rear stabilizer on Buells.

When I first started looking into 'stabilizers' I found there were at least a dozen brands, using a variety of ways of curing the problem. Some are more convincing than others! As an engineer I was more impressed with True-Track's solution than the rest, simply because they use the same approach Buell himself intended. I bought and fitted their kits both to my Glide and Dyna.

With my Glide, as with my Dyna, the improvement is wonderful. The bike steers straighter at all times, handles better at speed and in fast bends. It doesn't turn our tourers into sport bikes, but it does greatly improve the way they ride.

Moving on again to the current 09 and later bikes, they use an adapted rubber mount system, based on the earlier bikes, but still don't provide any form of lateral support to the rear mountings. I haven't ridden one with a True-Track kit, but if I ever bought one I would add a T-0T kit without delay.

 

Good answer GRBROWN!!!

 

Have noticed your post and the scary title.
Tried to run the video and it crashed my computer ? Probably because my computer is a piece of crap.
Nobody wants what you have experienced so here is my 2 cents...
New to Harleys but experienced with big Wings etc. Havent found any such problems with big Wings but they do occure and the usual fix recomended is a aftermarket steering damper and that is ok...
But ., if i were you , i would first purchase a bike jack and lift the bike off the ground. " i got a used one for $ 40.00 " be sure it can handle the weight .
Secure the jack base to the floor to prevent any movement , secure the bike to the jack assy. Now you can test the bike components that are involved .
Check tires for true running , all bearings including swing arm and front end. Check swing arms for rust or deterioration or weakness in the arms themselves. Check front and rear suspension for broken struts , worn bushings etc. Look for anything abnormal. If all seems ok , go deeper , look at the actual frame and attachments and secure any loose/broken bolts to specs. Use your eyes or " feel " to detect minor variences in brgs. etc. Use a crow bar to detect bad swing arm or suspension troubles.
If you do this right , i think you will find the culprit .

 

Hi,Sorry to disagree...the "death wobble" can happen in a straight line.
It has happened to me,in a straight line, a few times at approx. 80mph. on my 91 Ultra .
Frightening experience,especially when overtaking, as happened to me.
I am not sure what causes it but I know most of the guys on this forum have their own ideas. It could be caused by crosswinds which contribute to other factors that have been suggested by others. The solution seems to be...a "Trakula" kit as suiggested to me by Graeme Brown some time ago.
Have I done it?? NO. I just tend to ride a bit more carefully and when finances are better I will attend to the "Trakula" kit.
Even more frightening than the "death wobble" as above, is for the "Tourpak"lid to fly open when riding on a main highway. The Tourpak acts like a "rudder" or aircraft "flap" with the wind catching it. Biggest problem is
...you cant see that it has opened and it is only when other drivers see it
and pump their horn to tell you,that you know whats wrong.
Another frightner !!! happy riding,Bungo.