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General Topics/Tech TipsDiscussion on break in periods, rider comfort, seats and pad suggestions. Tech tips as they become available will be posted here.
Howdy all, I hope everyone is having a great weekend. I have a 2010 Dyna Superglide and had a question about higher speeds and the front end moving around. I took my bike out today and hoped on the interstate. The TW-222 cams and FM tune make the bike sooooo fun. I got up to 90mph rather quickly. Once I reached 90mph, the front end started to move left to right ever so slightly. This was on a non-grooved road. It wasn't a wobble, but just a slight left to right back and forth movement. My other bike is a Yamaha XSR900 and it does the same thing but above 130mph. I wanted some feedback if this was normal or is something off on my bike? As always, thank you in advance for your help.
1. When was the last time the neck bearings were serviced/adjusted.
2. When was the last time your rear fork bushings/bearings were looked at.
3. Check your motor mounts.
4. Engine alignment.
5. Wheel bearings checked.
6. All of the above can have an affect on your track, trail, and stability at higher speeds.
7. Any modifications to the front end? Handle bars, wheels, tire size.
NOTE:
The above information, while credible, is worth what you paid for it and should not be considered gospel.
Do due diligence, research and have a H-D Field Service Manual before working on your bike.
You will probably have many opinions and suggestions presented; make sure you research the person providing the helpful information as there are some who provide good information that is useful and some who speak out of other orifices with gibberish. You will figure out this quickly.
1. When was the last time the neck bearings were serviced/adjusted.
2. When was the last time your rear fork bushings/bearings were looked at.
3. Check your motor mounts.
4. Engine alignment.
5. Wheel bearings checked.
6. All of the above can have an affect on your track, trail, and stability at higher speeds.
7. Any modifications to the front end? Handle bars, wheels, tire size.
NOTE:
The above information, while credible, is worth what you paid for it and should not be considered gospel.
Do due diligence, research and have a H-D Field Service Manual before working on your bike.
You will probably have many opinions and suggestions presented; make sure you research the person providing the helpful information as there are some who provide good information that is useful and some who speak out of other orifices with gibberish. You will figure out this quickly.
The bike only has 2241 miles on it. I put Progressive rear shocks and Progressive HD fork springs with 20wt oil recently. Bike rides great. It just feels at 90mph the front end is hunting around a little. Definitely not a death wobble. Thank you for your awesome response and the technical info 👍
What tires are on it, and are the pressures correct? Also, was the road rutted or crowned?
Brand new front and rear michelin scorcher 31's. Front 36psi rear 40 psi. Im in New Mexico and generally our roads are garbage. Thank you for your response.
Okay, miles does not matter. Bike is still 15 years old and rubber components dry out, always good to inspect to ensure they are in good shape.
By putting new rear shocks on and front fork springs you may have changed the rake and trail a bit so the tracking is not the same.
Are the rear shocks the same length as the OEM or longer/shorter?
Also fork oil weight /springs may cause the front end to react differently to road surface conditions that were not apparent with the OEM springs and fork oil. I think OEM fork oil is either 5W or 10W.
As you said, not a death wobble situation but even minor changes can affect handling/tracking. And don't rule out the tires if they are original as they may contribute to handling issues if they are over 5 years old. Tar snakes, ect. can also have an adverse affect on how the front tire tracks.
Okay, miles does not matter. Bike is still 15 years old and rubber components dry out, always good to inspect to ensure they are in good shape.
By putting new rear shocks on and front fork springs you may have changed the rake and trail a bit so the tracking is not the same.
Are the rear shocks the same length as the OEM or longer/shorter?
Also fork oil weight /springs may cause the front end to react differently to road surface conditions that were not apparent with the OEM springs and fork oil. I think OEM fork oil is either 5W or 10W.
As you said, not a death wobble situation but even minor changes can affect handling/tracking. And don't rule out the tires if they are original as they may contribute to handling issues if they are over 5 years old. Tar snakes, ect. can also have an adverse affect on how the front tire tracks.
Probably more information than you wanted but you asked. Okay Edit, I see you have new tires.
The front and rear tires are brand new michelin scorcher 31. Front is at 36psi and rear is at 40psi. Rear shocks are factory length with heavy duty springs. Front and rear engine mounts are both in good shape. Stupid question, is 90mph fast for a Harley? I still had one more gear and the engine wasn't straining at all. Maybe I need to try some other stretches of road, lol.
Brand new front and rear michelin scorcher 31's. Front 36psi rear 40 psi. Im in New Mexico and generally our roads are garbage. Thank you for your response.
I'm not familiar with those tires, they're not radials are they?. But instead of going by the Harley recommended pressure, try a couple pounds lower to get more rubber on the road.
I'm not familiar with those tires, they're not radials are they?. But instead of going by the Harley recommended pressure, try a couple pounds lower to get more rubber on the road.
before you do any ripping apart, do a fall away test. the ole single ball necks if not maintained can have rust issues but the newer sealed bearings not so much.
some shake is normal due to like mentioned, tires and balance but do not rule out windage especially with wide front ends. often times a stabilizer is added.
on the old machines especially the sportster, there was a friction adjustment system, very helpful on a track.
there is an option to use tapered bearings where preload can be set.
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Okay Edit, I see you have new tires.
