head shake?
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 12,653
Likes: 18
From: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
IMHO, with laced wheels, the spokes should be tested for tightness more often than you check your air pressure. Especially on bikes as heavy as these are. It doesn't take much to get them to loosen up.
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 98
Likes: 8
From: NorthEastern Pa.
Just an update,
Bike is running fine and I've done some really nice trips with it, Man I'm glad I went with this bike, The FXDWG was a really cool bike but I felt like my range was soo limited.
Anyway back on topic.. My buddy bought the same bike a few weeks before me and I told him about the loose spokes. I racked up more miles than him quickly. By the time he had about 350 miles, he called me and said the same thing happened to him. It started shaking, he took it to the dealer and they tightened all the loose spokes on the back. Looks like it was just a fluke with only a few bikes, but something to look for if you recently purchased the 2012 classic.
Bike is running fine and I've done some really nice trips with it, Man I'm glad I went with this bike, The FXDWG was a really cool bike but I felt like my range was soo limited.
Anyway back on topic.. My buddy bought the same bike a few weeks before me and I told him about the loose spokes. I racked up more miles than him quickly. By the time he had about 350 miles, he called me and said the same thing happened to him. It started shaking, he took it to the dealer and they tightened all the loose spokes on the back. Looks like it was just a fluke with only a few bikes, but something to look for if you recently purchased the 2012 classic.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,865
Likes: 168
From: Potsdam, NY
Cruisers have really relaxed steering geometry so a steering damper does not help. It could be a number of things, worn steering bearings (most likely), weird wear on the front tire, or on some models play in the rear end suspension (likely) - there are after market rear suspension braces that claim to help this although I have no experience with them. With your front end raised grab the forks at the lowest point and yank in different directions, their should be ZERO movement or play, if there is you need new bearings - 1mm of movement is too much. Check for lateral play in the rear suspension using the same technique.
Last edited by fat_tony; Sep 24, 2011 at 02:31 PM.
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