2018 Fatbob Front Wheel Hop
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Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 27
Likes: 7
From: Maine
2018 Fatbob Front Wheel Hop
Took my bike in yesterday for what appears to be a front tire out of balance.
I also had my 1000 mile service due and heated grips installed which was part of my sale when purchased..
Everything went great except for the fix of the wheel balance issue.
They checked the tire for balance which was fine. They test drove the bike and could feel what I was feeling. They replaced the front tire, but it was still there. The symptoms are from approx 48mph up through 56mph, you get an out of balance feel, like the front wheel is hopping down the road. The dealer wants to call Harley first thing Monday and see what they say.....they also said the only thing left is the wheel itself is not right.
Wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem and if so, what was the cure?
I also had my 1000 mile service due and heated grips installed which was part of my sale when purchased..
Everything went great except for the fix of the wheel balance issue.
They checked the tire for balance which was fine. They test drove the bike and could feel what I was feeling. They replaced the front tire, but it was still there. The symptoms are from approx 48mph up through 56mph, you get an out of balance feel, like the front wheel is hopping down the road. The dealer wants to call Harley first thing Monday and see what they say.....they also said the only thing left is the wheel itself is not right.
Wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem and if so, what was the cure?
Last edited by 2018FatBob; Jul 8, 2018 at 06:12 AM.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 280
Likes: 103
From: Manitoba
I had this same issue. Dealer worked on the bike for a few hours.. twice. In my case the front tire balanced properly, but was actually out of round. The sidewall was slightly taller in one area.
Id bet that while good side to side your wheel is out of round.
Id bet that while good side to side your wheel is out of round.
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Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2017
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From: Maine
well my other half has been a machinist for almost 40 years.....he got his indicator and checked the wheel, just to rule it out.....
well the wheel is out .03 on the radial, and .04 on the lateral. So whoever machined the wheel messed it up.
Waiting to call the dealer tomorrow morning.......
well the wheel is out .03 on the radial, and .04 on the lateral. So whoever machined the wheel messed it up.
Waiting to call the dealer tomorrow morning.......
Last edited by 2018FatBob; Jul 8, 2018 at 09:39 AM.
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 343
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I had the same issue. Searched in vain for the culprit in the front end.
I put a dial indicator on everything in the front end...then the rear end. Once I got to the rear tire, I had the culprit dead to rights.
These M8 Softails seem especially sensitive when it comes to out of round tires. Probably because there is a very noticeable lack of vibration from the bike, as a whole...
I put a dial indicator on everything in the front end...then the rear end. Once I got to the rear tire, I had the culprit dead to rights.
These M8 Softails seem especially sensitive when it comes to out of round tires. Probably because there is a very noticeable lack of vibration from the bike, as a whole...
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,851
Likes: 420
From: Santa Fe NM
Mine does the same thing and dealer "can't find anything wrong with it nor can they feel it" according to them. It starts to really vibrate and shake around at higher speeds (over 85). Going back to dealer for this and another new issue that popped up after the 1000 Mi service. I now have a grinding noise that I can hear and feel in the pegs. It only happens when slowly rolling at 8-6 MPH when coming to a stop or if I roll on a slight downhill grade, clutch in, clutch out, in gear or in neutral. The belt tension was adjusted but is super tight now so I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it? Anyway I will let you know what the dealer says about it and the front end hop/shake this time.
Last edited by Bowhunter8607; Jul 9, 2018 at 04:33 PM.
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Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2017
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From: Maine
The dealer got back to me and HD is replacing the wheel. Only issue is that it is backordered
They said they were told about a month, but the dealer said could be sooner........fingers crossed!
They said they were told about a month, but the dealer said could be sooner........fingers crossed!
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Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 27
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From: Maine
What tire do you have? Just curious.....