I turned my 2016 Fatboy S into a bagger
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,160
Likes: 11,249
From: San Diego, CA
I turned my 2016 Fatboy S into a bagger Everything was going good till I put a SMT Machine 26 inch front tire on now my bike is starting to wobble around 75 to 85 MPH I am currently getting a steering dampener on and I put in thicker fork oil and that helped, does anyone have any other ideas?
Just changing the fork oil and/or adding a steering dampener, I believe is only going to cover the symptoms of a bigger problem.
You don't mention anything about changing your trail/rake to accommodate the bigger front wheel. It appears you didn't account for the change in geometry, when you put the big front wheel on. Now you are getting a physics lesson on rake & trail, via the wobble in your front end.
Adding a bigger tire will change those often ignored, but very important terms: trail & rake. I suggest you google the terms and learn a little about how they affect your steering. Then search out a shop experienced in big front wheel swaps and get their input.... you probably need front end adjustments to make it ride right
I have no experience with the big front tire fad, kinda think it looks silly. In the past, I've ridden a couple choppers. The old long, raked front end choppers (yeah, I now think they look a little silly too).... they can be done right and handle rather well, or they can be just slapped together (without managing trail & rake) and be nightmares to ride... I suspect the big front tire mod is similar...
A high speed front end wobble can be dangerous... for your safety, get this fixed sooner rather than later..
Good luck and keep us posted on the final fix...
Last edited by hattitude; Jul 23, 2019 at 09:27 AM.
Your issue is being caused by too little trail. The larger front wheel had raised the axle, changed the rake, and reduced your trail. This is a serious condition that can cause a fatal crash.
Use this tool, and check to see for yourself:
Trail calculator
To correct this, you'll either have to change the rake in your neck, trees, or both. Or go to a 21" wheel to keep the "big wheel" look. Good luck and keep us posted.
Use this tool, and check to see for yourself:
Trail calculator
To correct this, you'll either have to change the rake in your neck, trees, or both. Or go to a 21" wheel to keep the "big wheel" look. Good luck and keep us posted.
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