Bike wobbles on decel...
Banned
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,997
Likes: 0
From: Somewhere in NE PA
RE: Bike wobbles on decel...
My Bagger did this and I chased it for an entire riding season. I went through each and everything one at a time. In the end it was a bad front tire. The tread was fine but was feathered.[
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3rd Gear
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 7
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From:
RE: Bike wobbles on decel...
My '05 Heritage did the same thing. Scary feeling! Here is what it was.
Loose spokes on the rear wheel. HD Service told me once one or two spokes loosen up others start to progressively loosen up over time. They removed the wheel...true'ed it up....no more wobble. Have them check the spokes!
Loose spokes on the rear wheel. HD Service told me once one or two spokes loosen up others start to progressively loosen up over time. They removed the wheel...true'ed it up....no more wobble. Have them check the spokes!
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 360
Likes: 0
From: Louisville, KY
RE: Bike wobbles on decel...
My '06 Heritage had a bad wheel and the spokes would not stay tight. After they came loose a few times the dealer finally replaced the wheel under Warranty. Haven't had a problem with the new wheel's spokes.
Good advice above...I bet it turns out to be either tire pressure or your tires aren't balanced. If you have 15,000 miles you probably recently replaced your back tire right?
Good advice above...I bet it turns out to be either tire pressure or your tires aren't balanced. If you have 15,000 miles you probably recently replaced your back tire right?
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,881
Likes: 7
From: North Georgia
RE: Bike wobbles on decel...
I'm watching this thread with anticipation of shared wisdom that so many threads on so many other topics all reveal.
This one has some views that are making me go uhm.....
I have a decel wabble that appears from any gear, when the speed starts slowing to 40mph. Not touching the brakes (so it ain't a rotor), as the bike passes its way down through 40mph I must hang onto the bars. If I let go of the bars, I get a wicked shimmy in the front-end.
With that said, I don't get ANY symptoms if I pull-in on the clutch and pass through that speed out of gear. This is telling me that it isn't a wheel alignment, wheel balance, wheel bearing, fork-nut anything, or a tire going bad. Any of those culprits wouldn't care about being in neutral or not.
My indy guy test drove the bike (at my request) atmy 5k service interval and equally agreed that wheels, fork, or tire issues would reveal the same problem out of gear as they would in-gear.
I mentioned that I had read (on this forum) that the primary chain tensioner could be leaving the chain too loose and asked if he could check that. I didn't physically see him check that for me, but he said he did when I came back to pick up the bike and that there were no issues or problems found under the cover.
My indy guys said that this is a symptom of torque and Harley's imperfect frames. Possibly more unique on these new (altered) Fatboy frames. I'm not saying that is what any of you have (or had), and certainly different issues can manifest is similar ways.
I simply suggest that all conditions get mentally noted. If any of your symptoms go away after pulling in on the clutch, I think you are in my club. I now have almost 10k miles on the clock and still have the exact same issue. I'm just learning to live with it until I hear otherwise.
Cheers!
This one has some views that are making me go uhm.....
I have a decel wabble that appears from any gear, when the speed starts slowing to 40mph. Not touching the brakes (so it ain't a rotor), as the bike passes its way down through 40mph I must hang onto the bars. If I let go of the bars, I get a wicked shimmy in the front-end.
With that said, I don't get ANY symptoms if I pull-in on the clutch and pass through that speed out of gear. This is telling me that it isn't a wheel alignment, wheel balance, wheel bearing, fork-nut anything, or a tire going bad. Any of those culprits wouldn't care about being in neutral or not.
My indy guy test drove the bike (at my request) atmy 5k service interval and equally agreed that wheels, fork, or tire issues would reveal the same problem out of gear as they would in-gear.
I mentioned that I had read (on this forum) that the primary chain tensioner could be leaving the chain too loose and asked if he could check that. I didn't physically see him check that for me, but he said he did when I came back to pick up the bike and that there were no issues or problems found under the cover.
My indy guys said that this is a symptom of torque and Harley's imperfect frames. Possibly more unique on these new (altered) Fatboy frames. I'm not saying that is what any of you have (or had), and certainly different issues can manifest is similar ways.
I simply suggest that all conditions get mentally noted. If any of your symptoms go away after pulling in on the clutch, I think you are in my club. I now have almost 10k miles on the clock and still have the exact same issue. I'm just learning to live with it until I hear otherwise.
Cheers!
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,096
Likes: 1
From: Sycamore, Illinois
RE: Bike wobbles on decel...
That's what get's me, if I had an untrue wheel or out of balance wheel or low tires, it would or should wobble when I pull the clutch in. But it only wobbles when say I'm doing 40 in fourth or fifth and deceling to the point that I should or could be downshifting. If I give it some throttle it stops. It wobbles while coasting, not when there is any torqueor reverse torque on the engine. This tells me it's in the drive train. Unless when it is so neutralit is causing the steering neck to causethis as another poster said. I'm not looking for a high dollar fix for this, I'm hoping for something simple. Thanks for all the replys...
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 845
Likes: 0
From: Just south of Chicago, Illinois
RE: Bike wobbles on decel...
My bike started doing this at 5k miles and it was the spokes. Thousand miles later it did it again. The problem is riding the bike hard, riding 2 up and riding with a lot of weight (baggers and heavier bikes). I was told to switch to a solid wheel in the back. I've got a fatboy wheel that I'm getting chromed. It'll eliminate the problem completely.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 786
Likes: 1
From: Sheridan, AR
RE: Bike wobbles on decel...
I had this problem and it turned out to be that the fall away needed to be adjusted, in fact the way my mech checks the fall away is to allow the bike to decel from 40 to 30 mph with no hands on the bars if it wobbels they tighten up the head bearings a little bit and re-test. Simply pulling in the clutch may put enough force on the bars to negate the wobble and make it unnoticable. It is possible that there is somthing else wrong causing the problem, but this is where I would put my money. Oh andthis is not a symptom of torque and Harley's imperfect frames as stated above, I am riding my second Fat Boy my first was an 04 now I ride an 07, both have had this exact problem when the fall away needed adjusted. If you do this yourself, I recomend following the fall away procedures, and useing the test ride procedure to fine tune the bearings. Be sure not to over tighten the head bearings, it will cause excessive wear, and adverse handleing.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,881
Likes: 7
From: North Georgia
RE: Bike wobbles on decel...
ORIGINAL: 1Coastie
I had this problem and it turned out to be that the fall away needed to be adjusted, in fact the way my mech checks the fall away is to allow the bike to decel from 40 to 30 mph with no hands on the bars if it wobbels they tighten up the head bearings a little bit and re-test. Simply pulling in the clutch may put enough force on the bars to negate the wobble and make it unnoticable. It is possible that there is somthing else wrong causing the problem, but this is where I would put my money. Oh andthis is not a symptom of torque and Harley's imperfect frames as stated above, I am riding my second Fat Boy my first was an 04 now I ride an 07, both have had this exact problem when the fall away needed adjusted. If you do this yourself, I recomend following the fall away procedures, and useing the test ride procedure to fine tune the bearings. Be sure not to over tighten the head bearings, it will cause excessive wear, and adverse handleing.
I had this problem and it turned out to be that the fall away needed to be adjusted, in fact the way my mech checks the fall away is to allow the bike to decel from 40 to 30 mph with no hands on the bars if it wobbels they tighten up the head bearings a little bit and re-test. Simply pulling in the clutch may put enough force on the bars to negate the wobble and make it unnoticable. It is possible that there is somthing else wrong causing the problem, but this is where I would put my money. Oh andthis is not a symptom of torque and Harley's imperfect frames as stated above, I am riding my second Fat Boy my first was an 04 now I ride an 07, both have had this exact problem when the fall away needed adjusted. If you do this yourself, I recomend following the fall away procedures, and useing the test ride procedure to fine tune the bearings. Be sure not to over tighten the head bearings, it will cause excessive wear, and adverse handleing.
BTW....my indy called Harley's frames imperfect because he has had several frames delivered to his shop that aparently weren't right. I know that I am not in any position to redesign MoCo's 105 years of distilling perfection, soI don't mean to imply that HD does anything substandard. I love my FB and my wife says she'll bury it with me someday. Hee hee.
[sm=icon_cheers.gif]
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 610
Likes: 0
From: Milwaukee, Wi....Land of the Free
RE: Bike wobbles on decel...
This all great info as my bike also wobbles at exactly ( Heritage)40 miles an hour. I have even had one mechanic tell me it was how the windshield was mounted on the handlebars! [sm=wtf.gif]