2009 Cross Bones Wobble/Shake
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,122
Likes: 4
From: Florida
My brother has an 09 xbones and his rear tire was just replaced but before that it was slicker than owl ***** and it didnt have any wobble in the front end at any speed. I agree with the previous post I would get the front tire rebalanced you probably threw a wheel wieght.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,395
Likes: 153
From: Utah
Many people don't realize that a bad rear wheel (bent rim, bad tire wear, misaligned, broken or loose spokes, bad wheel bearings) can cause a front end shake on a bike.
Same list for the front.
Neck bearings/fall off improperly adjusted.
Worn swing arm bushings.
Loose axle/belt tension adjusters.
Beer.
C#
Same list for the front.
Neck bearings/fall off improperly adjusted.
Worn swing arm bushings.
Loose axle/belt tension adjusters.
Beer.
C#
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 315
Likes: 3
From: WV
i bought the bike from an indy shop..it had around 5000 miles i believe last march! For whatever reason i trust this guy. He said they did a whole tune up as stated in the manual at 5000 miles. He said the springer was serviced etc.. He is the one that mentioned the rear tire being worn out and it would be a good idea to stay with the dunlop since the front tire was still pretty good....guess i will change it out and go from their!
Tourer
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 324
Likes: 8
From: Florida
definitely check neck bearings. My SG when 16K miles had the front end vibrating excessively, negotiating turns different, and even riding in strong wind became ridiculous. Found out neck bearings were several x out of spec. Adjusted and rode like new. Techs are supposed to check them during any service.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,054
Likes: 26
From: Florida
I worn three rear tires down till they look like racing slicks and I have never had the front wobbly as a result of it.
To answer one of your questions; NO. The fact that it's a Springer doesn't make it normal so something is in fact wrong. Mine rides smooth and I can even let go of the bars at any speed and she rides true and straight (not that I make a habit of letting go of the bars but I have done so at times just to see how the front end reacts when I let it go. And even then I am just opening my hands to release the grip on my bars and not moving my hands away.)
I've had wobbly in the front and in one case it was a wheel out of round. The dealership trued it for me under warranty and the problem was solved. Another time it was the neck bearings. In my case, they were bad and not just improperly adjusted. Again, the shop replaced the neck bearing under warranty. Problem solved. Otherwise I have not had these issues anymore. Also, I am still on my original front tire which now has 31K miles on it and although it is finally looking like I may need to replace it in the near future, my bike doesn't really seem to be riding any worse for it.
To answer one of your questions; NO. The fact that it's a Springer doesn't make it normal so something is in fact wrong. Mine rides smooth and I can even let go of the bars at any speed and she rides true and straight (not that I make a habit of letting go of the bars but I have done so at times just to see how the front end reacts when I let it go. And even then I am just opening my hands to release the grip on my bars and not moving my hands away.)
I've had wobbly in the front and in one case it was a wheel out of round. The dealership trued it for me under warranty and the problem was solved. Another time it was the neck bearings. In my case, they were bad and not just improperly adjusted. Again, the shop replaced the neck bearing under warranty. Problem solved. Otherwise I have not had these issues anymore. Also, I am still on my original front tire which now has 31K miles on it and although it is finally looking like I may need to replace it in the near future, my bike doesn't really seem to be riding any worse for it.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,891
Likes: 54
From: Mansfield, MA
well, i am going to be digging into this a bit more..when i called them a while back, they claimed it coud be a WORN OUT REAR TIRE..Which it is..it shot..just ordered the one on special from dennis kirk..the fron looks to be ok..tire pressure was good when i checked as well..
anyone ever have a front end shake from a bad REAR tire?
anyone ever have a front end shake from a bad REAR tire?
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Tourer
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 336
Likes: 0
From: PNW
The neck bearing check is part of the scheduled maintenance (2500, 5000, 7500, 10000, etc.) for Springers. It's called "Fall Away". If they did your 5000 mile service following Harley's recommendations like you said in the first post, they should have checked it, just like they should have checked the spokes. If you have still only put on about 100 miles since the service, they should check both of those for you for free (they don't take long). If they charge you, won't be more than 0.5 - 1.0 hour of labor. But they shouldn't charge you.