Unstable at Highway Speeds
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,109
Likes: 9
From: Connecticut
I have noticed that my Heritage is much more touchy at speed than my Limited. That being said, it is probably partly your issue. Loosen up on the bars and relax. Newer riders can really put to much effort into holding onto the bars. As said earlier the bike acts like a gyroscope. It wants to go straight. If there is an issue with stability it is usually rider error.
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 95
Likes: 6
From: Lafayette, LA
I agree with Badlands, if you grip the bars too tight or you are real tense it will feel real unstable at speed. The bars I would check the riser bushings the stock rubber ones crush and the bars will twist to one side. Change them to the poly bushings and you will be happier
And I did have the windshield on for this trip. At that speed it makes riding much easier!
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Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
From: Florida
Next time you ride see if you notice yourself gripping on the throttle tighter than your grip on the left side. You may be putting more pressure against or pulling the right side of the bar toward you.
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 107
Likes: 0
From: Allendale, Mi
I have a 09 and when I first rode on the highway it felt very unstable. As I started to relax it changed a lot. I was fighting the bike making it unstable. A quick and easy way to check the spokes is to tap them with a wrench and listen to the noise. A loose one will thunk instead of ping. you will hear the difference if some are loose. Ride safe
I experienced the same thing with my 2007 NT last year. It was my first street bike, first season riding. Bike has solid rims so I know it's not the spokes. Bike came with drag bars, which I ride with for a while but, since it was new to me I didn't go that fast on the highway. I added 14" apes and changed the bushings mid season; this is when I began to notice the wobble at higher speeds. I've asked several shops about it. Some say it could be the fall away, others say the neck bearings, some say it's my body acting like a parachute with the new apes.
I'll see how it feels this year and monitor the issue.
I'll see how it feels this year and monitor the issue.
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Road Warrior
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,593
Likes: 11
From: Mass/NH
Welcome to the crew! Good folks and info here. Hey, just for the heck of it, check or better yet, change your wheel bearings. Starting in 08 (same year as my bike, same issue) , the bearings are smaller in size/width, manufactured badly and seem to fail a lot. I bought my bike new, garaged, rarely ridden in any rain and had 2 wheel bearing failures the first 13 k miles (one at 6 k and next 7 k later...at 65 mph...). You can buy and have installed quality, safe bearings by Timken or All *****, etc. for 25 bucks for full set of bearings and 10 bucks a wheel to install. Cheap life insurance...My second failure at speed did 1200 bucks other damage to the bike and almost made me crash...common issue with 08 and above, do a search...Enjoy and ride safe.
Has the suspension been lowered front or rear? If just one or the other was done, or not adjusted properly, it will affect the trail and change how the bike handles. I can feel a difference in handling just raising or lowering the rear 1/4".