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I had mounted an old style fiberglass batwing to my FLHP and noticed a front end wobble when decelerating if I took my hands off the wheels. It was much worse with the ex GF on back fully loaded. I think HD has shifted the center of gravity on these bikes back just a wee bit in an attempt to add leg room. I know on my 1988 FLHS I sit further forward than on the new bike.
Fast forward to this weekend. I have a Woody's fairing I'm going to install shortly, so I removed the old fiberglass batwing and the trunk and put the windshield back on. Went for a ride and POOF! Stable as a rock with no wobble hands free.
So I was contemplating a steering neck adjustment before this, but now I'm gonna out a few more miles on to see how she handles as is, then check again with the new fairing before I do anything.
I installed my new Woody's fairing this past weekend and did a road test, once again without the trunk and GF on back. The bike was rock solid stable with no hands on the bars at any speed. This has me more convinced that the extra weight of a passenger and trunk move the CG back just a wee bit on the newer framed baggers and under the right circumstances it will produce a wobble.
I guess the real test is fully loaded......I'll post when I do that.
I had the same problem...took some persistence at the shop, but did find both the steering column and the rear wheel frame pivot point bearings loose - once tightened, perfect!
G~
I had the same problem...took some persistence at the shop, but did find both the steering column and the rear wheel frame pivot point bearings loose - once tightened, perfect!
G~
Resurrecting a nearly 8 year old thread, w0oT! I guess better than starting a new one....
BUT at 40, and ONLY at 40, the bike is fine with two hands on the grips, one hand on a grip, one FINGER on a grip, but when I let go, it develops a slight "wobble" in the bars, that worsens to the point that if I didn't grab it again, I'd be lost.
You may not ever beat that one. It's nearly universal to all bikes, especially if the bike is decelerating. Some have had some success with the steering head bearings, usually making them tighter. But plenty claim the exact opposite, saying loosening them helped. Personally, I found tightening to help, but it did tend to increase s slower high speed wiggle/wobble/weave.Others claim improvement with a steering damper. In my limited experience with them (BMW air head, adjust on the fly), it really worked well, even at the very lightest setting.But the free fix as you've observed, keep s hand on the bars. At least a finger.
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