Wheel wobble... is this normal?
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Tourer
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Vancouver, WA
Wheel wobble on decel... this isn't normal, is it?
I just took a ride on my 2010 FLTRX... while at about 40mph, I lifted my hands slightly above the handle bars and within a few seconds, as the bike decelerated slightly (my hand was just above the throttle) the front wheel started to wobble, increasingly. Not good! It stopped immediately when my hands went back on the bars. I tried this at higher speeds to see if perhaps that was just an oddity like rough pavement or something and at around 60 and 70... the wheel didn't have a tendency to wobble when I loosened my grip on the bars. Then tested it again at slower speeds and the wobble tendency was still there.
I know that speed and acceleration has a tendency to stabilize a bike and that deceleration has a tendency to destabilize a bike (gyroscopic behavior)... but this wobble doesn't seem right, even at slower speeds while decelerating.
This never happened on my last bike (RK Custom-I could almost ride that with no handle bar contact without any wobble happening) so it seems like it really shouldn't be doing this. Should it? What would the most likely reasons be for this?
I know that speed and acceleration has a tendency to stabilize a bike and that deceleration has a tendency to destabilize a bike (gyroscopic behavior)... but this wobble doesn't seem right, even at slower speeds while decelerating.
This never happened on my last bike (RK Custom-I could almost ride that with no handle bar contact without any wobble happening) so it seems like it really shouldn't be doing this. Should it? What would the most likely reasons be for this?
Last edited by DHart; Mar 14, 2010 at 10:30 PM.
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Tourer
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Vancouver, WA
DTTJGlide... yes, I'm planning to get the bike to the dealer ASAP. Thank you.
Tourer
Joined: May 2009
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From: Born and raised in the Ohio.
My 2009 didnt wobble at all, until I put a 21" on the front... then when I took it back to the Stealer they said it was the Wheel...
Not...! Then I took it to my long time Buddy who has been a Harley Certified Mechanic for 21 years now. He said its the steering head...?they check and tighten(adjust)at a certain service interval. But remember here, my bike had less than 1000 miles on it! Anyway... the way they check this certain thing is they check your front end swing...He said your forks should swing to the left once and then back to the right once and pretty much stop after that. He said mine swong 6 times one way and back! So he tightened (adjusted whatever) and everything is Good!But dont forget what my Stealer told me that I bought the bike from... "Its the Wheel ya put on there!" LOL! 
Mechanic said he didnt think it was the wheel... he said it was loose from the Factory... I agree! But then again it only shook @ 45 to 50 mph!
Not...! Then I took it to my long time Buddy who has been a Harley Certified Mechanic for 21 years now. He said its the steering head...?they check and tighten(adjust)at a certain service interval. But remember here, my bike had less than 1000 miles on it! Anyway... the way they check this certain thing is they check your front end swing...He said your forks should swing to the left once and then back to the right once and pretty much stop after that. He said mine swong 6 times one way and back! So he tightened (adjusted whatever) and everything is Good!But dont forget what my Stealer told me that I bought the bike from... "Its the Wheel ya put on there!" LOL! Mechanic said he didnt think it was the wheel... he said it was loose from the Factory... I agree! But then again it only shook @ 45 to 50 mph!
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Tourer
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Vancouver, WA
Last edited by DHart; Mar 15, 2010 at 02:34 AM.
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 294
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From: Powderly TEXAS
Check your pressure in your front tire. My 09 EG did the same exact thing. Air pressure was almost ten pounds low. Didn't look low but the gauge said it was. Aired it up to about 38psi. No more shaking. My shaking happened at 35 mph and less. I bet you will find your air is low.
Last edited by Devil Dog; Mar 15, 2010 at 02:24 AM. Reason: mispelled word
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