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Weird front end feeling

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Old Aug 20, 2012 | 08:57 AM
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Default Weird front end feeling

I noticed the other day as I was leaving work(leaning to turn), it felt like the front end slipped on a slick spot, so the next day I parked in a different spot and the exact same thing happened when I left. I stopped a couple of times on the way home and the feeling never happened again. I checked my air pressure and all is good. Any ideas, checked the parking lot and don't see any reason it happened. Gonna have my Indy check the bearing in the front wheel, but since I couldn't get it to repeat, not sure what to look for..


Joe
 
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Old Aug 20, 2012 | 09:14 AM
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Sure it not a tar snake or painted stripe or something?

They use rubberized filler for tar snakes in our area, and when its warm they will make the bike wiggle and it really freaks me sometimes with the slipping, wiggle feeling.
 
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Old Aug 20, 2012 | 09:22 AM
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Same thing happened to me except I was doing about 60 on the highway in the rain and went over a metal expansion joint in a slight lean.
 
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Old Aug 20, 2012 | 09:36 AM
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what its the tire pressure?? try adding a couple psi and see if the issue goes away. This is usually from low tire pressure...
 
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Old Aug 20, 2012 | 10:14 AM
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Something like that happened to me too.. Left the stop sign leaned to turn right and it felt like the front tire slid/bounced straight for about a foot then I turned. All I know is something happened it wasn't just me thinking it because my wife felt it too. I looked back where it happened but didn't see anything obvious on the road... only happened the one time so far.
 
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Old Aug 20, 2012 | 10:17 AM
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Time for new tyres?
 
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Old Aug 20, 2012 | 10:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Very High Plain Drifter
Time for new tyres?
Don't know about the circumstances of the OP.. but when mine did it I only had 800 miles on the bike and checked the pressure the day before....
I contributed the instance to possibly an oily spot on the road since it hasn't done it since.. but who knows. I'll probably never see that exact spot of road ever again so can't say for sure. (we were on a trip to the Tail of the Dragon and this happened while we were in North Carolina)
 
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Old Aug 20, 2012 | 10:33 AM
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Thanks for the input, checked the tire pressure(but am going to do it again with a different gauge). Almost new tires(less than 2000 miles). they did restripe the parking lot a couple of weeks ago, so maybe I hit a slick spot in the paint. Just couldn't recreate the incident anywhere else.
 
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Old Aug 20, 2012 | 10:43 AM
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Whenever my frontend seems to behave differently it is usually easiset to feel on a paved parking lot where it feels like the front wheel will slip if I trun too tight. Every time I find the front tire pressure has dropped to around 25 PSI. Add air and it goes back to normal. Must have something to do wuith the touring rake and trail and the contact patch walking with lower pressure....
 
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Old Aug 20, 2012 | 11:17 AM
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Ok, went out and got air gauges out of the tool box, first one read 36, next one read 34, last one read 35. So aired tire up to 40 psi(gauge on compressor + confirmed with newest gauge). Checked back tire, it read 35 so aired it to 40. I will ride it today and see if when I leave work, I can recreate the feeling. Wouldn't think that small of pressure loss would cause it. Thanks again for the input...

Joe
 
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