Have you ever experienced high speed wobble with the FLHT? On other forums it seems that happened to many FLHT riders?

 

I've got a RK and Iv'e noticed very little high speed wobble. Now I don't get over a 100 mph very often except a remote pass, but I havn't had the pleasure of the wobble experience except when I created it on purpose. As noted on another forum, I had a riding bud that said he had it badly, but it just appeared that when he felt it he tried to hold it steady which of course multiplies the effect. Ya just cant be fast enought to counter steer the wobble.

Now with that said, if it does become a problem and starts to wobble bigtime, then just loosen your grip on the bars and let the wobble straighten itself out. Sound a bit stupid, but it just works. Learned that from a motorcycle safety class. Also, I may be wrong, but the earlier bike such as the RK had a more flexible frame which may have contributed this additional feature to your ride. Just my 2 cents worth.
Scorpion

 

Hotmetal,

The Scorpion gives sound advice. In my younger, more horsepower-horny days I had an 1100cc crotchrocket with smoothbore carbs, geared down for drag racing, with a quarter-fairing that had wings over the handlebars. After having the engine modded I decided to (What else?) run it through the gears. I was doing about 95mph in third gear and (you guessed it) instant, very violent, speed convulsions that I truly thought was going to disintegrate the motorcycle. This was the first time I had ever experienced such a thing and I momentarily thought, OK, so this is how I'm supposed to die. However, preservation (and pain avoidance) instincts took over and I had enough presence of mind to think...if I maybe SLOWLY back off the throttle my day will go better. For once I made the correct assessment of a very sphincter stimulating situation and the bike slowly came out of its tantrum, settling into a much more sphincter appeasing cruise.
I think the whole experience centered around the aerodynamics of the fairing. I was able to determine, after a subsequent and similar experience (I'm somewhat learning disabled, you see) that this only happened when I had a quartering crosswind from the front. I could otherwise run through the gears to my heart's (and sphincter's) content.
So, the moral of the story is, unless you're trying to improve sphincter muscle tone, try slowly backing off the throttle to alleviate a violent speed wobble. Then find and correct the fundemental cause. As chances are, you'll only want to experience a violent speed wobble once. A minor wobble, no biggie. Big wobble = improved sphincter tone and "blue light special", new underwear shopping spree.

Tom

 

That happened to one of my Dad's friends. I believe he had an FLHT. He was a mechanic and had been doing work on it. Took it out to test it. Was going down a long steep hill into a valley. Got the high speed wobbles and peeled almost every bit of the hide off em'.. Pretty gruesome. I don't know why it happened, just thought I'd share that story.

 

I've seen a lot of posts on other forums, too. Haven't heard anything about the newest models, but earlier year FLHT and similar framed bikes seemed to have a habit of doing it. I heard it from RK riders with no windshields through FL models with batwing fairings, to FLt-types with frame mounted fairings. Most folks think it's related to the frame and front end arrangement. And not everybody experiences it. So I'd say ride 'em and worry about it when it happens!

 

Greetings,
I have an '03 FLHTI. I was heading to Sturgis back in '03. While accelerating to 115, I got the wobble. Scared the living &*%# out of me! I backed off the throttle and it came back. Keep it below the 115!

 

i havent ever had any wheel wobble....although i dont normally ride over 80-90. i do ocassionally bury the speedo, and shes straight on track

 

I have had the wobble on mine at around 120, as in an earlier post there was a quatering wind. i think road condtion and tire condtion can contribute as well. i have had mine weel above 130-140 in a head wind and it was true and steady, Also i think if you hang at the spped where certian harmonics are present it could exagerate the condition. When mine happend i powered thru it and then back down, of course i was under hard excelleration, but i think the knowlege imposed above is what is the best thing to do. if you are easing up on a speed and get the wobbles let it wobble and slow down until it stops.
Chances are that it wont happen twice at the same speed due to differnet conditions. One could always add a steering damper like the used to on the old KZ 750 tripples those things have a wobble that would kill you starting at about 80.

 

Hotmetal,
How many miles are on your bike? I just corrected a wobble at 83-85 on my 96. I feel it was a few worn things making it happen, shocks and stabilizer links. If your shocks spit oil when airing up or down their shot. Also check for slop in the top engine stabilizer link. Stand the bike up, get your right middle finger on the link bolted to the frame behind the air cleaner and shake the bars violently with your left hand. Any percieved motion from that joint and its shot, replace both.

V2

 

mine is a 97, 40,000 miles i hardly go over 90 no problems