2002 RK bought about 6/28/12 with 7000 miles. Now 16,500 miles. Avon Venom in the back and perhaps original Dunlop up front.

Since last fall, when I put on the Venom, and began leaving the windshield on, I have noticed a bit of bagger wobble. Might be cornering faster too. Lately its gotten a little more frequent and longer in duration. One rode, I ride often, has a curve with a bump and it got bad enough there to slow me down from 70 to 60 or 65. Otherwise it hasn’t been too big a deal; occasionally occurring while adjusting my line in fast corners; until Saturday.

Saturday, I went into a familiar left hand curve about 65, 2 up, not near scraping anything and the whole front end began to shake. Not a tank slapper, but a very wtf period of time. I tried to tighten up my line and the bike just went wider, fortunately the curve or wobble ended and we stayed on the road with plenty of margin. Up till then, I have had the utmost confidence in myself and the bike.

I have more to look at on the bike, but what I found so far was both tires at 30 psi and the right front motor mount bolt was not very tight. I tightened it up and put 40 psi in the rear and 35 in the front. (I think I started out running 37 psi in the rear last fall and this spring.) Ran the same curve today solo at 70 with no issue, both directions. Ran some other curves briskly and maybe there was a tiny wobble or just an over active imagination. Rode is closed on the way to where it always happens so PIA to get there.

My gf thinks this was an anomaly helped along by wind. I think it’s time for a Bagger Brace or similar device and our lives, safety and my confidence are worth the $300 or so. I do plan to check my spokes to see if any are loose and check the steering head bearings per the manual and look at front tire balance while there. With just 16K on the bike, I think it’s unlikely there are bearing issues anywhere. Also since the wobble seemed to have gotten worse with time, maybe a tire wear issue or that front motor mount bolt getting progressively looser. A buddy had my torque wrenches until today, so now I can make sure the mount is to spec.

I showed gf this http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...w6QppXnEY#t=14 and she says ours was the front tire and in the video it’s that back tire, by the way, she has only ever been a passenger and I have around 60,000+ miles on bikes but never experienced anything like what happened Saturday.


I think I know the answers, but the questions are can the rear tire excite the front end? Will a brace resolve this? Should I take my wheels in to be trued? I know there will be guys saying new front tire, just cause its 11 years old (maybe) but I plan to run the tread down a bit more and have run 20+ year old tires on a bike I don't ride often. I think the money spent to have trueness checked or new front rubber may not solve this. In a perfect financial world I could do all and have stealership check alignment too, but I’ll need to get the most bang for the buck and that seems a like a brace to me. If that doesn’t solve it, then a Venom for the front.

By the way I have been readinig quite a bit about braces and wobble here since Sunday, no one need post links and say read this. I pretty much have. Maybe gf should, LOL, although I have tried to explain it to her. So comments, thoughts, similar experiences???? In a week, we leave for a long weekend that will include sweepers and twisties that we ran last July on the RK with no issues. I may have to run them a notch down or see what happens, probably some of both.

 

I think you answered your own question..

use a tire pressure gauge

check the machine for loose stuff, often


TCLOCS.... if you don't know what that means, google it


The best ever post here was the guy who wanted to sue Harley cause he wobbled and fell over...15 PSI in the front tire.
no mention of training wheels.


so basically I think you'd do well to get some GOOD matched tires, and do regular checks of the condition of the bike.

the manual will tell you how to check alignment- it is dead easy, you need 2 x 8' flourescent light tubes. place on each side of the rear wheel, extending towards the front and the space between the tubes and the front tire should be same, both sides

Mike

 

Hello Goofy
Its inherent in the design of that bike. I am thinking of getting one about the same age as a second bike. If I were you I would fit tru-track on the front and rear and just enjoy the bike for what it is.
tbone.

 

My 2006 greatly benefitted from a bagger brace. I had similar experiences as you, and the brace fixed 85% of my wobble in turns. Avon venoms fixed the rest.....

 

Tire pressure. 10 psi low doesn't sound like much to some people but if you think about it that's about 25%. Even just a few pounds lows causes all sorts of weird stuff to happen.
Get a stabilizer, I did and it's a different bike now. Rides like it's on rails. Mine's the type that mounts underneath. I got it from someplace on this forum (the manufacturer) for about $140 and it was about 20 minutes work mounting it. You don't need a $400 stabilizer.

 

Since you solved the biggest part of the issue with closer to proper inflation (should be 40 rear, 36 front but I like 40 front and rear normally) I would say (and I say this with near death experience) that the easiest thing to check are your spokes. Tap them and make sure none sound odd. After 2 times of dealing with spokes, once nearly taking me down I got rid of them and put cast wheels on. And running a 20 year old tire is just asking for trouble. I would not recommend mixing bias and radial. That I have seen cause issues on a friends Deuce but not sure about a touring bike. BTW, my bike is an 01 Road King.

 

Goofy, you've committed two sins! Not only have you allowed your tyre pressures to drop to near suicidal levels, but you are also running your rear tyre at incorrect levels. You're not safe to be let out alone!

I have typed more times in here than I care to count, that when using non-stock tyres, check the brand's website for CORRECT pressures. For your Avon Venom that is not 37, nor 40, but 44psi. Check the Dunlop site for the correct front pressure.

Stop guessing and messing and do things right! Take note of all the other comments as well.

 

And upgrade that front tire ASAP. It's likely dry-rotted and so dry it will have no grip or grab in a wet or otherwise slick surface condition. If it slides out on you in a curve it is likely you may not regain control.

 

I hear you all about my front tire, its 11 not 20 yo, no checks or cracks, still old I know. Inflation will be watched more closely as well as TCLOCS. That was new to me, but I will step up where I was weak. Sidewall of my MT90-16 AV72 Cobra (Not Venom) says 837 lbs max at 40 PSI, so 37 to 40 it is. I am still guessing at F/R weight distribution but new estimates say run 40. Probably won't have time to get a brace here before we leave on our trip, so I'll be extra cautious plus check spokes and TCLOCS before we leave, perhaps today. Keep you posted. Thanks for all the input so far.

 

Goofy, you can ask our advice and ignore it if you wish, just don't expect to solve your problem if you do! Get yourself a new set of tyres and use the correct pressures, as per the manufacturer's website.