Sensitive steering and high speed wobble

New to the darkside with a GYTT. Last week rode 500 miles, this weekend another 500. I have a high speed wobble that starts at 90 and very sensitive steering at all speeds, feels like the rear end of the bike want to brake loose or come out from under me. When going over some dips, paving changes or even the reflective lane markers it sometimes feels very unstable. Everything is tight, rear tire at 41psi, front at 40. Suggestions were to start to look for remedies?

streering stem tight?

How did you have the tires balanced?

Mileage/condition of front tire?

MODS to the bike?

Do you have aftermarket trees?

Don't know what kind of bike you have but I have the same problem with the road surfaces if I run above 34psi.In my rear tire.Mine is an 05 nomad with 205-60-16 GYTT and metzler 880 on the front.I weigh 160,apparently from what I read from other members The weight thing is the determing factor that lets me do good with the lower tire pressure.You might want to give it a try.Are you running dynabeads for balance? I normaly run 32 psi. rear and 40 psi. front.RIDE SAFE Larry S.

Air pressure first.

Check your shock bushings, These have been a big culprit in the past.

Steering stem bearings are another culprit.

Load (weight) distribution is another.

Good luck

See you out there
Smokey

I have a VTX 1800N. Tires have been balanced, but I have Dynabeads ordered and should be here anyday now. I am running a Metz front tire and it is very good condition. Progressive 440HD shocks are also brand new. Stock trees with the steering stem bearings that were just checked, with no play in the bearings. It was not noticable last weekend while riding 2 up, but I really felt it this weekend riding solo. I weigh 325 so I figured 41psi was a good starting point for pressure. If it's the tire pressure that causes such a wobble then I am back to a MCT. No matter what pressure I had in a MCT it never created a wobble, are the CT's so pressure sensitive?

Check your shock bushings, they do become much more noticable with the CT. The original rubber bushings wear out very badly but don't seem to show themselves on the MT.

Dave

Some guys have found the windshield angle and having lowers or not effects the handling of the bike with the car tire because of the added force of the wind pushing at 90 +mph and how you load the bike has the same effect.

I think the car tire because of the high grip makes the rest of you bike more sensitive, I know I can feel and ride more confident because the feel I have while riding with the car tire!

...........................bobby



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Can't speak for all but yes mine is that pressure sensitive although it is not a problem once I found the sweet spot on pressure.I sure enjoy the better ride and added traction in all weather conditions.RIDE SAFE Larry S.

Play with the air pressue. I had mine low, around 35 and slow corning felt very wierd. Went up to 42 and all is well.

Those surfaces, you'll feel much more with the large contact patch. I remember when I first started there was some grooved (serpentine) pavement in two places on my way home. At about 35, the tire would "catch the harmonics" and I'd really feel it! Felt like teh tire was going to fall off. Finally put two and two together. You'll feel this same sensation on grated bridge surfaces with a motorcycle tire. But because of the large contact patch of the CT, you will feel this sensation on much more subtle surfaces. Just get used to it. It actually aids in your riding later on.

I bumped the shocks up with a little more preload and checked the rear tire pressure,it was at 38, increased it to 41 and went for a ride. It was a little better but I didn't take it up to 100 to check for the wobble. I guess I still need to get used to the overall ride with the larger contact patch of a CT. The high speed wobble is my real concern. Every once in awhile I do take it up past 100 and before this I have been up to 123 with no wobble.(It's a 1800, just too easy to run that fast when your on a road far from anything riding with your buddy on a Harley Ultra ) Let's see what happens once I put the beads in front and rear. Should there be 2 ounces in the front and 3 in the rear?
BTW, thanks to everyone with the suggestions.

DBoyz wrote:I bumped the shocks up with a little more preload and checked the rear tire pressure,it was at 38, increased it to 41 and went for a ride. It was a little better but I didn't take it up to 100 to check for the wobble. I guess I still need to get used to the overall ride with the larger contact patch of a CT. The high speed wobble is my real concern. Every once in awhile I do take it up past 100 and before this I have been up to 123 with no wobble.(It's a 1800, just too easy to run that fast when your on a road far from anything riding with your buddy on a Harley Ultra ) Let's see what happens once I put the beads in front and rear. Should there be 2 ounces in the front and 3 in the rear?
BTW, thanks to everyone with the suggestions.

Dboy....you got a windshield....make sure it's in line with the forks and raise and lower it. Doesn't hurt to try!

...............................bobby

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DBoyz,

Yes -- 2 ounces in the front and three in the rear.

I have a 06 1300R and I had the wobble until i changed the stem bearings. The stock bearings weren't tapered so they didn't seat. I had the nuts tight and there was no play but when I changed to the tapered bearings the wobble went away. Another thing that I found out when I first went to the darkside, getting a tire that has been proven is key. I first bought a gillette widetrack, bad mistake. I think toasted, twin, or somebody came up with a list of tires that had been tested. Make sure that the tire you have is rated for the higher speeds, the tire I had was rated for 118 mph but started getting the wobble around 90 mph. Maybe these suggestions will help. If not, the guys on this site are great about giving out tech support to help you dial the bike in like you want. Be safe until you get it right! TJ

Can't really get any movement from the windshield, it's a Switchblade with lowers, once mounted there is no adjustment. I can take it off and try without it.
About the steering stem bearings, the 1800 comes with the tapered bearings and I actually just checked the play according to the Honda repair manual and there was 2 pounds of pull to move the forks, which is right within spec.
The tire itself is a Goodyear Triplethread which seems to be one of best to use for my application.

Shock bushings, shock bushing shock bushings.

Just sayin.


See you out there
Smokey

+1 with Smokey, you don't even have to take off the shock, just take out the bolt and look to see if there is a gap between the pin and the rubber bushing. If you see a gap replace.

Dave

DBoyz wrote:Can't really get any movement from the windshield, it's a Switchblade with lowers, once mounted there is no adjustment. I can take it off and try without it.
About the steering stem bearings, the 1800 comes with the tapered bearings and I actually just checked the play according to the Honda repair manual and there was 2 pounds of pull to move the forks, which is right within spec.
The tire itself is a Goodyear Triplethread which seems to be one of best to use for my application.

It's NOT movement of the windshield....It's where it's placed and the air that moves around it when at high speeds that cause a wobble. With the grip of the car tire so great, it makes other things show up! Some guys have adjusted there windshields and the wobble went away. I think that's a good idea to take the windshield off and give it a go and let us know what happens? It will narrow down the to a solution. Keep us in the loop?


..........................bobby

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I changed out my bushings, switched to alls balls bearings. Still had the high speed wobble. Took off the wind shield and lowers and the wobble was gone. readjusted the wind shield and lowers over and over again until it was a slight wobble. dropped 5 lbs of air in the rear tire and no more wobble.....It can be done. Its a nice smooth ride now...

Jerry

just wanted to say good job

Not the shock bushings, the shocks are brand new Progressive 440 HD's and they actually come with urethene bushings,(as they should for the price I paid for those suckers ) not like the rubber stock bushings.

Right now the bike is up on the stand, I'm getting ready to put a new clutch in. Will also put the beads in while I can spin the wheels freely. Will try it out Friday without the shield and see what happens.

Dang come to think about it, I did over 1K miles in the past 8 days, that would be 1/6th of my old 200 Metz's life. The GYTT just barely has the red line worn off.........yippie.

also with the shock bushing, whats the year/mileage on the bike?

'06 with 14K miles.

I was replaceing my shock bushings every 8 k miles. the OEM ones only last about that.
Look and see if they are centered at the eyes.They are probley close to metal to metal.

06 1300s with only 7k but after I put the CT on the rear end tried to dance like it was at the senior prom when I came up behind a truck. The whole rear jerked side to side in the slip stream. Changed out the shock bushings to the nylon ones from McMaster and the rear calmed down, now I can tell a slight wiggle in the front so the all balls is next.

good luck
Dave

I do appreciate all the responses, but maybe I didn't make myself clear.
IT"S NOT THE SHOCK BUSHINGS

There are brand new Progressive 440 shocks on the bike. The bushings on these shocks are actually high quality urethene bushings. Also the VTX 1800 has roller bearings in the neck standard unlike the 1300 which has ball bearings in the neck.