'06 Front Wheel Oscillation

Woketman · Dec 27, 2010

I have an issue with my '06 FJR1300AE that I'd like some help with. Since I first started riding my FJR (at least since I have had my Audiovox cruise control installed), I have noticed that I can take my hands off of the grips at about 45 mph and there was a very gentle and slight wobble of the handle bars. They would oscillate back and forth very slightly, perhaps a ¼" to ½" deflection. ANY pressure at all was enough to dampen-out this wobble. I never felt threatened at all that it could rapidly build in magnitude and cause an issue. Not that I go around riding without putting my hands of the grips, but the main street just outside my development is a 45 mph speed limit. So I often use the cruise set at that and briefly take my hands off.

Over the last month or two, however, things have changed. Lately the oscillation has slowly become more violent. The frequency appears to be the same, but the magnitude is far greater and rapidly magnifies. I am rather certain that if I did not limit the deflection with my hands, it would become catastrophic within a fraction of a second. As stated, this has slowly grown from the non-issue it used to be to what it is now over the last 90 to 120 days. That seems to indicate that something is wearing or slowly getting out of balance or loosening.

Anyone have a similar experience or an idea what could be the cause? Tire wear looks normal to me (I do however need a new rear time soon, but the wear looks even). The bearings for the forks and the front wheel seem tight, from a casual inspection by hand. The front tire has a wheel weight in place, but I never noticed if it previously had more (no clean spot indicating a departed weight).

I am stumped….. Help!

SkooterG · Dec 27, 2010

Odds are it's the tire. What brand/model is the front tire? How many miles on it? What pressure to you usually run?

This is a common occurrence with certain tires, and due to wear.

builderwill · Dec 27, 2010

Probably a longshot, but have you added a top case or carrying extra stuff in the side cases? I always noticed a front tire wobble or shimmy when I had the rear of my bike loaded up, especially at about that speed.

Woketman · Dec 27, 2010

I am not at home right now, but it is the stock tire (Metzler???). I ususally run the pressure on the frame's label, 39 psi on the front I think? Perhaps a bit more (39 - 41).

Yes, I have a top case, but I have had it for almost a year now and I always leave it on. It most definitely is not due to the empty case, and there appears to be no correlation to the load level in any of the cases.

Woketman · Dec 27, 2010

Oops, I forgot to address the front tire's mileage: about 5400 miles.

lnewlf · Dec 27, 2010

Mine did the same when the stock POS BT020 got to @ 4K. I tightened the steering head bearings slightly and the wobble went away but returned at 5K. Since using PR2 tires [2 sets] the wobble has never returned, regardless of how much the tire was worn.

Fred W · Dec 27, 2010

I don't really see how this is scary. I mean it's not like it's going to break into a tank slapper so long as you are holding onto the bars, right?

Definitely try another tire if it is important to eliminate it. And until you do just remember to keep at least one hand on the bars and you won't be scaring yourself.

PS - the instability that many of us experience when riding with a rear trunk and no passenger only shows up at hyper-legal speeds. Definitely not at 45 mph.

Woketman · Dec 27, 2010

Well, the scariness is primarily in the fact that it is getting worse. No scariness if it stays as is, but when I extrapolate from known data........

edjo69 · Dec 27, 2010

The stock suspension set-up on the FJR eats front tires if you are not vigilante about tire pressure, I know, I killed one in less than 1500 miles from being lazy about checking the pressure, it kills them by scalloping them, once it starts it only gets worse and there is no way to correct a tire already scalloped. As mentioned above start with a fresh front tire and keep up on checking the pressure. Another factor may be if you have the suspension set up a bit out of whack with your riding style, that can eat tires too. The problem is with out the correct set-up and pressure the weight of the bike is simply a tire killer. I had a Gen 1 FZ1 and it had similar tire issues and I was always told "don't take your hands off the bars" which is good advice until you get the issue straightened out!

gumba · Dec 27, 2010

I lived with this head shake for the better part to 39 years, off and on. Recently I did the Penske and fork spring thing with fresh rubber and it reappeared. Started to think front end alignment.

Read on this forum where someone suggested that you tighten the front Axel pinch bolts with the fork tubes completely relaxed. That's where its at. This implies that the front end be jacked up. For 39 years I would compress the forks with the brake on and then with weight on the front tighten the pinch bolts. Hell I'd do this with single caliper front brakes. WRONG Now I compress the forks without the brake and then jack-up and go through the tightening sequence. The Gen2 shop manual goes through an elaborate description of how to tighten those pinch bolts.

Got $100 that says I can take that shake out of your front end in 10 minutes - don't care how loose your steering neck bearing are or how out of balance your tire is.

If I sound over excited, Remember it took me 39 years to get here.

SLK50 · Dec 27, 2010

You can futz around with this forever or you can fix it NOW.

First, get rid of the Metzler tires; try Michelin PR2s or Pirelli Angel STs.

Then, have the steering bearings re-torqued. And by that I don't mean the nut

on top of the triple trees. Refer to the FSM for the proper procedure.

Do these and your wobble should be gone for good.

Queensland Ken · Dec 27, 2010

Steering head bearings.

It was information with in this Forum that helped cure my problem with my 06.

I tried several times to fix the "wobble" in the front end, esp. on de-acceleration.

It turned out that the lower bearing brace was stuffed; it takes most of the weight.

Bought a set of tapered roller bearings from AllBalls, best fix ever.

I was peeved off because the bike was 6 months old and still in warranty but it didn’t cover “bearings”.

I have also heard of a new front tyre that was “out of round” that caused a similar problem.

wfooshee · Dec 27, 2010

Tire. Period.

A it wears its centerline develops an oscillation off of the exact center. Undetectable unless you let it float by letting go of the bars.

Woketman · Dec 27, 2010

My wobble does not seem to be worsened with decelleration. It is definitely there during straight and level cruise, no change in speed.

I am home now and I just checked: I do not have Metzlers, Bridgestones front and back. Are the Bridgestones also known for this? I assume so, as Inewlf said (BT020s).

Is scalloping detectable visually???

Looks like I am tire shopping. Anyone know a good deal on the PR2s???

gumba · Dec 27, 2010

I have an 04 with MEZ-6s on it. The tires are 4 years old with 6k on them. They are a **** tire but the scooter tracks rock solid at 45 mph. The 04 has 87k on it.

I also have an 09 with BT-020s on it. The tires have 5.5k on them. The tires are scalloped, into the ware-bar, and generally look like crap - but the bike tacks rock solid at 45 mph. The 09 has 37k on it.

The point I would make is that the 45 mph head shake is a unique symptom that can easily be confussed with other issues.

Woketman · Dec 27, 2010

So are you saying that it is likely NOT due to the tires???

FJRBluesman · Dec 27, 2010

SkooterG said:
Odds are it's the tire. What brand/model is the front tire? How many miles on it? What pressure to you usually run?

This is a common occurrence with certain tires, and due to wear.

Gunny(1).

builderwill said:
Probably a longshot, but have you added a top case or carrying extra stuff in the side cases? I always noticed a front tire wobble or shimmy when I had the rear of my bike loaded up, especially at about that speed.

Gunyy(2).

wfooshee said:
Tire. Period.

A it wears its centerline develops an oscillation off of the exact center. Undetectable unless you let it float by letting go of the bars.

Gunny(3)

1) The easiest and cheapest thing is to get a new front tire. Probably cure everything.

2) The top case will give you some funky aerodynamics at the rear making it seem like the front tire is flat or floating. I rarely ever have my top case on. The last time I did it I swore I had a flat tire. I had to pull off the freeway and check it. It was fine, and others form the forum confirmed that the top case will give you that sensation (without any other rider or gear to act as a screen for the wind to run down).

3) Stop riding around with no hands. If it's fine with your hands on the bars, no worries. If you're playing stunt man (look ma', no hands) expect to have the front end possible move about a bit.

I would say if your front has no head shake with your hands on the bars, don't worry about it. If it still has some shake, get a new tire.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

Woketman · Dec 27, 2010

Well, it is getting bad enough that I think I am feeling a bit of movement in non-stunt mode (hands on bars). That is waht gets me worried 'cause it is getting worse.

So where is the finest deal on Michelins????

gumba · Dec 27, 2010

Woketman said:
So are you saying that it is likely NOT due to the tires???

I'm saying it's not tires.

'06 Front Wheel Oscillation

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