Here's my issue, (edit) difficult handling

[dsmack]

Steering Head Bearings were checked.Problem on 405, 5, 101, 134, 210, and yes I could feel the rain groves, but that wasn't the problem.

I pumped up the tires to 40/42, some improvement but I'm still not satisfied.

I'm now looking into new tires, may not happen right away but at least now I know for sure something is not right.

Thanks everyone.

Randy

Randy ~ A couple of more questions, which may have been covered, but aren't immediately apparant in this thread:

How many miles are on the bike, total? I assume it is new to you?? I assume that it's never been wrecked? How much do you weigh?

I agree with the earlier posters that your tire pressure has been too low. The overwhelming concensus here and elsewhere seems to be that 40/42 is better for overall handling and tire wear. Increasing the pressure now may not completely solve your problem on this set of tires because the wear pattern has already been established by the previous under-inflation.

There is a concurrent thread running on the forum discussing the difference in feel of the Feej while running with/without the top box. You might want to take it off and take it for a spin, just to see what difference it makes with your bike. Then you might want to try running it with the gap filled between you and the top box, just to see what the wind flow change makes in total handling/feel.

I can guess that you're thoroughly frustrated by all of this by now... I know I would be! Probably the only way you'll know for sure is to keep up with a methodical, one step at a time approach to see what you can isolate as the main cause of the feel you're experiencing.

I'm betting that a set of new tires when these are shagged, run at 40/42 lbs front and rear, will go a looooong way toward solving your problem.

Good luck!

Don

 

[big ears]

Same tires, 8500 miles, no such problems, even to 140 and more. Keep 40/42 all the time and check often.

 

[Draggon Rider]

Randy ~ A couple of more questions, which may have been covered, but aren't immediately apparant in this thread:

How many miles are on the bike, total? I assume it is new to you?? I assume that it's never been wrecked? How much do you weigh?

I agree with the earlier posters that your tire pressure has been too low. The overwhelming concensus here and elsewhere seems to be that 40/42 is better for overall handling and tire wear. Increasing the pressure now may not completely solve your problem on this set of tires because the wear pattern has already been established by the previous under-inflation.

There is a concurrent thread running on the forum discussing the difference in feel of the Feej while running with/without the top box. You might want to take it off and take it for a spin, just to see what difference it makes with your bike. Then you might want to try running it with the gap filled between you and the top box, just to see what the wind flow change makes in total handling/feel.

I can guess that you're thoroughly frustrated by all of this by now... I know I would be! Probably the only way you'll know for sure is to keep up with a methodical, one step at a time approach to see what you can isolate as the main cause of the feel you're experiencing.

I'm betting that a set of new tires when these are shagged, run at 40/42 lbs front and rear, will go a looooong way toward solving your problem.

Good luck!

Don

It is new to me, I bought it 6 months ago.

It was wreched, but I didn't find this out until months after I bought it. That's a long story that I won't go into.

I had to have two safety inspects before I could register it. And just to be sure I had my machanic go through it with a fine toothed comb.

There is 35,000 miles on the bike, I've put 2,000 on it.

I'm 5' 10" around 240 lbs.

And no I don't know the extent of the repairs.

I was told it was mostly plastics but my machanic for evidence of more extensive repairs.

 

[The Captain]

Just going to put in my two cents worth here.

While Metzeler has been my ONLY tire of choice since the 80's on any bike, for any type of riding/racing; I have recently become a HUGE fan of the Michelin MACADAMs on my FJs. Incredible in every situation, wet or dry. In fact, I have to goose the clutch a little to get the rear tire to break loose in the rain, even on an uphill surface! I run them at 38-40 (f) and 40-42(rear), 1up/2up and have had both my bikes to around 160 without incident. The only problem I find with them is this; In the nearly 30k miles I've put on both my bikes in the last 18 months with them, they have only slipped 2-3 times, so infrequently in fact, that I forget they CAN slip. I am thankful that these little slips did occur; because I was throwing the bikes around like they were little 350 2 strokers! But, I gotta say, shifting into second coming out of a REAL tight right hander with the front tire about 6 inches in the air and the bike tire spinning is so uneventful; that it takes 100 feet to realize; what the hell am I doing!? I'm smokin' the tire and wheelying a big bore mid way through a corner! There's no berms here! It's amazing how much it feels like my old racing RM500 on 30% nitro-methane (not methanol).

I must also say that they recently changed the macadams to a "dual" wear tread, and I have not tried them yet. But, it is about time for new set on the road warrior for next year.

If you, or anyone here, is ever looking at the Michelin Pilots... Make sure they are old stock that someone else is selling. There was a recall on them last summer that wasn't very well publicized.

 

[Auburn]

It was wreched, but I didn't find this out until months after I bought it. That's a long story that I won't go into.

I had to have two safety inspects before I could register it. And just to be sure I had my machanic go through it with a fine toothed comb.

Since it was wrecked, I would check frame also see if the wheels are actually in line and not off slightly. Even though you had safety inspections done, I doubt they checked that. The swing arm or the forks could be slightly off and that would be all it takes. You can go to a compu-trac and they can adjust the frame to make sure it is correctly lined up. Road racers use them all the time. (Compu trac advertises in Road Racing World magazine)

 

[palerider]

One other thing to consider: You say you have the problem on the 405 right? Are there rain grooves on the surface where you experiance the problem? If so, different tires will be affected by rain grooves much more than others. I have found any tire with a center groove will be less stable on rain grooves than a tire with a smooth center. Tires like Avons and Pilot Roads and Pilot Sports have almost no affect.
I would do the following, First Pump up the air. Remove the top box. If that doesn't cure the problem, put on a set of good tires. If you still have the problem, you may need to have some other thing checked like steering head bearings, wheel bearings etc.

Steering Head Bearings were checked.

Problem on 405, 5, 101, 134, 210, and yes I could feel the rain groves, but that wasn't the problem.

I pumped up the tires to 40/42, some improvement but I'm still not satisfied.

I'm now looking into new tires, may not happen right away but at least now I know for sure something is not right.

Thanks everyone.

Randy

Lost a balance weight?