Top Box causing headshake?

[sqidget]

I had a ass puckering moment this morning on my way to work. :blink: I let go of the bars to quickly tighten my gloves, as I do a couple times each ride, when the bike goes into a tank slapper. I have always had a small amount of headshake doing this but never a slapper. The only change in the bike was this is the first ride with my givi e52 I just installed. I rode home and to my friends house and it still will do it. I checked the tire pressure it was fine, so partway to dinner we swapped my trunk onto his empty givi rack. The headshake is gone, so is alot of my buffeting I noticed today. Does anyone else have shake or buffeting issues with their trunks? How can a empty trunk cause headshake? I use a yamaha tall screen.

 

[jwilly]

The topbox will effect the handling of your bike. Mine does the same thing. If you add a passenger you won't notice it as much.

 

[huk finn]

No trunk yet, but andding a passenger gives the "head shake" around 45- 50

 

[MartyA]

Never experienced it on mine, empty or full E52, with or without passenger.

 

[Kevin Daly]

any time you weight the back of the bike your weight distribution. you might also look at your front tire for cupping or other irregularities in wear; these can also affect head shake and might interact with the change in weight distribution to exaserbaate the problem.

 

[K-2]

Yep, the box will do that. I don't ride with the top box unless my wife is on too. We learned that her riding position has a lot to do with head shake. For us, she has to sit with her hands on the passenger side-rails. When she reaches forward to hold onto me, the subtle change makes the bike crazy. I'm sure it's different for everyone based on size/weight/etc...

 

[trimmantom]

Does this mean going 150 is out when your topbox is on?

I felt a little squirrely chasing Jwilly at 140.

 

[Yamaman]

I have also installed the Givi 52 and I also let go of the handle bars to adjust my gloves and I had the same thing happen to me. I did not have time to adjust the gloves because it was slapping side to side. I never had this problem without the top box, I can ride with one hand with the box on and no problem until I take my hands off. After reading the posts I went on a long ride without the top box and there was no slapping side to side. Strangest thing I ever encountered. Now that being said my tires are needing replacement and my front is slightly cupped. It is not the tires because if it was it would do it all the time but it only does it when the top box is on. Also the top box was empty. In my opinion it is caused by the box why I don't know however it is not serious unless I take my hands off completely which I only do to adjust my gloves.

I will repost when I get my Roadpilot 2's installed and I will test it again but I still think it is the box causing the problem.

 

[bramfrank]

Don't take your hands off the bars while in motion.

 

[Yamaman]

Don't take your hands off the bars while in motion.

To me it is not a serious issue Bram just an interesting issue. When I read the other posts I thought I would check it out on my bike, 99.99 % of the time both hands are on my handle bars. I never noticed this when I took my hands off the handlebars before I added the top box. I did the test and it only does it when the box is added and when it is taken off there is no headshake.We all know the weight of the Givi 52 is not heavy but it is apparent that when added to the bike the headshake does happen. To me it is not an issue and the FJR is a great bike.

 

[sqidget]

Don't take your hands off the bars while in motion.

To me it is not a serious issue Bram just an interesting issue. When I read the other posts I thought I would check it out on my bike, 99.99 % of the time both hands are on my handle bars. I never noticed this when I took my hands off the handlebars before I added the top box. I did the test and it only does it when the box is added and when it is taken off there is no headshake.We all know the weight of the Givi 52 is not heavy but it is apparent that when added to the bike the headshake does happen. To me it is not an issue and the FJR is a great bike.

Exactly,

My tires are good, only 4700 miles on them. I never had it slap with my wife on the bike, so it just sort of makes me nervous that a empty box will cause this.

As far as not removing my hands while in motion, while in theory is correct loose gloves cause bunching, and lack of feel. I find small breakdown lanes a bad place to stop on interstates just to snug gloves. Anyway a mechanically sound vehicle should follow its path, not try to throw you into the woods in 5 sec or so.

 

[RTSR1/FJR]

I used to have a little shake with my E52 when I let go, but since I replaced my head bearings with tapered ones, it doesn't do it anymore.