[bcarls04]

So I just had the local shop put new tires on my bike there Avon Cobra's. I love the tires at slow speeds they seem to make the bike more maneuverable and feel a little lighter but at freeway speeds I've just started to notice my bike kind of wobbling left to right really fast. It's not to bad but enough to notice (and be kind of scary). Then I thought it may be the balance on the wheels but I heard if its out of balance it would vibrate not wobble. I noticed that they put the balancing weights on only the right side of the rim and kind of far from the center. I thought you were supposed to put the weights on both sides of the rim. I've never seen that done like that but assumed it was okay. Does anyone know if that is causing the wobble or is it just cause the tires are new or is it just the avon cobras? If someone knows anything about it or has had experience with it I would really appreciate your input.
Thanks, Brian

 

[Donut]

First you should always give all info on bike so we don't sve to guess.
Year.
Model.
Mileage.
Is it stock.
Pipes, rejetted, if so and wat brand.
Decapted.
OK now to your problem.
balancing will not cause your problem.
two things.
Dealer put two low of tire pressure in the tires. We all here run 40 psi front and 40 psi rear and no less. If you run what they tell you, if you do what we say you can more than double the milage of your tires. This is a well known fact.
You will also have more control. A mushy tire is unsafe.
Also look at the top bushing that the bolt goes threw for the rear shock. If it looks off set like an eclipse of the moon around the top edge then the bushing re bad. An easy fix but do not put OEM bushings back in there.
other things you can do if it is a 1300 is add progressive springs in the front.
Also if it is a 1300 you can replace the stock steering head bearings with All-Balls roller bearings. if your bike has more than 5k mi on it then the stock bearings are getting or are bad. If you let go of the bars and they shake then the bearings are Probally bad.
If there is a tech session you area you should go to it.

Donut

 

[bcarls04]

Sorry its a 2008 vtx1800 T. 8,000 miles. completely stock.

 

[Bassdude404]

First you should always give all info on bike so we don't sve to guess.
Year.
Model.
Mileage.
Is it stock.
Pipes, rejetted, if so and wat brand.
Decapted.
OK now to your problem.
balancing will not cause your problem.
two things.
Dealer put two low of tire pressure in the tires. We all here run 40 psi front and 40 psi rear and no less. If you run what they tell you, if you do what we say you can more than double the milage of your tires. This is a well known fact.
You will also have more control. A mushy tire is unsafe.
Also look at the top bushing that the bolt goes threw for the rear shock. If it looks off set like an eclipse of the moon around the top edge then the bushing re bad. An easy fix but do not put OEM bushings back in there.
other things you can do if it is a 1300 is add progressive springs in the front.
Also if it is a 1300 you can replace the stock steering head bearings with All-Balls roller bearings. if your bike has more than 5k mi on it then the stock bearings are getting or are bad. If you let go of the bars and they shake then the bearings are Probally bad.
If there is a tech session you area you should go to it.

Donut

WTF????....Doug, look at his sig pic...It's an 1800 man....Besides that, his airbox and that other crap has absolutely no effect on a wobble in the front end....lol....Why ask him to post info not relevant to the issue??....That just adds confusion to the topic.....



The 1800 comes with roller steering head bearings from the factory, so that can be ruled out as the problem....:hmm2:

 

[thundrhd]

One of the first things I'd do is, take those junk weights off, and get some dyna beads in for a perfect tire balance.

 

[Donut]

Bill the signature is not showing on my I pad. I'm not on my laptop.
Must be something about the iPod and the new board format.

Doug

 

[Bassdude404]

Bill the signature is not showing on my I pad. I'm not on my laptop.
Must be something about the iPod and the new board format.

Doug

Ahhh...OK....Yeah I don't have one of those (or want one...lol..)

 

[Rubix VTX]

One of the first things I'd do is, take those junk weights off, and get some dyna beads in for a perfect tire balance.

This
is what I was thinking. I still have weights on my front tire that I need to swap out with dynabeads

 

[DrOmega]

...The 1800 comes with roller steering head bearings from the factory, so that can be ruled out as the problem....:hmm2:

Actually it can't, they have to be retightened occasionally. (however it is vastly less likely than a 1300 to be the issue.)

A couple more questions, are your tires the originals?
Smack any good (really big) potholes?
Leaking fork seal(s)?
Leaking shock(s)?

 

[chopperhound1971]

if the rear shocks are set at different settings it will throw in a wobble (dont ask how Iknow)

 

[Bassdude404]

Actually it can't, they have to be retightened occasionally. (however it is vastly less likely than a 1300 to be the issue.)

A couple more questions, are your tires the originals?

First sentence in first post, he had new Avons put on the bike...New tires, then a problem surfaces??...Factory wheel weights clamp to the rim at the centerline, on the edges at the openings in the wheel...From his post, I assume the shop used those crappy stick-on weights...First thing I'd do is order Dynabeads and pull those stick on weights off the wheels...Never been a fan of those stick-on weights, as you have to install them off-center on the rim....

 

[7schulz]

First thing I would do is take the bike back to where you got the tires put on and tell them you now have a wobble.

 

[Old Legend]

When they put the front wheel back on, did they align the forks properly? Do a search on here for fork alignment and there's another site that shows how to remove the wheel, and do the alignment.

 

[Donut]

Weel weights is not going to creste a wobble (loose control) but tire pressure being to low will.

Donut

 

[hawkvtx]

The front wheel bearing could be the problem however since your problem started as soon as you put the new Avons on I'm gonna say it's the tires themselves. The could be defective somehow.Or it could be the installation. Is it possible the dealer damaged the wheel or the bearing? Or maybe the axle wasn't seated properly when reinstalled. I doubt it's the fork alignment since the bike is completely stock and the forks have not been removed.

 

[DrOmega]

Is there any good source of help close by? A decent wrench from the site in your area? If so maybe they could drop bya nd take a look.

 

[Old Legend]

What I meant by fork alignment, was they had to take the wheel off of the bike, so he needs to check the left hand spacer for the axle. check the bareass chopper site and it shows how to check it.

 

[Donut]

What actual tire pressure are you running.

 

[bcarls04]

Im running 42psi in front and 41psi in the back

 

[bcarls04]

I'll be talking it back to the place that changed the tires on Saturday. I'll let you guys know what they say or what the problem actually is. Thanks for all the help guys.
Brian