Wobble gone after new shock who would of thunk it

[guesscrazy]

2014 Limited with 35000 mile had developed a vague wobble. Replaced the factory air shocks today with Ohlins and took it for a 50 mile test ride. Much more planted and headshake is gone. I know the airport manager and told him I wanted to make a highspeed run and got up to 118 indicated and it was steadier than when new. Factory air shocks must be total crap. Should have changed shock along time ago.

[barny7655]

Id be looking at other moving parts as well ,bushes etc , the new shocks may be masking another complaint ,apart from that well done ,

[guesscrazy]

Front tire has 6000 mile and rear has 10000 mile. Gonna adjust steering head bearing next and check swingarm play.

[Phu Cat]

Had a similar problem many years ago with a jap bike.  Took it to an indy and he told me to tighten the head bearings nut one flat and it solved the problem.  Could the new shocks have changed the front end geometry just enough that that's what took care of the wobble?  You'll probably know within another 10,000 miles if it comes back.



PC

[boggart]

I was having a wiggle/wobble at around 90 even with my Ohlins on.  Found that simply tightening up the rebound dampening did away with it.  So, I'm not surprised.  Adding the Alloy Art touring frame stabilizer was the icing on the cake.

[guesscrazy]

Get alot of crap about high speed riding on these forums but I like to go fast, so a high speed wobble bothers me. 2020 going to Sturgis , Death Valley and the Grand Canyon so high speed handling will be 100% or I wont go. Any opinions are welcome.

[PoorUB]

High speed? that is why I bought a BMW!

[Flhfxd]

High speed? that is why I bought a BMW!

Yup.  100%   

[rhuff]

I got tired of trying to make my 2003 Road King "right."  Went thru every single thing.  Added ohlins shocks, bagger brace, motor mounts, and new fork springs.  The only route I didn't go down before selling it was new triple trees from CCE and either ohlins or CCE up front.  I believe that the CCE triple trees were the solution (within reason).  I experienced bagger wobble on that bike several times, once so bad I thought I wouldn't make it thru a high speed sweeper- that feeling never left me riding that bike fast.

With my 2015 Road Glide, as the miles add up, everything just feels "looser," even with  new tires.  Time to start checking out the usual suspects, but I'm tired of ill-handling bikes that cost 30K.  I'm likely done after this one and off to BMW or anything else.  Disappointing if you actually ride aggressively. 

[IronMike113]

High speed? that is why I bought a BMW!

You probably already know this,But you can click on the MPH on the lower part of your BMW gps and it will tell you your top speed 😬

[Geezer_Glider]

I have a hard time relating to some of these wobble stories. I don't doubt them really but I've never had a bike wobble on me. Sure an occasional twitch in a curve hitting a stone or tar strip, or a one cycle head shake hitting a dip in a curve but that is all. Did ride a used bike once that was spooky but had a bunch of spokes that needed attention and you could tell it real quick! I've had older Jap performance bikes, iron sportster and five E-glides. The dressers started in 91 till my current 17. One of which had over 155K miles on it and a massaged engine. Yes they all got well past 100mph on occasion. Am just a lucky old boy?
R Meyer

[rhuff]

I have a hard time relating to some of these wobble stories. I don't doubt them really but I've never had a bike wobble on me. Sure an occasional twitch in a curve hitting a stone or tar strip, or a one cycle head shake hitting a dip in a curve but that is all. Did ride a used bike once that was spooky but had a bunch of spokes that needed attention and you could tell it real quick! I've had older Jap performance bikes, iron sportster and five E-glides. The dressers started in 91 till my current 17. One of which had over 155K miles on it and a massaged engine. Yes they all got well past 100mph on occasion. Am just a lucky old boy?
R Meyer

Yes, you are. 

The twin cam touring frames were criminally deficient until 2009 IMO.  Take one of those bikes into a long sweeper over 80 MPH with any undulation in the road and hold on-   not all of them, but enough of them. 

[hattitude]

I have a hard time relating to some of these wobble stories. I don't doubt them really but I've never had a bike wobble on me. Sure an occasional twitch in a curve hitting a stone or tar strip, or a one cycle head shake hitting a dip in a curve but that is all. Did ride a used bike once that was spooky but had a bunch of spokes that needed attention and you could tell it real quick! I've had older Jap performance bikes, iron sportster and five E-glides. The dressers started in 91 till my current 17. One of which had over 155K miles on it and a massaged engine. Yes they all got well past 100mph on occasion. Am just a lucky old boy?
R Meyer

I believe you have been lucky.... If everything else is is in good shape like tires, neck bearings, swingarm bushings, etc,  most people won't experience the "wobble", unless pushing the limits of the bike's frame...

I subscribe to the theory that the problem is inherent with the way HD introduced the rubber mounted engine. The system, as used in the Sportsters and Buells, has a rear stabilizer. I believe it was designed by Eric Buell (I may be mistaken on this). It's a mystery why it wasn't used on the touring bikes....

To quote someone more knowledgeable than me on such issues, "The original rubber mount design is excellent, but was compromised by the factory, by leaving off the rear stabilizer link, for reasons we may never know. Rubber squashes, which is why we make much use of it in so many aspects of our lives. It squashes on the original bikes and it does on the latest ones as well. Both sets of bikes will ride better with suitable lateral stabilizers."