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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 11
| So as you guys know I just bought my Vision on Saturday and last night while solo riding I noticed the back end feels slushy with strong winds. At first I thought my tire was going flat because in a turn the back end had a little wiggle.
Have any of you noted the same thing? And the tire isnt' going flat I checked.
Thanks! |
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Visionary
Posts: 3204
Memphis | Every new Vision owner has to get used to how sensitive it is. Two things will change your life. Tire pressure: 2psi makes a big difference. Keep your tires at 40psi and it will feel like it's on rails. 36-38 psi will be squirrely. You will know what a tuned suspension really feels like. Holding on too tight: Passing an 18-wheeler, you will try to fight it to keep it straight during the buffetting. Relax your hands on the grips (you can even let go if you have the cruise set) and it will pass the truck like nothing you have ever felt on a bike. The chassis may shake underneath you but the tires will track dead straight. Relax your grip over bumps and railroad tracks also. It WANTS to go straight. Let it, don't fight it. 40psi, relax your grip. You won't believe the difference. |
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Tourer
Posts: 599
New Mexico | I've been in some pretty fierce winds and haven't experienced slushy.
My guess is tire pressure - it's critical. I am running a car tire on the rear so can't suggest a pressure, but if you do a search you can find a range for your own personal preference experimentation.
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Iron Butt
Posts: 612
| Hambone - 2013-07-16 10:28 AM
So as you guys know I just bought my Vision on Saturday and last night while solo riding I noticed the back end feels slushy with strong winds. At first I thought my tire was going flat because in a turn the back end had a little wiggle.
Have any of you noted the same thing? And the tire isnt' going flat I checked.
Thanks!
Try removing the tour pack / trunk! It acts like a sail in turbulent air. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 102
Jal NM | Make sure the pressure in the rear shock is up to the correct pressure settings. I had this problem after my first service and found that the rear shock pressure was at 0. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 11
| Thanks for all the input. I know my shock is set right, I checked it Sunday. Tire pressure on the other hand... I haven't found a way to get my hands into the valve stem yet...
I should have mentioned that for the last 3 years I've been riding a 210 rear tire on a cruiser so there was not much that caused that bike to go anywhere other than where I was pointing it.
I figured it was a "sail" affect but just wanted to hear other input on it.
Thanks |
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Tourer
Posts: 494
Akron Ohio area | Get yourself a good tire pressure gauge that has a 12" hose with the bleeder gauge on the other end.
I got mine at Summit Racing for around $40 bucks.
http://www.summitracing.com/search?keyword=tire%20air%20gauge&dds=1
When I compared it to my other stick gauges I found that they were off anywhere from 2-5 pounds.
I feed the hose of the tire gauge through one of the slots in the brake disk which allows for a fairly straight line shot.
Only check your air pressure in the morning, preferably in the garage or in the shade before you go for your first ride of the day.
Tire air pressure will fluctuate with the outside temperature.
For every 10 degrees in outside temperature change, expect at least 1 degree in tire pressure change.
If you are riding on anything other than OEM Dunlop E-3's then good luck with resolving your handling issues.
I've been getting anywhere from 14,000 to 18,000 miles on my rear E-3's and change the front tire at the same time. |
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Tourer
Posts: 494
Akron Ohio area | Songfan was 100% correct.
Loose grip, relaxed elbows.
I proved to my buddies that my Vision would go past an 18 wheeler with no hands on the handlebars.
No drama.
The worst thing you can do is maintain a death grip on the handlebars. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | i never had this issue on mine.. but i also came from a big bike before hand... what did you ride BEFORE the vision? |
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Tourer
Posts: 500
| Bigfoot...There are a "zillion" different tire gauges on the Summit web-site...Which one do you use if I can ask??. If not, I will order one that I think will work....Thanks |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1066
Peru, IN | I use the same Progressive zero loss (0-60 pound) hand pump to check my tire pressures as I use for the shock. Like others have said, a pound or two makes a big difference. On my last bike using a regular tire gauge, I'll bet I lost a 1/2 pound every time I checked them (and I check them before every ride). With the hand pump, you can add a pound or two without wearing yourself out. (Much more than that and you need an electric compressor or CO2.)
And what Turk said. As soon as I took the trunk off, the bike felt much better in any wind or passing semis. It also felt more stable at superslab speeds. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 209
| great info... never thought relaxing grip passing 18 wheelers |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 691
Manchester, CT | Agree with staying loose and relaxed. I now have 5k on my bike. At first I found myself struggling against the bike and raising the shield when coming up on and passing 18 wheelers. After taking the classes and now letting the bike do the work i am amazed how agile and nimble the vision really is. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3204
Memphis | Here's a video I posted back in 2008. Passing a semi at 80. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVjq4_6DrII |
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Tourer
Posts: 494
Akron Ohio area | opas ride
The one I got is no longer listed, but this one looks good for the price.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/reb-280-8725
Basically, the higher the price, the better the accuracy. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 612
| SongFan - 2013-07-16 11:08 PM
Here's a video?I posted back in 2008.? Passing a semi at 80.? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVjq4_6DrII
Wind conditions and distance from the truck play a MASSIVE role in how much turbulence you're going to experience. And that is exactly what the phenomenon is, turbulence. You can't escape it. If you are passing an oncoming truck into a head wind, there will be a LOT of it. The best thing you can do is move as far away as possible. But anyone who says that the Vision is immune to buffeting doesn't ride in turbulent conditions. You WILL FEEL THE BIKE MOVING AROUND, PERIOD! That does NOT mean that you have to make any steering inputs... you can even keep light pressure on the grip.... there's really nothing you can do to compensate for it, but the bike WILL BE IMPACTED BY AIR TURBULENCE.... it will get buffeted around... more so than a bike with a small side profile or no fairing. It's just the nature of aerodynamic forces at work. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 691
Manchester, CT | turbulence and drag coefficient |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 11
| I had a Yamaha Stryker with a 210 rear tire. So a) I had a very stable platform that didn't "flick" into turns, b) I was VERY comfortable with that bike and my skill level, so much so that I still managed to have a 1/4" chicken strip, c) I've never ridden a bike this big before. There's a lot of weight with this bike, it's slightly top heavy and the truck acts like a foil lifting the back end. I've been on her with wind since that first experience and I'm not noticing it as much, I guess it's the comfortability issue.
I still love this bike!!!! |
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Visionary
Posts: 1308
Sand Rock, AL United States | it's the nature of the beast. Just let her run . It gives a false sense of instability when , in fact, it is tracking true and straight. |
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Tourer
Posts: 411
Dallas, Texas | Hambone - 2013-07-16 12:24 PM
Thanks for all the input. I know my shock is set right, I checked it Sunday. Tire pressure on the other hand... I haven't found a way to get my hands into the valve stem yet...
I should have mentioned that for the last 3 years I've been riding a 210 rear tire on a cruiser so there was not much that caused that bike to go anywhere other than where I was pointing it.
I figured it was a "sail" affect but just wanted to hear other input on it.
Thanks
These items together, have made checking the trie pressure very easy, especially on the rear tire.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006O2S8M/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_...
connected to
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FIAVKG/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_...
And this is an awesome tire guage..
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F1WNFO/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_...
These really work for me. I keep the extension and the connector together. The connector screws on easy, and when it is disconnected, there is very little, if any, pressure loss. Makes the rear tire a breeze to check, and fill as needed.
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Tourer
Posts: 573
Central Illinois | I was a bit surprised today when I took both hands off the grips. The bike tracked very well and showed no interest in any changes. When riding "no hands" I found that the bike responded very well to any change in direction that I wanted to make by me merely shifting my weight. I am a conscious user of counter-steer but suspect that it is not needed in most situations for a Vision. My Vision really feels like it wants to work with me without the extremes required by conscientious counter steer. I have no experience with tire pressure since it does not seem to be a factor for me yet. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 11
| Thanks all, I think it's just a matter of time in the saddle. This is a different breed of bike and it was only on the windy day that I noticed it. And as most have mentioned it's exceptionally stable, so this is just a "feeling". Good riding! |
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Wind Affect