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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| http://www.kpho.com/local-video/index.html?grabnetworks_video_id=46... |
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Cruiser
Posts: 102
Cedar, Michigan | The worst thing about my last bike (2008 Goldwing) was the wobble between 25 and 35 mph. I've been told it is a combination of the center of gravity height and the rake of the forks. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1359
New Bohemia, Va | I hate reports like this because I don't have all the supporting evidence to make an assessment. Too many things to go on here to say if is manufacturer specific. My head bearing nut was loose on my triple tree until recently. I would have a heck of a time in certain situations, no wobble, just wander. I'm thinking there is something wrong with the bike, but it was me not keeping up with the important things.
Oh, yeah, the Goldwings had a year or two they didn't accommidate the additional weight using the older frame and they were have frame cracks. Now that is doozy, and being made in Japan doesn't help either. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1117
Northeast Ohio | Glad I didn't buy a Harley! That is horrible for the riders this happens to, including the fallen officer in the report. I thought wobble had to do with the front end being loaded to heavy or under hard front braking. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 742
North Orange County CA | ScoreBo - 2011-05-28 9:17 PM
Glad I didn't buy a Harley! I thought wobble had to do with the front end being loaded to heavy or under hard front braking.
It has more to do with the decision to prioritize the reduction of vibration by isolating the drive train (engine, transmission, swing arm and rear wheel) in rubber mounts but not to engineer a method to eliminate side to side play; thus sacrificing the ability to keep the front and rear wheels in alignment.
There are literally dozens of aftermarket fixes to try and reduce or eliminate the problem. Many of which involve a method of attaching the transmission to the frame with an additional heim joint which allows the drive line to move up and down but not side to side.
I spent a fair amount of coin on my Evo engined Ultra to reduce the side to side play and was reasonably successful. But the bike was never even close to being as stable as my BMWs and one ride on the Vision was all it took to convince me that the Harley had to go.
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Visionary
Posts: 1290
Ruskin, Fl | I thought the weave had to do with too many adult beverages. |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| I on my harley felt a wobble twice and you can not believe how fast your handlebars can move back an forth and your brain races thinking of what to do.
As strong as you are you can not do any thing not even if you were Hulk Hogan. You have to hit the read brake and give it gas till the wobble stops and then you can pull over and clean out your shorts. The aftermarket engineers came up with a stabilizing link that makes a difference but does not make it go away.
Its just a bad design on harleys part and till they change the way the back of the motor is mounted the law suites will just keep coming. This news article might make it easier for wobble people to collect |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 741
Central New York | Had a Goldwing do it to me twice. But it was 15 years old at the time so I won't be critical of the Goldwing design. But having experienced the wobble, and now seeing that HD has a predisposition for the wobble, that's enough to keep me off Harleys. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 262
Flowery Branch Ga | Just another reason why I went looking for a different manufacturer when looking for a 2 up bike. This isn't really new info. These bikes have been doing this since the intro of the current frame design. I think it was when they introduced the 6 speed in the FLH series.
Wayne |
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Death Wobble