View Full Version : Shaking it's head!
HELP!!! as some of you will no I don't get out much, so you can only imagine how uterly pi??d off I was last thursday. I was gien a day pass and headed to the mainland for a blast 20 mlies in I sat up slightly at around 50mph to wiggle some blood back into my hands as I did the bike started to shake its head. I tried it again at 60 and all was well until the speed dropped to around 55 then it did it again so rather than just grab the bars I just hovered with my hands just above. The shake got worse then fell away below 50. Now I know what your going to say "why take your hands off the bars at speed" Well I don't make a habit of it but I have never had this before. Anyone have an idea of the cause.
[Edited on 7-9-2005 by pibbow]
sparkin
07-Sep-2005, 19:52
Might be obvious,but have you checked your tyre pressures?
Yes mate first thing I did they were spot on :puzzled:
Tyre wear? On one of my bikes if my fronts wear E.g. the tread gets uneven across the leading/trailing edge of the cuts, it'll do exactly what you describe.
Rgds, Rob
sparkin
07-Sep-2005, 19:58
Ok,bent wheel?poorly seated tyre?
Check if the tyre balance weights might have come off too.
Well The tyre has done about 2000 miles but it has not shark's toothed yet but I will have another look tomorrow. I have the bike up on paddock stands and have spunn the weel and both it and the tyre seem spot on?
Thank's dave there are some on but I will have a close look to see if any have gone astray.
ericthered40
07-Sep-2005, 20:13
Originally posted by pibbow
HELP!!! as some of you will no I don't get out much, so you can only imagine how uterly pi??d off I was last thursday. I was gien a day pass and headed to the mainland for a blast 20 mlies in I sat up slightly at around 50mph to wiggle some blood back into my hands as I did the bike started to shake its head. I tried it again at 60 and all was well until the speed dropped to around 55 then it did it again so rather than just grab the bars I just hovered with my hands just above. The shake got worse then fell away below 50. Now I know what your going to say "why take your hands off the bars at speed" Well I don't make a habit of it but I have never had this before. Anyone have an idea of the cause.
[Edited on 7-9-2005 by pibbow]
Could it be Tire, wear or balancing, head race bearings or brake calliper sticking. look at the wheel bearings to?
:puzzled:
[Edited on 7-9-2005 by ericthered40]
It sounds like the steering head bearings are starting to wear.
Too many wheelies mate :lol:
They are brand new you cheeky sod.
mikesps
08-Sep-2005, 16:53
If the head bearings are new, they may have seated properly now and need another small adjustment.
Swingarm pivot bearings and rear wheel bearings in good condition? Sometimes problems felt at one end of the bike are caused at the other end.
It may just be normal, quite a few bikes will start to shake at some speed while slowing down without the damping of a pair of hands on the bars.
Mike
t5mission
08-Sep-2005, 17:58
My CBR1000 did it at 40mph change the tyre and wheel bearings made no difference. Got chating to a guy at a rally on one and he hadn't noticed untill we went out on the run together and tested it. His did the same thing. Seems to be some strange resinance thing going on.
Stearing damper even on the lowest setting fix it though.
Adam
weeveetwin
08-Sep-2005, 23:48
This shouldn't happen on an 888. I can't even provoke it on mine - and I've never known anyone else complain of it either. Must be something amiss pibbow.
(My old Jota would 'shimmy' sometimes when slowing down. Never did find out what caused it. Fitted a damper eventually).
RightSaidFred
09-Sep-2005, 02:33
Shazam should be along in a minute to explain.
Shazaaam? Shazaam! Where are yooouuuu!!
888heaven
09-Sep-2005, 23:53
Hi pibbow
I've had the T8 for 2 1/2 years with rusted head bearings,new bearings worn tyres wrong pressures two up and never even had a slight waggle not even coming down from small wheelies.
not something to think of but its not been binded in a past life.
ian
ps
have you checked fork oil and that all adjustments are equal on both forks and when you reinserted the forks did you line it all up with the wheel spindle aligned and tight just a thought.
[Edited on 9-9-2005 by 888heaven]
Still can't get to the bottom of this it is driving me nut's Please some one Help Me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had exactly this on my 999, same kind of speed also, from around 55 down to say 45 the front end shook it's head all over the place, was a real pain as I travel through a lot of 50 limits.
To be honest I just ignored it, but I did change a hell of a lot on the bike to get it set-up for me in the meantime, ride height, head angle, springs front and rear, but the problem still persisted until I recently replaced the tyres (F+R) and voila shake gone, I'd done less than 2000 miles on them also, just fried them on track.
Might be worth a shout, even if it doesn't fix the problem you'll still use the tyres.
Thank's mate, 500 miles were on track day's and I did not get it before as the head races were stiff. I will get a set fitted asap and see how it is.
I'd still bet on front tyre, if you where closer you could throw my wheel in and see if that killed it dead. Anyone local to you with a good one?
[Edited on 4-11-2005 by Rob B]
Anyone local you gota be joking mate I live on a scottish Island!
Rushjob
04-Nov-2005, 12:17
IIRC back in the late 90's, one of the bike mags ( Bike possibly?? ) did some research into this phenomenon on a series of bikes.
The common factor was that many of them did this head shake when you rode hands free - it happened anywhere between 40 & 60mph and went away as soon as you took hold with one or both hands.
The answer they came up with to the problem was to spend time setting up the suspension correctly to suit the rider - as soon as this this was done, it virtually eliminated the problem.
Crunchy
04-Nov-2005, 12:20
It sounds like wheel balancing to me. Take it to a tyre fitter and get it balanced again. You could have lost a weight somewhere.
Had something similar to that on mt T8 AFTER it had gone in for a suspension sort out.
Thought it was because the settings had been changed.
Know what it was?
The daft sods at this suspension place (well known too) had not fully screwed in the front wheel spindle so it was out by 2mm. That meant the back and front tyre were out of line by 2mm. Undid the clamps screwed in properly, wobble disappeared!!
Ains. :burn:
Thank's Ains I will have a look at that. The silly bastud who did the head races(ME) could have easily made that mistake.
"Anyone local you gota be joking mate I live on a scottish Island!"
Yeah but I can almost see your house from where I live.
If a wheel from either a 750ss or a 916 fits then I can remove it for you to try on your bike,both of these are laid up at the moment so theres no great rush.
I'll even bring it down to the ferry terminal if you want and hand it to you or someone who'll deliver it for you by hand.
Cheers Dave I will let you know when I get a chance to look at it. I at stanstead airport waiting for a fuggin Ryan Square flight (Late again) since we shut down every thing is realy manic I was up at 4am to catch the first flight from Preswick this morning that was delayed AGGGGG strung out just a little!
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