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When i go over 100 mph (not very often) my front end of my bike wobbles from side to side. What could cause this? Below 100 is very smooth.
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COULD BE STEERING HEAD BEARINS, BAD TIRE OUT OF BALANCE, WHEEL BEARINS OR JUST TO MUSHY FRONT FORKS. -
Mine was wheel bearings with less than 15k miles on them (1983 GS1100GD). Apparently Suzuki's bearing supplier forgot to grease them. Would only shake at 110. There was so much play it broke the ears off the speedo drive.Comment
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Oops. Guess I could help ya figure it out. Put it on the centerstand, have someone sit on the passenger seat to lift the fron wheel off the ground. Try to wiggle the forks fore & aft. Any play will probably be in the steering head bearings. Then set the front end either far left or far right and try to wiggle the wheel against the stop. Play now could come from the steering head or the wheel bearings.
Good luckComment
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I have also had high speed wobbles from bad wheel balancing and misalignment of the rear axle. The rear axle was the shocker though. Apparently those marks you use to line up the wheel aren't that accurate, especially if you like to cruise at high speed.
--- Frank ---Comment
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Those marks usd to cause me problems as well. I'd align the rear wheel with them then stand back and you could tell it wasn't lined up with the front. Now I just stand back and sight it in when I adjust the chain. You can use a straight edge or string to chech the alignment, but eyeballing it seems to work fine for me.I have also had high speed wobbles from bad wheel balancing and misalignment of the rear axle. The rear axle was the shocker though. Apparently those marks you use to line up the wheel aren't that accurate, especially if you like to cruise at high speed.
As for the other possible causes of the headshake, bearings as mentioned, tire balance, inflation, and sometimes just choice of tire can contribute to the problem. You can also try putting the bike on its centerstand and loosen all the fork pinch bolts and axle. Then starting with the axle tighten everything back up from the bottom of the fork on up.Comment
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also I've heard that improper balance of air in your forks can cause this. Another way to check rear wheel alignment is to ride about 30mph, put it in neutral, take your hands off the bars, and coast as far as you can. As you slow down you will tend to drift one way or the other. that should tell you which way to adjust the wheel to remain straight. When you have acheived perfect alignment you will continue in a straight line until you stop completely, at which time you can remove the sidestand from the bike because it is in perfect balance and will stay standing, waiting for the next ride.
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But this is a 'G' shafty model. There is no rear wheel adjustment.Comment
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I had the same problem with my GS850, just a few days ago: 100mph, long high speed curve, and there she was: the good old speed wobble.
I owned a GS1000, bought it new, and it had the same problem. Back than, I did'nt find a solution. Isn't it just a GS problem?Comment
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Could you give us a some more details about the problem? Is it a wobble where the bar are shaking rapidly or more of a slow weave where the feels loose and unstable? Are you carrying a passenger or luggage? How are your tires? If your rear tire is worn it will cause a front end weave. Certain tire brands, sizes or combinations can cause problems too. Also if your front forks are low on air pressure or the springs are sacked out, it will definitely cause an instability.
AxelComment
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I'd start cheap first. doesnt anyone do this anymore to align the front end???
I think the first thing is to align the tires, loosen the tire up just so its moveable, and loosen the fork nuts.
get 2 2x4's and clamp them up to the tires/wheels to front and rear tires are now parallel. tighten everything back up, unclamp the 2x4's .
now if it still shimmies, I'd say get the wheels balanced. If there warped then theyll tell you there.
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