AdamK
Well-known member
Put a PR4 front which has 6,600 miles on it tonight. Still some shake, but not as much as the EVO. Hoping a new tire will settle things down.
Bridgestone T30 EVO GT front tire
- Thread starter Constant Mesh
- Start date
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BanjoBoy
Well-known member
Assuming yer replacement is another T30EVO, don't forget yer reward. https://itagroup.hs.llnwd.net/o40/B45B2/MOTOUS1703/Bridgestone_Summer%20Motorcycle%20Claim%20Form_US.pdf
Interesting
AdamK
Well-known member
gumba
Well-known member
I got 8800 miles out of my last T30 EV0 and not a hint of 45 HS. The tire looked for shit but no head shake. Have 6K on current and steady as a rock. I like the tire.
AdamK
Well-known member
The EVO and the used PR4 both have a pretty good case of cupping. Most of the miles on both tires were from long trips on twisty roads. I'm hoping a new EVO will cure the shakes....
Uncle Hud
Just another blob of protoplasm using up your oxyg
Muchas gracias, for the Bridegestone rewards, BanjoBoy. My Metzelers are about done, and I'll need new rubber for SFO and EOM later this summer.
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gumba
Well-known member
The only thing that will cure the 45 HS is proper alignment of front end( fork tubes and grip on front axle). I ran around with my anal orifice in pucker mode for 10 years before I figure this shit out. Tire selection will never do.
Spud
Well-known member
Tires can cause head shake. I've used so many different ones I don't remember which, but I did have a front that caused head shake when decelerating, was worried about the bearings etc., put on a new front and gone...I think it may have been an Avon Storm II Ultra that did that.
They all have some idiosyncrasies when wearing out. Dunlop RS II's and Mich PR2's howl in corners when they get worn--loud enough you might think another vehicle is coming up on you if you aren't ready for it... The headshake is definitely the worst though, makes you really need instead of want to replace a tire that might still have some rides left in it.
They all have some idiosyncrasies when wearing out. Dunlop RS II's and Mich PR2's howl in corners when they get worn--loud enough you might think another vehicle is coming up on you if you aren't ready for it... The headshake is definitely the worst though, makes you really need instead of want to replace a tire that might still have some rides left in it.
AdamK
Well-known member
I'm picking up the required tools to do the head torque and will loosen and re-tighten everything up front after installing the new tire and testing it that way. Want to do each step and check the results.
AdamK
Well-known member
Picked up the required tool for dealing with the steering head bolts (thanks Niehart) and re-torqued the head with most of the front end freed up. After replacing the top triple clamp the height of the tubes were spot on with the top triple tree. The steering definitely feel tighter and the shake is slightly reduced. The new front tire showed up around 8:30 pm so I'm leaving that for tomorrow night.I'm picking up the required tools to do the head torque and will loosen and re-tighten everything up front after installing the new tire and testing it that way. Want to do each step and check the results.
BanjoBoy
Well-known member
Yer welcome.
Also, I like get'in mah tires from American Motorcycle Tire; they usually come in a couples days, (Here to the golden shower state.) 'n have the best prices for these Bridgestones. https://www.americanmototire.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=33_82_1154
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AdamK
Well-known member
$6 cheaper than Rocky Mountain for the front EVO. Thanks for the link....Yer welcome.What Metzler, how many miles, why not another Metzler?
Also, I like get'in mah tires from American Motorcycle Tire; they usually come in a couples days, (Here to the golden shower state.) 'n have the best prices for these Bridgestones. https://www.americanmototire.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=33_82_1154
Uncle Hud
Just another blob of protoplasm using up your oxyg
Had a set of Roadtec 01's and enjoyed them, but didn't feel the love in the rain near their end-of-life -- probably my fault, not the tires' fault, because the front cupped a bit. Got a little over 10,000 miles out of that set.
I'm just finishing up with a pair of Z8s. They're nice; grippy as can be, well-mannered on the interstate at speed, and they're wearing remarkably evenly. I've got less than 10,000 miles on them, and they're probably good for another 2,000 miles. (That's about 6-8 weeks of riding.)
Why not Metzelers again? I'm test-riding several: Michelin PR4, Bridgestone T30, Roadtec 01, Z8, so far. The trusty Bridgestones have been the best, and I want them on when I take my new bride to EOM. One less thing to worry about.
Avons, Dunlops, and some kind of Pirelli will be tried also, and I should get through two of those brands next year. All three, if I'm lucky!
Full Disclosure: All tires are the 'heavy-spec' versions, and ... I ride like a grandma.
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AdamK
Well-known member
New front tire had little effect. It's maybe a little better on smooth surfaces but as soon as <something> gets it started the shake just take off. I wonder if a hit hard enough to bend the wheel could bend the axle?
I wonder if a hit hard enough to bend the wheel could bend the axle?
So I suppose that all of this is only with your hands off the bars?
Have you made any changes to the bike that steepened the steering angles? Raised the rear? Lowered the front? Like put a bigger than stock rear tire on maybe?
What rear preload setting are you running on? What happens to the head shake at lower or higher settings?
Have you made any changes to the bike that steepened the steering angles? Raised the rear? Lowered the front? Like put a bigger than stock rear tire on maybe?
What rear preload setting are you running on? What happens to the head shake at lower or higher settings?
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AdamK
Well-known member
Yes, only with hands off of the bars. Even with one hand lightly on the bars it doesn't seem to start the process of shaking. No changes to the bike. This is an ES model and I've tried single rider, rider with luggage and the two rider positions on preload.
So in summary, I've had the bike about 15 months and it has 15,500 miles on it. I'm on my 3rd set of tires. I've never noticed this problem before, but I wasn't really looking for it either. During my last trip to California I hit a rock which I never saw. The next day I had the bike on cruise and put and was flexing/stretching my hands and noticed the wobble. When it really gets going riders behind me see my top box oscillating. When I got home I discovered a bent front rim. I replaced it thinking this was the cause of the head shake. This had no effect. To date I've loosened and re-tightened the front suspension pinch bolts, re-torqued the steering head bearing, installed a new front tire.
BigOgre
Well-known member
So just for the sake of diagnosing, is it possible that the shake, or the conditions that could cause the shake, have been present all along? That possibly other than coincidental timing that the rock hit might not be related to its cause?
AdamK
Well-known member
Definitely a possibility that has crossed my mind. I have a friend in CA who also owns a 2016 FJR ES. He did the same test on his bike with PR4s which have something like 3,000 miles on them. It shook. But he said it didn't when the tires were first installed. But did he even think to test it with hands off of the bars? Who knows....
I would think after 15 months and 15k miles I would have noticed this before, but maybe not??
HotRodZilla
GOD BLESS AMERICA
I'm betting you bent more than that wheel.
Not sure what could be bent that is causing headshake. I suppose that if the forks got pushed back, the steering stability would be reduced and more prone to oscillate, but this is an ES with USD forks. It would take a pretty big hit to bend those. More than a rock in the road.
Anything else that was tweaked might cause steering pull but not wobble. The origin of the wobble has to be part of the rotating mass of the wheel. The fact that the wheel imbalance results in oscillation is because the steering stability is too low.
I guess you could put some tapered steering bearings on it, which will mechanically dampen the pivot, and that will eliminate it. How certain are you that you got the bearing preload correct when you recently adjusted that? You could increase that preload (the last torque step) a little and add damping that way. Too much preload will cause the bearing races to wear/dimple prematurely, but if your next step was tapered bearings then it might be worth a go anyway.
Anything else that was tweaked might cause steering pull but not wobble. The origin of the wobble has to be part of the rotating mass of the wheel. The fact that the wheel imbalance results in oscillation is because the steering stability is too low.
I guess you could put some tapered steering bearings on it, which will mechanically dampen the pivot, and that will eliminate it. How certain are you that you got the bearing preload correct when you recently adjusted that? You could increase that preload (the last torque step) a little and add damping that way. Too much preload will cause the bearing races to wear/dimple prematurely, but if your next step was tapered bearings then it might be worth a go anyway.
