front wiggle at low speed

[vic ray]

Yesterday I put a new front tire on my bike. It was one of the Pirelli Diablo stradas that was offered free with the purchase of a Diablo Strada rear tire. I noticed today that the handle bars wiggle a little side to side at speeds below about 30 m.p.h. I can't see anything I have done wrong to make it do this and I don't think the bike did this before I put the new tire on. All of the bolts are tight and the tire is rolling in the correct direction. Do you think that it could have gotten incorrectly balanced at the shop. I thought if it is out of balance, it would probably wiggle all of the time and not just at low speeds. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

Thanks, Vic.

 

[Rogue]

Some (Myself included) have the same thing with Avons. It doesn't happen on all bikes. It is probably the tire, If its the same thing its not a safety issue, just annoying at low speeds.

 

[Feejer/Weejer man]

Oh no the diablo's wiggle. don't let go of the bars. Man just like the Avons, no good tire. Quality conrtrol problem, they are probably no good and don't stick to any surface, no good in the rain, don't get enough miles out of the tread and all around just suck.

 

[MrVvrroomm]

Oh no the diablo's wiggle. don't let go of the bars. Man just like the Avons, no good tire. Quality conrtrol problem, they are probably no good and don't stick to any surface, no good in the rain, don't get enough miles out of the tread and all around just suck.

Huh? Anyone got a decoder ring for this gibberish?

 

[Bounce]

Monitor your PSI and run what Pirelli says, not what the owners manual says. The manual is based on the OEM tire, so is only valid if you continue to use the OEM tire.

Avons and Michelins tend to like to run at 41/41 psi (f/r) with the Avons working well with even a little more PSI.

The OEM Bridgestones liked higher-then-OEM spec PSI to slow down front tire cupping.

Check your PSI. Bump them up to 40/41 or 41/41 (f/r).

Check/service your steering head bearing (how many miles on the bike? when was the last time the shb was serviced?)

https://www.bikes-n-spikes.org/maint/shb/shb.html

 

[vic ray]

Hey bounce,

the bike has 8000 miles on it. I haven't serviced the steering head yet but it probably isn't due for that yet. I probably need to check the torque on the steering head bolt. I haven't checked that yet. It isn't that the wiggle is really bad, it is just annoying at low speed. I don't know what p.s.i. they put in the tire so I am going to check that also. Thank you guys for the input, if anyone else has any suggestions please let me know.

 

[Bike Effects]

FWIW, I have had to tighted the steering stem bearings on every bike I have owned, including the FJR. I have Stradas. No wiggle, no time.

 

[ionbeam]

You should verify that the bead line is uniform around the wheel and the bead line is equal on each side of the rim.

With the front wheel in the air and the forks held steady, clamp/place/fix any pointy object near the center of the tread very close to the tire. Now, spin the wheel and visually check that the center of the tire does not appear to weave from side to side and the tire appears to be round. (And, the brakes do not drag.)

 

[Bounce]

Hey bounce,the bike has 8000 miles on it. I haven't serviced the steering head yet but it probably isn't due for that yet. I probably need to check the torque on the steering head bolt. I haven't checked that yet. It isn't that the wiggle is really bad, it is just annoying at low speed. I don't know what p.s.i. they put in the tire so I am going to check that also. Thank you guys for the input, if anyone else has any suggestions please let me know.

Book calls for every 12k miles or 18 months. That's once you know it was done right at the factory. :huh:

Also don't use pressure washers to clean the bike. Water intrusion is a real buggboo wrt bearings and seals on motorcycles.

Checking your tires PSI should be an every time part of your pre-ride check list.

https://www.bikes-n-spikes.org/misc/t-clock.htm

 

[bramfrank]

Hey bounce,the bike has 8000 miles on it. I haven't serviced the steering head yet but it probably isn't due for that yet. I probably need to check the torque on the steering head bolt. I haven't checked that yet. It isn't that the wiggle is really bad, it is just annoying at low speed. I don't know what p.s.i. they put in the tire so I am going to check that also. Thank you guys for the input, if anyone else has any suggestions please let me know.

Book calls for every 12k miles or 18 months. That's once you know it was done right at the factory. :huh:

My book says that they need to be checked/tightened at the first inspection. Was yours done then?
OTOH, the tread block pattern on the Avon is such that at LOW speed, the bike will simply 'bump along'. Perhaps that's one reason why bikes with Avons often develop headshake - resonance with the suspension. I hope the Stradas I ordered don't do that. TheZ6s I have no are fine.

 

[Fjroamer]

FWIW, I have had to tighted the steering stem bearings on every bike I have owned, including the FJR. I have Stradas. No wiggle, no time.

Just to confuse the issue even more....., I recently installed the Stradas and have no weaving or decel wobble whatsoever. Never serviced (yet) steering head bearings (24,000 mi.). Last tires (Conti R.A.s) had a serious decel wobble, almost going into a no handed tank slapper. Michellin P.R.s before that, never did anything funny. O.E.M. 'stone 020's were fairly well mannered as well. Never had interest in trying Avons with stories of weaving, decel wobble, and need for much balancing weight. Perhaps not the best Q.C. ??? (reported by many but equally as many swear they've never experienced any of this).

I would check the front for balance/ out of roundness...???

So many stories from so many different riders, bikes, tires..... too many variables to give a pat answer.

There's something to be said for rider weight (+ pass), tire inflation, sus. settings, tread design, section width (?) "v" or "u" profile. sidewall plies (stiffness), road surface types..., but I'm no techie so I can only relate my experience

(not much help, huh?) :dribble:

 

[vic ray]

I didn't realize people were still posting to this thread. I thought it had vanished. I guess I should give an update. As far as I can tell, it was the tire. I had bought a new Pirelli Strada rear tire and got the front free with the Pirelli offer on their web sight. I don't know if they were giving out seconds for the free tires but that was what was causing my front end to wiggle. The bad thing about this whole deal is I took the wheel off 1st. for the new front, found the wiggle. took it off to have re-balanced, 2nd. still had the wiggle. Took it off the 3rd. to put a new front tire on and paid for a re-mounting second time,so it cost me $50.00 total for re-mounting. Called Pirelli asked what I needed to do to get reimbursed for the 2nd. tire mounting charge and they said they only guarentee the tire. ( I feel like if they send you a bad tire they should have to foot the bill for a remount charge.) And on top of that they want the dealer I bought the rear from to handle sending the thing to Parts Unlimited for a warentee claim. I don't think the place is overjoyed about having to handle a claim for a tire they actually didn't sell me. They have to pay shipping to send it back so I am sure I will be responsible for paying that to. So in reality the free Pirelli front wasn't free. It cost me quite a bit of time and money running back and forth before we figured it out. I guess it's true what they say " you don't get something for nothing"

 

[odot]

What ever happened to "all the best things are free"?

 

[Mike-H]

What ever happened to "all the best things are free"?

Define "best" & "free"

 

[NoCage]

I didn't realize people were still posting to this thread. I thought it had vanished. I guess I should give an update. As far as I can tell, it was the tire. I had bought a new Pirelli Strada rear tire and got the front free with the Pirelli offer on their web sight. I don't know if they were giving out seconds for the free tires but that was what was causing my front end to wiggle. The bad thing about this whole deal is I took the wheel off 1st. for the new front, found the wiggle. took it off to have re-balanced, 2nd. still had the wiggle. Took it off the 3rd. to put a new front tire on and paid for a re-mounting second time,so it cost me $50.00 total for re-mounting. Called Pirelli asked what I needed to do to get reimbursed for the 2nd. tire mounting charge and they said they only guarentee the tire. ( I feel like if they send you a bad tire they should have to foot the bill for a remount charge.) And on top of that they want the dealer I bought the rear from to handle sending the thing to Parts Unlimited for a warentee claim. I don't think the place is overjoyed about having to handle a claim for a tire they actually didn't sell me. They have to pay shipping to send it back so I am sure I will be responsible for paying that to. So in reality the free Pirelli front wasn't free. It cost me quite a bit of time and money running back and forth before we figured it out. I guess it's true what they say " you don't get something for nothing"

Sorry you got a bad one VR... Decelerating w/ hands off the bars, the Bridgestone OEM's didn't wobble, the Avons did, the new Stradas don't. You just got lucky. <_<