front tire wobble

[oldrampy]

2011 voyager 3000 mi. have front tire wobble when slowing down real bad if you take hands off bars. dont notice at running speed. tire out of balance or something else?

[ringadingh]

Usually its a sign that the front tire is worn or the steering neck bearings are loose. Your tire doesn't have enough miles to be worn, but it may be defective. Jack up the bike and see if the tire runs true, and check the bearings in the steering.

[scion0]

Mine did that a few years ago but it went away with a new front tire.

[Top Cat]

Mine used to do that, I quit taking my hands off the bars, no more problem. :shrug:

[fudd]

Try checking air pressure

[glwilson]

Usually its a sign that the front tire is worn or the steering neck bearings are loose. Your tire doesn't have enough miles to be worn, but it may be defective. Jack up the bike and see if the tire runs true, and check the bearings in the steering.

You don't think a tire at 3,000 miles can have cupping?

Even so, that remains a sign of other problems like the neck-bearings needing serviced.

Also, wasn't it discussed that the swing-arm can cause this also? Thought I remember Mac mentioning that one time a few years back. I believe he said to service the swing-arm anyway... since apparently Kawa has been known to be stingy with the grease when they make their bikes. :shrug:

No matter what... I would look at getting it fixed no matter what it took... because that's just not right.:ohno:

[recumbentbob]

Sounds to me like you have not been running enough PSI in your front tire and it's starting to cup. The voyager is a heavy bike, check your air pressure front and rear on a weekly basis and run 40 PSI in it.

[Jimbo3]

+1 on the air pressure. My Nomad wobbled the day I picked it up from the dealer, found out it only had 22 lbs in the front tire. Put it at 40 lbs front and back, wobble is gone!

[Voyager_1700]

Greetings.. new here.. I too have recently experienced front end wobble.
I have a 2009 VV w/ 19,000 miles on it.
2 yrs ago I first noticed a wobble on Skyline drive.. I pulled over checked tire pressure and was done to about 20psi.. I did so much riding like that my tire cupped.. I can't say how many miles or how long, but I as soon as I put in the air it handled much better, not quite like new since I had tire damage.. but as I rode the cupped tire did eventually wear smoother.. Anyway.. So after replacing my rear tire at 9,000miles, and ready for another one.. also knowing I needed a front tire now.. I decided to start looking for something that would get me some miles before replacing.. I ended up with Avon Cobras MT90/16 BIAS in front and 180/60/60 RADIAL in rear.. and I've heard both side.. and yes you can do that.. just DO NOT do RADIAL in FRONT/BIAS in REAR.. anyway.. I am noticing that front end wobble when I take my hands off the bars.. I noticed it's worse at lower speeds.. basically I set my cruise at different speeds and let go here's what I noticed...
30-40mph after about 5 seconds.. very severe wobble
40-50mph after about 6 or 7 seconds not as severe, but pretty bad
50-60mph after about 7 or 8 seconds just bad..
and above 80 mph.. hell I can lay back and take a nap.. nothing.. smooth as ice (basically).. thoughts suggestions.. opinions.. HELP..
Thanks..

[old dog]

I have a 2011 vaquero tires cupped bad book call for 28# changed to 40 did not help
Have anew metzler coming friday Will start with 40# hope it works
Anyway my bike never did wobble Bike came with Bidgestone exedra never again
With only 12650 mi front is shot

[bouson]

2011 voyager 3000 mi. have front tire wobble when slowing down real bad if you take hands off bars. dont notice at running speed. tire out of balance or something else?
Had the same problem with my 900 classic from day one, the dealer said nothing was wrong. When I changed the tires, aligned everything, balanced tires with dyna-beads and trued the wheels 98% of the problem went away. In the shop manual trouble shooting guide it had about 4 other things including the swing-arm being out of alignment that could be the problem.
Check in the online manual available here (http://www.vulcanbagger.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13049) on page 17-51 at the bottom and there are a list of possible issues that could be the problem.

[Voyager_1700]

I have a 2011 vaquero tires cupped bad book call for 28# changed to 40 did not help
Have anew metzler coming friday Will start with 40# hope it works
Anyway my bike never did wobble Bike came with Bidgestone exedra never again
With only 12650 mi front is shot
Did you get the new Metzler?

How is it?
I bumped air pressure up to 45 (against my better judgement.. I know over inflated can cause cupping just as much as under inflated...)
.. Not getting the wobble, but now I can feel every little stone in the road....lol
I guess it's the lesser of 2 evils ...

[Monkeyman]

... it only had 22 lbs in the front tire.

First thing I would have done is ride it back to the dealer so they could double check to see how else they F'ed up.

just DO NOT do RADIAL in FRONT/BIAS in REAR.

Sure you can. The only problem with running a bias on one end and a radial on the other is they handle differently. I rode with a guy the other day (on an older GW) that has a radial in front and a bias in the rear. I couldn't keep up with him.

Did you get the new Metzler?

How is it?
I bumped air pressure up to 45 (against my better judgement.. I know over inflated can cause cupping just as much as under inflated...)
.. Not getting the wobble, but now I can feel every little stone in the road....lol
I guess it's the lesser of 2 evils ...

Sounds like it's time for a new tire.

[Voyager_1700]

Sounds like it's time for a new tire.
I don't even have a thousand miles on this set..
I can tell you I will most likely not get another set of Avon's
And I also won't be going back to the same shop either...
for some reason.. It seems like most people only want to do the whole job.. and not troubleshoot the problem..
I called a Kawy dealer it's about 50miles from my house...I explained my situation and offered to pay to see if the tires are spinning out of round and to remove & rebalance both from & rear. They said .. nope.. we won't touch it since someone else installed the tires.. I never heard of that..

[recumbentbob]

I don't even have a thousand miles on this set..
I can tell you I will most likely not get another set of Avon's
And I also won't be going back to the same shop either...
for some reason.. It seems like most people only want to do the whole job.. and not troubleshoot the problem..
I called a Kawy dealer it's about 50miles from my house...I explained my situation and offered to pay to see if the tires are spinning out of round and to remove & rebalance both from & rear. They said .. nope.. we won't touch it since someone else installed the tires.. I never heard of that..

That sucks, if you are paying for it what difference does it make.

If you think it is a balance problem get some dynabeads and put them in the tire yourself.

[Blueraven]

I had the same problem. Replace the tire with the OEM that was on the bike. Balanced, pressure, NO WOBBLE.. The old tire was cupped and had 40,000Km on it.

[Voyager_1700]

Yeah.. that's about what I was thinking.. It sucks cause it's a new tire.. not even 1,000 miles.. Next year.. I'll melt the back one done and go back to OEM.. this stinks.. I just want a rear tire I don't have to replace every year (8-9,000 miles)

[recumbentbob]

Yeah.. that's about what I was thinking.. It sucks cause it's a new tire.. not even 1,000 miles.. Next year.. I'll melt the back one done and go back to OEM.. this stinks.. I just want a rear tire I don't have to replace every year (8-9,000 miles)

I have an 08 Nomad i got 18,000 out of a Avon Cobra front tire could have gone maybe 21,000 but was going on a trip so I replacedi t with another one.

I have 23,000 on my rear car tire and it looks good for at least another 10,000.