Front End wobble

[ramdam1]

Just put on new Michelin Commander II tires front and rear. Have about 700 miles on them. Like the ride and have no issues until I noticed something today. I took both my hands off at about 30 MPH to adjust my helmet. Front end wobble started about a seconds after I took my hands off the handlebars. Bad enough that I had to grab it right away. Never had that before. Can not feel it at all even with just a very light grip only when both hands are off. Just did 400 miles over the weekend and many times with one hand on the handlebars. No issues at all.

Could always take my hands off before and maybe get a slight drift but never where the handlebars shook back and forth. What do you think?

[ACDCfn]

Common problem bad head bearings. Get "all balls" head bearings

[cactusjack]

There are numerous threads here about this very subject. Use the search function. It also helps to include the year, model and mileage when asking questions like this.

[ringadingh]

Usually a new tire helps solve it for a while too. New bearings, and tightening didn't fix it for me.

[smokey]

New tapered roller bearings in the head didn't solve my bike's head shake until I tightened them more, finally got it settled down and no head shake at all and the steering still moves freely from side to side.

[id-man]

You just put on new tires so it's not that, assuming they were properly balanced at the time. Loose steering nut would be my guess. Worn bearing second guess. You can jack up the front wheel and check for obvious looseness but in my case even though there was no discernible play the steering nut was indeed loose. Cranked it down till it passed the 'bounce' test and all's been groovy since - rock steady at all speeds. If it's not that then the problem is back in the tires - get them rebalanced or just put in some Dynabeads (much easier and they work!)

[Win_surfur]

I had this wobble once too. Well, the bike had it, not me personally...anywho...it turned out to be a tire pressure issue, it was underinflated. Added air to the proper pressure, and the wobble stopped.

I've had a few wobbles myself over the years, but it had nothing to do with my air pressure ;)

[Rasta]

I would get it balanced again and see if that helps if not you need to do this:

http://gadgetjq.com/steering_stem_adjust.htm

[jesse d]

I have the same problem with my 2010 voyager also.............and guess what tire I put on " commander II,s " front and back. Yep also have same front wobble. Kind of makes you wonder if it is safe..........I think it is just the bike design....but might be bearings....geee I only have 17000 miles on the bike you would think we should not have problems yet....

[kc_voyager]

Had the same problem with Shinkos, put Commander II's on with Counter-Act beads and it was 85% better. Checked the tire pressure and my tire guy had 40#psi in front, dropped it to 30#psi and is smooth as silk. Owners manual recommends 28#psi. Check that the tires are running in the right direction they run opposite direction of each other, Im thinking my front Shinko may have been installed in the wrong direction, there is an arrow for direction on the tires. I only have gotten 490miles per 1/32 of tread out of my last two Shinkos and my buddy seems to be getting 1250 miles per 32nd on his Commander II's. I measure them every time I ride with him. Hope I get the same!

[smokey]

Correct me if I am wrong but having a tire mounted in the wrong direction will not have an effect or cause a wobble, it is mounted in a certain direction so the tread pattern works to dissipate water correctly for the most part. I accidentally mounted my front wheel on backwards on the voyager, yes you can do that, the indication was that the cruise control didn't work as the sensor was sensing the wrong side, had no effect on the handling at all, and I rode a couple of days like that until I noticed what the problem was.

[usranger74]

I have the same tire with 10,000 miles on them. My Nomad does the same thing. But, there again it has done it will all the tires I have used over the last 4 yrs and 40,000 miles and it different tire pressures.

[dogleg]

Just went through the same issue last week. My front tire is a Commander II that now has 14K on it. The head shake had been mild but lately had gotten way worse. I figured I needed a new tire but I also needed to service the steering head bearings anyways (20K on bike) so I started there. I went ahead and ordered the All Balls tapered bearings just in case I got in there and needed them. The stock bearings looked good and still had an acceptable amount of grease but, since I already had the front end off I went ahead and changed them.

Results - ALL the head wobble was gone. I could even lift my hands off on decel which was better than new.

I thought for sure the tire was causing at least some of the wobble but It looks like I was wrong. Also, I think if I would have cleaned and re-lubed the stock bearings that I would have still had good results. My opinion is that these head bearings are a hair loose from the factory and over time/miles they will break in just enough to allow a wobble. The manual calls for 21 ft-lbs. I went with 25. I also run 40psi front/back.

[Top Cat]

Bought my 2008 with 2 feet of snow on the ground so no test ride.
Noticed in the spring it had a wobble if I let go of the bars.
Had new steering head bearings and wheel bearings installed.
Wobble went away.
This year I let go of the bars and let bike decelerate wobble is back.
If I let go of the bars with the throttle lock on, no wobble.
Sooooooooooooo, I am not going to let go with both hands at the same time, problem solved

[ringadingh]

^^^Thats exactly how my bike has been since Ive owned it. The wobble always returns eventually.