Odd handling after bike got serviced...

Hello all,

My bike finally got a complete check-up. Engineparts, fluids, rear brake pads, front dampers, etc.... Almost everything is checked and my bankaccount has a big dent now. The most important parts that are replaced are the steering head and tires. The bike feels lighter and completely different. The tires that are on now are Bridgestone BT-021's. Nothing fancy, but they are a good choice for the riding and enviroment here. They replace an old set of Dunlop D207's the previous owner used.

The odd part is that the bike feels like it's searching for a way to go. I can feel the handlebars pushing slightly against my hands. Like the bike is more sensitive to every input or bump on the road. It's a bit unsettling. Am I too used to a worn bike? Or is this normal?

 

Hi Willem,

I'd check tire pressures first. Then, after confirming they are in spec, if it still feels too sensitive, take it back to the service place for them to double check the torque on the steering head bearings. There is a specific process for tensioning them, and if not followed exactly the bearings can loosen up quickly.

Cheers,
Glenn

 

If they changed the steering head bearings check the gap on the forks and triple clamp, if the bike is nervous then they may have dropped it to far, I've found my preference is 8mm.

 

+1 For checking head bearing torque. When the head bearings were done on my 86 initially the were a bit to tight. That led to unusual handling. I'd describe it as nervous or jittery. As if the bike always wanted to change direction, anything but go straight.

 

Make sure the steering head bearings aren't too tight. A wandering bike is usually the way too tight bearings will make their presence felt.

 

Put some miles on it today. It feels like it's going away.
Maybe it's the tires. Drove a twisty road and grip kept increasing. I have to go back to the shop anyway, so I'll let 'm check again.

 

WillemK, are you aware that new tires are coated with a substance that helps them release from their manufacturing molds? This material is slick by design, and the motorcycle ride is dangerous until this is worn off.

I think that installers should scrub new tires with soap once installed, or at least offer this as a service. However most experienced riders do not seem to worry about the release agent and they just ride carefully until they have worn the material off.

 

New rubber especially when changing manufacturers/compounds ect are going to make the bike feel odd for awhile. Coupled with the change in steering geometry IMO the feeling may be one of muscle memory.

The number for scuffing off rubber here in the states is aboot 100 miles. Kind of an estimate at best, 100 miles on a slab (freeway or many places in the US Midwest) will not scuff off that parting compound on the sides of the tires.

The big boys here use 220 sandpaper. I don't know aboot that soap (detergent) , water and elbow grease thing. It may work but I'd rinse off that soap or detergent and dry the tires before playing fast guy.

There could be a fjord in your future if ya slide off the road there..

 

Well, after that ride, the handling definitly improved. Only thing left that worries me is the steeringbar. It still has a little deviation to the right.

 

Any dealer who sells and installs a new tire on your bike should be warning you of the slippery nature of the tire until it is scrubbed in. I have seen somewhere that it was stated it is a requirement. But cannot attest to that from personal knowledge. I do know that every time I had a shop install a set of tires on my bike, they did bring it to my attention.

 

Bridgestone, Dunlop and Pirelli do not use "releasing agent" on their tires, Michelin does. However, they all recommend a scrub in and heat cycling period of 50-100 miles depending on the manufacturer.

How do I know? I sent letters to the technical support departments for each of those 4 manufacturers and that was the answer I got back.

The strange thing is that Michelin only recommended 25-50 miles before they say they were adequately "scrubbed"......the others were all at 100 miles.

 

Care to share those?

 

The last Conti road attack 2 tires were good to go, as well. I'm not sure about the others in their line.

 

In the shop's defence, they did tell me about the tires. But I'm a new driver with barely two months of experience. I have never driven with new tires before. Didn't expect it to be this different. And to think of it that I drove it in the poring rain. It was quite unsettling...

Well, that's cleared then. About the bent steeringbar. I've heard that the T-section (do you call it that in the US or UK?) that holds the fork together could be bent. Another thing to fix...

 

I love this forum because I learn something every day. I can stop perpetuating ignorant rumor now!

So what is that slick stuff on the new tire? It is oil from the tire's physical makeup, one of the reasons why the same requirement of scrubbing them exists. I think the primarily used release agent was silicon based. So the issue actually has not changed, new tires were, and are still, coated with oil or lubricant.

 

Yea that must have been scary. I am glad you came through that just fine! FYI it takes more miles to scrub the tire in while wet then while on dry pavement.

I think what you refer to we call the "triple clamp" or the "triple tree clamp" in the United States.

 

Pirelli actually went so far as to say they intentionally make their tires shiny....because that is what buyers wanted to see when they were shopping off the rack. They said they were able to achieve this due to the polished moulds they used.

No idea about the chemical you are asking about, sorry. I have 4 brand new tires in my garage right now and none of them are really "shiny" or "slick" and don't appear to be coated with anything. 1 is a Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa front, 2 Conti Force Attack supermoto rears, and 1 Conti Force Attack supermoto front.

 

I have Metzler's which were slick, and have seen Dunlops that were actually oily, you see a rainbow in it, and it comes off on the hands. Well another assumption of mine, I assumed this was universal from my experience.

 

OIL? LOL.. That sound in the background we hear is the kaching of the lawyers cash registers. If the manufacturers were using silicon as a parting compound, there might be a potential for the grip to be greater when the tire was new and degrade as the tire wears. Silcon is sand. Only SOW would be wanting to lubricate his tires IMO. Maybe that's why they call slicks slicks.

If a tire was in fact oily from use of a petrochemical product, that alone unless completely removed could present a disaster.

This program was sponsored by BB's "News For Noobs", not to be confused with Dear Abby.

 

Somewhere over the rainbow...