Unexpected Death Wobble - Gen 6 VFR

Discussion in 'Mechanics Garage' started by Six-Demon-Bag, Jul 8, 2016.

  1. Six-Demon-Bag

    Six-Demon-Bag New Member

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    I just bought my first VFR last week, a pristine 2006 Interceptor with only 3200 miles on it. It's bone stock and has been so well maintained it still has the 10 year old stock tires the bike was built with.

    After dinner I installed the Honda trunk on the rear carrier and went for a short ride. While riding down a long hill I sat upright and coasted while going no handed. Almost immediately the front end of the bike started a progressively faster and faster wobble. I quickly grabbed the clip-ons to stop it. The road was smooth and I did nothing to induce it. In fact I was able to recreate the wobble 3 or 4 more times on level ground, this time with my hands hovering just above the grips. Nothing feels out of sort while riding normally with your hands on the grips. And seeing how quickly the wobble increased I'm sure it would have resulted in a crash if I didn't grab the bars quickly.

    I have never had a bike do this in my 18 years of riding. Has anyone else experienced this? Is this a result of the the stock 10 year old tires? The rear trunk couldn't be the cause, could it? I checked the front end after heading straight home and everything looked ok.

    The new Interceptor I just picked up a couple of days ago now looks a little different to me.

    Thanks in advance for your feedback.
     
  2. Jay with a vet in ba

    Jay with a vet in ba New Member

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    I had a similar issue years ago on an st 1100. Only on throttle off hands off it would start to shimmy and would get slowly more intense until applying some throttle or weight to the grips.

    A new front tire made the problem go and stay away. Good luck.
     
  3. dustin

    dustin New Member

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    I've had this exact issue and it was a defective front tire. Your tires are well past their usable life cycle at 10 years old so you're due a replacement set anyway.
     
  4. thx1138

    thx1138 New Member

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    First problem is obvious - keep hands on control surfaces
    Secondly- Check front tyre pressure and make sure it is at manufacturers specification
    Use a known accurate gauge rather than the one at the servo
     
  5. RVFR

    RVFR Member

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    Awe. the ole VFR head shake strikes again, Sure is an odd thing. One that can scare to shiet out of one when it comes outa the blue. Mine did this only with no hands, de-cell, coasting coming down through the 40mph range it started in. Whats crazy is just the slightest touch makes it go away. This bugged me, but knowing all one has to do is not let go during this period. The fix I finally did was a new different brand of a front tire with a different pattern. It went away with the Pirelli corsa. only thing I could related it to was the center siping, on most tires for the front have a solid sipe band, where the pirelli has a zig zagged one. IDK, but it worked for me. hands off coast, no worries.
     
  6. Underoath87

    Underoath87 New Member

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    Well, your tires should have been replaced at least twice over by now, so that's the obvious problem...
     
  7. Knight

    Knight New Member

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    I like what thx1138 said. The pressure must overcome flat spots from the tires sitting for years. Just to see, I would inflate both tires to their rated maximum pressure. Note that this pressure is probably a lot more than the recommendation for this specific bike. You must look it up with the tire manufacturer. Then leave the bike for a week. Make sure to lower the pressure back to normal before test riding. Will the tire retake its original form? I don't know!

    If it does not, I think that would be the specific reason to replace it. If it does retake form, I have mixed feelings about replacing the old tires just to be safe. I am OCD and for that reason, my personal philosophy would be to make the switch. However, I am not sure I can make a powerful argument for someone else to spend the money if the tires recovered for example. If a thorough inspection shows no sign of rotting, then the rubber has not degraded at all, particularly if stored inside, out of the elements.
     
  8. MichaelD

    MichaelD New Member

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    Yep, I agree with what has been said. New tire and all will be well.
     
  9. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    Once again Knight is on the fringe of hurting someone with his vast knowledge of all things motorcycle. The dude is a fucking menace.

    Ten year old tires? Change them before they kill somebody. If this bike wobbles and has done so several times, get a new steering head bearing too.
     
  10. fink

    fink Member

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    What on earth are you bumping your gums about now?? If your not sure of your information then please dont put it forward. For safety's sake. Have you ever seen a tyre blow out? I can be lethal.

    If you had said check the tyre pressures and ensure they were at the recommended pressures then I would happily agree with you just a I do when you say change them because they are old tyres.
     
  11. James Bond

    James Bond Member

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    Obvious thing is to put new tires on the bike. I've had a 5th gen. do it while cornering hard after a two wheel slide (the only time both wheels have ever slid for me) and it is scary. Headshake is terrifying the first time and everytime. In my case. I attributed it to the smaller diameter front forks that were put in a bind. You would have to know the details of this particular turn to understand everything about the incident. There is a reason the 6th gen has slightly larger diameter forks. Yours still did it though so I can only conclude you need good tires or that your bike is jinxed. ; ) Being jinxed can only be fixed by sending me large amounts of cash in small bills.
     
  12. Jeff_Barrett

    Jeff_Barrett Member

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    I'll throw in here ... I have this too when my tire start to become worn. A new front tire has always solved this for me.

    Some other potential causes:

    - Steering Head Bearing
    - Unbalanced Front Tire
    - Wrong Tire Pressure
     
  13. Six-Demon-Bag

    Six-Demon-Bag New Member

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    Thank you to everyone for your feedback, I appreciate it. I did inflate both tires to according to the label on the side of the bike and adjusted the rear suspension to the 4th stop.

    Being that it sounds like new tires would remedy problem immediately I'll be doing that pretty quick (leaning towards Metzelers). I bought it 6 days ago so haven't had the chance yet and it looks so good in the driveway, can't help but ride it. I've had lots of bikes with worn tires and never had them wobble like this.

    Badbilly, can a steering head bearing go bad from just sitting? I need to give the bike a once over to check the nuts and bolts and hoses but replacing a steering head bearing sounds over my head.
     
  14. Jeff_Barrett

    Jeff_Barrett Member

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    Take a peek at the Bridgestone Battlax T30 EVO ... amazing tire and WAY less expensive.

    Yes, a steering head bearing can go bad sitting depending environmental conditions. Any bearing can go bad like that. Steering head bearing is easy to replace, it's just time consuming.
     
  15. dfh

    dfh New Member

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    Ever seen a supermarket trolly wheel ocellate or flutter? At certain speeds the combination of the wheel diameter, fork rake & trail the wheel enters a harmonic ocellation around its steering axis that becomes self sustaining or even grows in severity. On a motorcycle both the wheels are mounted around the steering axis, the front with its much shorter trail flutters at a much higher frequency than the rear with its longer distance from the steering axis - think about that classic fishtailing slides on the throttle on a dirt road. Usually these ocellations, set off at certain speeds or by bumps are damped out by the tyre, but there is one other factor. If the natural flutter rate of the front wheel & the rear wheel harmonise then the self damping effects of the tyres is overcome & the bike becomes rapidly more unstable. If this happens at high speed then the consequences are serious, at low speed it's of little consequence becacause the act of the rider holding on to the bars damps the growing flutter. All bikes are designed with an eye to having the potentially dangerous point of harmonic flutter happen at low speed. Roll off the throttle at 60kph/40mph and take your hands off the bars & all bikes will flutter their steering. It's worse when tyres are worn or old, if suspension is worn, or a top box is fitted. But your 6th gen is normal. And you are stupid to ride with your hands off the bars.
     
  16. MichaelD

    MichaelD New Member

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    As I agree riding with no hands isn't practical, calling someone stupid isn't called for.
     
  17. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    A few comments:

    1. I think Jeff must have stock in Bridgestone as he keeps pushing the T30 EVO tires on eveyone! :wink:
    2. Riding on old tires, particularly 10 year old tires, is not the best of ideas, especially on a "new to you" motorcycle.
    3. Taking your hands off the bars, again not the best of ideas but is sometimes a way to see if your input is causing an issue and not the motorcycle exhibiting an issue. Do you remove them completely? No just take them off the bars enough to remove any pressure.
    4. Do head bearings really go bad by sitting? Or is it the grease that dries up and then causes the issue?
     
  18. RVFR

    RVFR Member

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    Yea, that Jeff he likes his Brigdestones huh. but they're not the 40s though. Almost as much as I prefer the Pirellis ;)

    I found when this happen it wasn't the head bearings. Though at first I thought so, so I ordered up some timkin rollers, in fact I still have them if any one is interested. But research with trial and error says it's not them.
    Tire pressure even though as simple as it is, wasn't the issue either, I tried all ranges of combos with the front and rear, Nope. For me this was on a 4th gen like 15 years ago. so tires weren't what they are today. The tires on there then was a style that had a center grove, these had me and a couple folks at Honda since this happened on a fairly new 4th gen which had us scratching our heads, even had a Honda tech try it and he came back like WTH. once we installed a new different pattern style front tire, and at this time I wasn't into one brand over another. the Bridgestone BT56s that where on there where a great tire then, but the decision went to pick out Pirellis Corsa as they had the different style center, so figure what the H..Wa-la No shake, go figure. Been with em ever since, then add man do they stick and track well. Millage will vary though, depending on ones riding.
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2016
  19. Jeff_Barrett

    Jeff_Barrett Member

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    Lolzzzz. I like to push a product I believe in that gives excellent performance at a reasonable cost.

    Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk
     
  20. tyarosevich

    tyarosevich New Member

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    Wanna hear a joke? How many vfrworld members does it take to tell someone to change their tires? Answer - every single godamn one of them!
     
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