Unexpected Death Wobble - Gen 6 VFR

Oh hai. Change your tires.

4 years and I'd be very sketchy. The rubber doesn't have to rot to degrade. Like an old rubber band, or chewing gum.

 

my first guess would be low tire pressure from sitting in old tires--if it happened to me i would probably check the pressure and adjust, then try again just to see if it went away, then order new tires, but that's just me.

To check the steering bearings you need to get the front wheel off the ground so you can feel for any roughness or stiction in moving the bars back and forth. If it feels notchy or bumpy as you rotate the bars then the bearings are suspect.

In addition you can measure the stiction and friction of the bearings with a push-pull force gauge--sort of like pulling the bars with a fish scale to see how much force it takes to breakaway, etc.

Good luck i'm sure you'll get it sorted out...

 

Yup, 10 year old tires...
Your ride definitely needs new shoes.

 

Riding no hands is not what these bikes were designed for and is a foolish risk to take. 4th gens do the same thing. It seems that things were designed so that hands on the bars is all the damping the steering needs to work right.

 

The term most used is speed wobble. Fairly common on dirt track bikes with greater rake and trail angles than street or road bikes. Previous wobbles can damage the sometimes not so great OEM bearings. Sitting could cause some corrosion. Maybe.

There are so many choices of tires that to start in with that is no better than a sales pitch at this point. Your ten year old tires are toast. They died of old age.. RIP. If the labor is daunting changing out a steering head bearing, a competent MC mechanic can do the job. It does not require a dealership.

Just because a particular tire is great for some it might not be great for others.. Then there is brand adherence. If X tires from Y tire maker was good enough for Aunt Tilly then they are good enough for everyone. That makes it a load of crap right there.

Another cure is a steering damper.. they used to be just a simple hydraulic device. Now they are adjustable and in some venues mandatory. They cost several dozen pesos.

The once over is a great idea. Download a service manual for your bike and follow the torque values given for all the fastners. If you don't have one, buy or borrow a torque wrench.



I think most of us would be hot to trot to ride a "new" bike but I gotta tell ya, a speed wobble kill you.

 

It ain't exactly smart either. Is there a compromise? One hand maybe? Which one? Sooo confusing. I am back to stupid..

 

That slight touch cure is not always going to work. Speed wobbles can go from bad to worse from fast to slow and vice versa. Better IMO to haul down on the speed and unload the front end if the bike does wobble. Bet you can find some speed wobbles on Utube that will scare the BJesus out of anyone.

 

and every other farkle he has.. Could AM be next? This could save her from the horny old dudes who are trying to score..

 

Thanks kennybobby and Badbilly for the info, I'll check the steering for any resistance. Greatly appreciate the feedback and help with figuring out the source of the problem. Jusut glad the wobble didn't lead to a crash.

New tires can't get installed fast enough! And yes Jeff, I'll check out the T30s. :smile-new:

 

Check out the Michelin PR4's too, highly rated on here. Have them on my '14.

 

I run Michelins too. Best tires in the galaxy. How do I know this? My bike never falls over.

 

EDIT: Rake and trail with lesser angles.. Whoops..

 

How can that be? SOW uses Michelins and his bike is always falling over!

 

My garage floor is not loaded up with cat shit. A recent study showed the coefficient of friction of kitty doodoo approached that of Teflon.

 

I was going to say with all that cat liter, why would SOWS stay up right.

 

Decided to go with the Metzelers Z8. About the same price as the T30 EVOs but currently have a $50 rebate. Don't.

Sorry Jeff, money talks.

 

I almost went with those as well - I don't think you'll be disappointed with them.

 

With all those cats he claims, I bet there is more than a litre. Seattle's most famous stripper is Miss Kitty Litter.

 

I'm on my third set of these, you'll be a happy bunny.