Road King front end wobble

[1skull2many]

Has anyone out there encountered a wobble in the front end at 70 mph. I have a 2005 Road King Classic and suddenly I have this problem. I've checked spolkes, air pressure and balance. I have read something about a class action suit because a police officer died because of this I don't want to end up like that. Any suggestions out there

[tjwad]

Can anyone tell me what adjusting the (fall off) means? Also, my 04 Ultra Classic seems unstable at slow speeds. Wants to make quick right and left movements.

[mountain_motorsports]

Fall off as in after you fall off......?....LOL...:^O

Got me there.......

Low speed weiredness in 99% the tires, check pressure and replace before the wear bars get flush.....

[trident_t150]

Are you referring to adjusting your front fork "swing by?" That is the term it is referred to in the owner's manual.

Because of the unique front end geometry of the Harley tour bikes, the front end will want to center itself when properly set up. (The fork tubes are set behind the steering stem, with a 4.5 degree rake in the reversed triple trees).

Jack the bike off the floor, making sure it is level. Turn the forks full to the left, and release. If your steering head is adjusted properly, the forks should swing all the way to the right, full back to the left, and then partially back to the right. If it's set too tight, it won't make it to the third swing, and if set too loose it will continue to swing.

[trident_t150]

The tour Harley's front ends give you more than 6" of trail, which makes for a great highway ride, but which also tends to make them want to "flop" at slow speed, if your steering head bearings are set too loose. Hence the importance of doing the "swing by" test.

[powerfulpiney]

tjwad, you are on the right track. I have always heard it refered to as fall away. It is the proper way to adjust the steering head bearings on your front end. From what you are describing your adjustment is too tight. If it is a custom front end and the adjustment is made by taking up on the bottom stem nut, better use red locktite.

[trident_t150]

From what you are describing your adjustment is too tight.

If the front end is flopping, I would think that it was too loose.

Many of us who never had a Harley before, and then bought a Harley tour bike, have had difficulty in slow speed manuevers until we got used to their unique front end. Once mastered, they are great at slow speed!

Google "Ride Like a Pro," or here on eBay, and buy that video. You will master your slow speed handling problems quickly!

[powerfulpiney]

"At low speed the front end makes quick left and right movements." Doesn't sound like flopping to me. It sounds as if the front end is hard to keep straight. If it is too tight and is going to the right, bearings being to tight, the rider finds himself over compensating and then it quickly goes to the left. It is more of a wandering feeling and tends to disappear as speed increases.

[keith1chapman]

Hi; I used to ride a 1938 harley springer. Here is what started it to go into a high speed wobble. at over 65 MPH--one slight bump in the road. The problem was-- the fork to frame bearings. sometime if it was to tight it would go into a slow wobble, that you could not hold. You had to apply the rear brake slightly and pray, and slowly slow down. I later had an R75/5 BMW which had a Damper on the tripple tree. If you got it to tight it would do the same thing. I have ridden since I was 14. I have ridden a lot of different bikes. The one thing I noticed on the new Harleys is the tire size. Its to narrow to suit me. And check the front shocks, for the proper amount of fluid (both sides the same), check for a bent rim, check to see that both front shocks are not bent or either damaged. Good luck and be careful. Also make sure proper alinment front and back wheel should aline on a straighe edge. PS I now ride a Valkyrie. Keith-aa9gk

[jmkpm]

To 1skull2many Its the first time on here and I see your question.I just read a article about this very thing in American Iron mag.I just went to find it but I think someone borrowed it.Well the fix was the bearings up top of the trees being worn and lose.I'll try to find it so I can give you the month a year but I'm sure it was this or last month.

[jmkpm]

If you look up American Iron mag. Nov. 2007,Page 144
Floating Front end,Service your Touring models neck bearings.It's in their biker basic section

[trident_t150]

Sniping 100 with a big thank you to jmkpm.
We used to get ebay bucks for helping people around here.

Wobbles can come from many sources, but a known problem area is a good place to start.

[mountain_motorsports]

We used to get ebay bucks for helping people around here.


Hey I remember that.....:^OEbay kicked me down $10 bucks, but that's been a while back...:_|

[raftguide]

Check the steering head bearing pre-load and torqueing of the top triple tree bolts.

Scott

[1relaxwon]

Harley's have had a problem with instability in their motorcycles since 1980. Not all units react the same due to weight, road conditions, tire wear,tire pressure and suspension isolators. To correct the problem you can spend $250.00 or up to $400.00 dollars for a stabilizer to cure wobble. The front of the bike reacts to rear swing arm moving in the rear rubber isolators. Fall away for the front end is important too but it's not the answer. THE DIFFERENCE IN PRODUCT COST IS QUALITY AND PROPER ENGINEERING TO GIVE THE RIGHT AXIS CONTROL TO SPREAD THE LOAD EVENLY ACROSS THE ATTACHMENT POINTS OF THE FRAME.

[trident_t150]

Rereading some of the earlier posts, I laughed when I saw I had posted back in '05 that I'd never buy a Harley until they fixed the problem, but I ended up with an '06 the following summer, and have had no problems with wobbles of any type, and I'm coming up on 30,000 miles. I can't even induce one deliberately.

But it is interesting to note that Harley finally did fix the problem they claimed they never had on the '09's new frame, with a new four point engine mount, and no need to check engine frame alignment.