| Good Vibrations? | Rate Topic |
| Moderators: redbaron, MDKramer, Flyone, AZgl1500 |
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| Posted: Wed Dec 3rd, 2008 12:32 am | 1st Post |
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Have about 7,500 on the new wing now. I've been riding home more in the dark lately and the other day I felt LOTS of vibration through the handle bars. Checked it - been monitoring it for a few days. Some of it is our local roads - lots of gouges and rough-worn pavement. Tires are still looking good. I started testing by taking my hands off the bars at various speeds. Seems that at two different speed ranges I am getting a "handlebar shimmy" - side to side - but so far doesn't seem consistent. I have also been noticing - my right hand especially - falls asleep frequently - didn't seem to happen when new. What could cause this shimmy? Front wheels out of balance? Is there some other thing or recall on the 2008 1800 that could cause this? Just trying to narrow down an excessive "vibration" that seems more pronounced after 7,500 miles
____________________ "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson, (attributed); US essayist & poet (1803 - 1882) WHAT I RIDE: 2008 Honda GL1800, 2002 Indian Chief |
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| Posted: Wed Dec 3rd, 2008 01:16 am | 2nd Post |
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I'd say at 7500 your about 2/3 into your tires, check for some slight cupping and check your air pressure.. I noticed on my 1500 a small shake in front now and then at about 35mph and my tire is into the wear marks.. Will change it first rainy day............
____________________ Back to riding after a 30 yr lay off.. Started with a 86 Magna 750 on to a 02 Shadow 1100,99 Magna 750,91 ST1100, finaly a 93 Wing.. and now an 06 1800 Loven Life... |
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| Posted: Wed Dec 3rd, 2008 02:22 am | 3rd Post |
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One thing about the 1800 is at 7 or 8 thousand miles your tire is just right at half way gone on the front. I do really like this bike, but also admit its short comings, and one is the harsh front suspension. As the tire wears and with the new radial tires, the ride does get more harsh and more vibration is noticed. As for the side play all bikes do this as the tires wear. The big bikes like the wings and bigger cruisers, I never noticed it much on bikes like a shadow or similar bike, but all big bikes do this. I put my first new front tire on at just about 7000 miles, and getting close to a second. My tires wear well as I do check the pressure and run ride on in the tire and mine are not cupped at all, but they do wear down and you can certainly feel the increased vibration. Kit
____________________ The 1800 is my bike. The very best motorcycle ever made. I was enthralled with my first test ride on this machine. It is a great bike. A crotch rocket with storage bags.............As for oil I use the slick kind, and I like round tires, but as of late I have found square ones work best on the rear. Pirelli Eufori 195/55/16 @ 32 PSI Kit |
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| Posted: Wed Dec 3rd, 2008 03:03 am | 4th Post |
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Yes 'Wings do wear tires, I'm on my second set of E3s on my 1500 after a set of E2s and the all do the same. For four or five thousand miles all is great. After that at some higher mileage the 35mph wobble sets back in. It always goes away with a new front tire but not for more than 5-10k miles. It isn't dangerous, you can't feel it at all with both hands on the handlebar but it sure shows up when you decelerate down through 35mph hands off. My 1200 did the same thing. I haven't noticed it on any of the 1100s I've had but never kept them long enough to wear out their tires, need to sell the bikes I rework for finance my road trips.
____________________ If you can't ride, fly or sail it, why bother? 2001 Goldwing 1800 Paul W. |
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| Posted: Wed Dec 3rd, 2008 04:28 pm | 5th Post |
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I ride 2up, too far, too often, to let my tires wear down very much. I use the Dunlops, but they lose strength & wet road grip as the tire wears. Normally change my tires while they still look real good. My hands used to fall asleep until I stopped squeezing the grips & began riding with my fingers out-stretched & just using the web between my thumbs/index fingers for steering on newer Kuryakin grips. Also, I have Progressives on the front and run them at 0 psi + adjust suspension to match load. I don't notice any vibes, with my tires at 8000 miles. Can't really say why, with any certainty, though.
____________________ KANWINGS / Wild Rhinos Kansas Patriot Guard Μολὼν λαβέ Oath Keepers NRA Life Member GOA 97 1500SE Black/Chrome |
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| Posted: Wed Dec 3rd, 2008 04:53 pm | 6th Post |
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Yep... I agree its dee tires!!! The rear tire can make the front shake. This is a subject that can get real heated so you will have to make your own judgement. Some say upgrade the forks and rear shock. Some say stem bearings. Others say rear car tire. Most have solved the shake and tire issue to their satisfaction. I have also been down the same road and my conclusions are that many of us are trying to get automobile like mileage out of motorcycle tires. I can remember before the day of "touring bikes"... motorcycles would get 6,000 to 9,000 miles out of their tires.Technology has improved things but motorcycles are still not cars.   Tires seem to set off the handling and wear discussions, and for me, at least, tires have been the answer. My 2005 does not have the symptom's you are mentioning. But they did show up a couple years ago and I gathered a lot of advice from these threads and did a lot of experimenting along with a couple other local GL1800 riders in my area. All I can do is share what has worked for us. Tire Pressure... F.38 R41. Best performing tires, for me.. Bridgestone Exedras. Front = G709 130 70 R18. Rear G850 180 70 R16. Yes I am running the larger 70 series tire in the rear! I found that the G850 performs great but the available G851 does not. I have replaced the front tire a couple times now after 18,000 miles with NO cupping or shakes. I get about 10,000 miles out of the larger rear tire. The stock size 60 series will wear longer, but I like the advantages to the larger tire.  To be honest I do see a slight shake in the handlebars when the rear tire gets close to replacement time. For me thats 8,000 or more miles on the rear tire. But this pales comparison to what other brand tires did, brand new or just a couple thousand miles of use.... talk about shakes! This is what works for me but I am open minded to other improvements. Everyone will have to find what works for them and their riding conditions. Before I get any more long winded...I hope this helps. Last edited on Wed Dec 3rd, 2008 04:59 pm by corventure |
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| Posted: Wed Dec 3rd, 2008 07:27 pm | 7th Post |
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Thanks for the info guys. Sounds like what you all have said. Closer inspection shows I have good tread still - but the rubber itself on the front looks worn on the sides of center. Not bad yet. I'll have to see how long the "shimmy" can be tolerated. It is not super bad now - just started putting it all together the last week or so. This weekend when there is more daylight to inspect in I will check it out good. Tires I can deal with just wanted to make sure it was nothing more major I hadn't stumbled on. All handled beutifully this AM. The windy season is here - probably will interfere with "sensory perceptons" for awhile anyway!
____________________ "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson, (attributed); US essayist & poet (1803 - 1882) WHAT I RIDE: 2008 Honda GL1800, 2002 Indian Chief |
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| Posted: Thu Dec 4th, 2008 03:31 am | 8th Post |
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I never had the shimmy until I put on a super brace.. Now I'm not sure if it's the tire wear or the brace.. Tires were getting low when I put on the brace.. I'm' going to change the front before long and I'll find out.........
____________________ Back to riding after a 30 yr lay off.. Started with a 86 Magna 750 on to a 02 Shadow 1100,99 Magna 750,91 ST1100, finaly a 93 Wing.. and now an 06 1800 Loven Life... |
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| Posted: Thu Dec 4th, 2008 12:01 pm | 9th Post |
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I had no shake whatsoever for 20,000 miles until I put my last new set of Bridgestone tyres on. Since the day they were fitted I now have a slight shimmy at about 35mph. This pointed me in the cause being the new tyres? I am fitting progressive springs and tapered stem bearings just for the heck of it as I enjoy tinkering with the bike. Hopefully this may just get rid of the problem and improve the front end handling a bit.
____________________ Candy Red 2003 GL1800A3 |
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| Posted: Thu Dec 4th, 2008 03:32 pm | 10th Post |
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Littlejohn... Although I like the bridgestone tires, I have found they are not all the same. I have found that the Bridgestone "Exedra" tires give me the smoothest performance. I have talked to other Wingers who gave up on the Dunlop E-III's and also had problems with the Stone's .....only to find out they had not installed the Exedra tires.  I wont say that the Stone Exedra is the cure all for everyone, but so far it has worked for several of us. Still looking to see what other tires may perform as well for me. Oh... I also have the Progressive Springs. Installed them this summer and really love the improvement. Last edited on Thu Dec 4th, 2008 03:33 pm by corventure |
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| Posted: Fri Dec 5th, 2008 02:56 am | 11th Post |
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On other cause of vibration on freeways especially is worn tire tracks leaving the aggregate exposed. I often find that the center of the lane is much smoother having less traffic on it. Of course you have to watch out for oil there and it's best not to ride there on a wet day.
____________________ If you can't ride, fly or sail it, why bother? 2001 Goldwing 1800 Paul W. |
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| Posted: Tue Apr 14th, 2009 01:10 am | 12th Post |
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exavid wrote: On other cause of vibration on freeways especially is worn tire tracks leaving the aggregate exposed. I often find that the center of the lane is much smoother having less traffic on it. Of course you have to watch out for oil there and it's best not to ride there on a wet day. Well I thought I'd revive this a bit. And yes - Exavid I tend to ride the center a bit too the worn "tire lanes" seem to be chewed up here as well. Well - I have tolerated the shimmy that started this thread. As time goes on I am getting more and more sensitive to the road vibration in the handlebars. About 1,800 miles per month I've been riding? It seems to me from what has been posted here and my own experience that as the rubber wears - this translates into a "worse" feeling in the handlebars. Cupping and wear have occurred now on the front and wear on the back. As some other threads have mentioned as well as my mechanic - I run at 41 on both tires - it seems to help. I am still on my original tires from my ABS1800 purchase last Labor Day and I am approaching 12,500 miles. The road vibration is starting to get worrisome enough that I will replace - possibly this week. No cord showing or anything just a less smooth feeling on our roads out here in CA. I have had two recent concerns to try and measure.... At 12,500 miles I have a 500 miles coming up this weekend - on top of the 350+ I'll put on commuting this week - and the 500 will be 2 up. So.... I am at that zone where one side of the brain says - "get 'er done - you'll feel better and it'll be off your mind...." BUT... the other side of my brain says ....... "Well, you got 12,500+ out of them in 7+ months. If you can deal with it for a few XXXX more..... you might be able to get away with only ONE new set before you return home from your 6,000 miler this summer - Late July early August". Decisions, descisions....any input???? Should I stay (for a bit longer with what I've got) - or should I go (with a new set of ..... E3's???) I do not think safety is yet an issue - as I said -wear is getting there and cupping - but no bald spots, no cord, good tread in most areas, although wear bars are starting to fade into the tread on the front..... My dealer is recommending Dunlop E3's for the next set - he's gotten the most good feedback on those. BY THE WAY - I have NEVER gotten much more than 10,000 on rear tires but close to double - 20,000 on fronts on my other two bikes (Indian Chief and Suzuki Bandit) - so this is a new wear pattern to me on the wing. Overall I think I'm doing better on this bike tire-wise than my others so far.
____________________ "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson, (attributed); US essayist & poet (1803 - 1882) WHAT I RIDE: 2008 Honda GL1800, 2002 Indian Chief |
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| Posted: Tue Apr 14th, 2009 04:51 am | 13th Post |
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dude, what you are experiencing is definetly not good vibrations. what you are feeling is exesive road vibrations from the fact that you need a set of new tires. front and back. i got 8000 out of my two dunlop 250s, and during the last, say 3000, miles, the road vibrations, and the front end shaking was very bad. i got used to it and did what i had to do in order to be able to ride a good ride. i just got a brand new set of top of the line stones, and the ride was so changed, i couldnt hardly keep it straight. i was over steering, and over braking and over everything cause i was so used to the old tires. i looked and felt like a pure rookie, and i have been riding wings since 93. so hell dude, do yourself a favor, and your 2up partner, and get you a set of new stones. remember, tires are cheap, compared to hospital bills, or a life. i have also found that stones are a better tire than the dunlops too. i have had very bad luck out of the radial E 3s. they seem to wear out and cup very quickly, at least they did for me. keep on  rick
____________________ ALWAYS LET YOUR BACK DOOR MAN KNOW WHEN YOUR FRONT DOOR MAN IS COMMING HOME. RICKS WISDOM: GRAB LIFE BY THE THROTTLE AND DONT LOOK BACK. |
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15th, 2009 04:00 am | 14th Post |
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winginitrick wrote: dude, what you are experiencing is definetly not good vibrations. what you are feeling is exesive road vibrations from the fact that you need a set of new tires. front and back. i got 8000 out of my two dunlop 250s, and during the last, say 3000, miles, the road vibrations, and the front end shaking was very bad. i got used to it and did what i had to do in order to be able to ride a good ride. i just got a brand new set of top of the line stones, and the ride was so changed, i couldnt hardly keep it straight. i was over steering, and over braking and over everything cause i was so used to the old tires. i looked and felt like a pure rookie, and i have been riding wings since 93. so hell dude, do yourself a favor, and your 2up partner, and get you a set of new stones. remember, tires are cheap, compared to hospital bills, or a life. i have also found that stones are a better tire than the dunlops too. i have had very bad luck out of the radial E 3s. they seem to wear out and cup very quickly, at least they did for me. keep on LOL Hey thanks dood. I actually got the bike down to Lompoc Honda tonight - windiest conditions I ever did ride in - we have some humdingers coming off the ocean... Gusts to 50 my a**e - they;re over 80 if'n I ever did see...Almost blew me off the road about a dozen times in an hour and 20 minute ride - almost into a coupla semis too. First time I could ever recall being glad I tip at about 300 - LOL But, I made it and wifey picked me up - so we'll have new rubbers for our weekend ride to GOLD COUNTRY yeeeeehawwwww!!!!! Supposed to be in the 90's there this weekend - ahhhhhhhhhhhhh...........
____________________ "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson, (attributed); US essayist & poet (1803 - 1882) WHAT I RIDE: 2008 Honda GL1800, 2002 Indian Chief |
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16th, 2009 05:05 am | 15th Post |
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The way I look at it if you have any questions or doubts about your tires it is time to replace them. One can try and figure and test to much and loose the basic common scence. Safety has to be always on top of the list and can never be compromised. You know Murphy's Law ( if there is any Murphy's here no bad feelings). Last edited on Thu Apr 16th, 2009 05:06 am by txstomper67 |
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16th, 2009 03:25 pm | 16th Post |
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Dave, Let me know how the new tires work out. I'm sure it will be an improvement. If they installed E3's.... I feel you have a 50/50 chance of shakes right out the door. Perhaps do a short test ride before heading home to be sure all is smooth. I am another one who removed the Dunlop's after several E3"s and 250's performed poorly out the door, and worse after some miles. However I have to admit, I talked to a couple riders who say they are OK but roar after a couple thousand miles. Lompoc Honda is a good dealer. Corventure Dave
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