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Question Posted By: jas on 7-31-2009
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| Make of Bike: |
HD |
| Model of Bike |
Night Train |
| Year of Bike |
2006 |
| Engine Size |
88TC |
| Other info on Bike |
18" Carlini 1.50" apes
Ride Wright Fat Daddy 50 spoke wheels
21 3.5 front
18 5.5 rear
Metzeler 880 tires
jockey open belt
auto clutch with hydraulic and accutronics controls
Brembo brakes
HD custom inverted black front fork.
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| What's your question? |
Can't find reason for wobble staring at 75-80 MPH
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| Details: |
Bike starts to wobble above 75 MPH
Changed the rear tire 3 times, put original front wheel on to check, checked the usual tire pressure and balance.
Mechanic says it's the heavy wheels or high apes causing the wobble. Both Carlini and Ride Wright say that their product would not cause the wobble. |
Answers:
- wheel balancing? By: Guest on: 7-31-2009
- could be a few things but if you checked the tires balance and round and made sure your wheel install was all good I would look at the neck bearings By: Guest on: 7-31-2009
- Appreciate the replies. Just picked up the bike and rode it home 50 miles. Can't go over 65-70 without wobble starting. The front end is brand new. All tires balanced etc. The bike has 30,OOO invested which includes the cost of the original Night Train. Need to find someone who knows design flaws. I need to know if the bars are causing it or the wheels. Maybe the custom Harley forks don't have enough rake. So many possibilities
and I can't get this bike on the road. I know someone out there could ride it once and know exactly what the problem is. Unfortunately I've been through 2 shops already, and they gave up.
Cheers Jon By: jas on: 8-1-2009
- i would start by borrowing a friends front tire and rim abd see what effect that had By: BOX1 on: 8-1-2009
- Thanks Box1, last mechanic did that before he gave up on the bike. He wants to put the bike back to stock. Can't see throwing away thousands, besides, I love the way it's built, and runs like a gem up to 65 mph. As soon as I find the right person to ride it, I'm sure they will know what it is. Perhaps the suspension, the front forks are defective (can't believe they would be), maybe the custom front plastic fender is causing drag at high speeds and making the wobble. All these wild theories are time and money to check out, and the money I'm running out of. By: Guest on: 8-1-2009
- You have a few possibilities there. The bars, could be, you're sitting on the bike like a big parachute (some heritages will pick up a wobble from the windshield). If you are running raked triple trees, that could do it. Also, if your neck bearings are too tight you will pick up a "Weave" at speeds over 50 or 60 mph. By: Guest on: 8-2-2009
- Thanks for the suggestions. Carlini tells me they have never had any complaints about high bars, and I've run apes on all my bikes. The neck bearings have been checked and the bike is not raked. I'm going to go to one more mechanic when I get some cash. I still can't help thinking it's either in the suspension or the bars.
The bike does have a lowering kit in it from when I first bought it, and I'm wondering if I take it out it might put more weight on the front end and stop the front from floating like it fells like it's doing at speed. By: jas on: 8-2-2009
- Reminds me of a problem I had way back with a 250 cc Montessa. She started to buck like a wild pony around 50 to 60 mph. Could not figure out what caused the woble until a cracked weld seam in the frame revealed itseld..... By: Guest on: 8-2-2009
- You're right, the right guy will find the reason. check all rear suspension parts, motor mounts can look good & not be. see what happens on a dyno (without diagnostics)sit on the tank at speed to isolate where it starts, don't get killed doin it, find the right guy !!! By: Guest on: 8-3-2009
- thinkin about it, a twisted tube in tire, a broken cord in tire, wrong size tires for wheels ectect., find the right guy. By: Guest on: 8-3-2009
- Try a different brand of front tire. Seriously, it could just be that the bike doesn't like that tire. Previously had a bike that would shake its head like the devil with a Dunlop on the front. Thought mechanic was nuts when he told me it was the tire, but it was. By: Guest on: 8-4-2009
- I have made notes of all the suggestions. Some have been addressed already. When I find the problem I'll let everyone know. You see the bike on my profile and you know where I live. I'm going to the top of the ladder now. I would have earlier but the bike was tied up at another shop. I have to say, it got rave reviews tonight at a general meeting,mostly from the young crew. Kind of surprised to see a 60 + guy riding it. Miss my kick start shovel, and looking fwd to a rigid pan in my 70"s. : )
Cheers By: jas on: 8-4-2009
- Answer to 11....we put the old wheel and tire on from the stock NT. Still wobbled. I'm still thinking suspension, that's why when I get it over to ...I feel like it will get solved. By: jas on: 8-4-2009
- Know of a softail that did the same thing was one bad rear shock. Check to make sure one isnt oil wet. Must've stressed the rear swingarm just enough under load. Just my two cents. By: Guest on: 8-4-2009
- Yes, I'm going in that direction with the next mech. Hopefully next week I can get to the shop. Until then it's not over 65 mph for me. Again, I'll let everyone know the final outcome for future reference. By: jas on: 8-5-2009
- Had the same issue with my bike...same apes and everything...ended up being a bad motor mount...good luck By: Guest on: 8-7-2009
- Motor Mount, good suggestion. I'll pass all these suggestions on when I get to the 3rd and final shop in a few days. Meanwhile riding under 65 mph and gotta love that jockey shift in NYC traffic. Scares the shit out of people. By: Guest on: 8-7-2009
- Had a bike in the shop with Metler wheels that the rear wheel radials were crap.What I mean by that is that we could press down on the tire off the rim and it would bend in the middle like a piece of bread. By: Guest on: 8-12-2009
- Someone else mentioned the high bars making the rider act like a parachute, this in effect make the rider pull harder on the high bars,making the front end go lighter? Had a similar thing with my 99 softail. Spent serious money on it over winter only to find the same symptons as yourself, i had 16' apes and a 240 tire amongst other things. firming up the rear suspension helped a bit but it wasnt until i replaced bars with lower ones that it things got back to 'normal'. I kinda sussed it out by actually loosening my grip when it was starting to wobble and it tracked straight. By: Guest on: 8-14-2009
- Jas... I had a 2003 nighttrain with high bars...same thing and I might have your answer. with the high bards your center of gravity changes whne you lower it even more. Mine turned out to be loose/bad bushings in the swingarm (check your welds too!!). Stiffening the rear up only akes it worse as the stress on the swingarm increased and the "twisting" from bad bushings is amplified. Change them yourself, they are easy and cheap and you will get hands on instead of word of mouth. Secondary possibilty would be if your on spokes, respoke and retrue (wortht he bucks to have someone do that)......My money would be into the swingarm. OH!! it can not be checked with out FULLY removing the swingarm and checking the play or twisted/unalligned swingarm arms. Anyone who does it on the bike is cutting corners and could be overlooking the key you seek to the problem. not daying i am right, but I would bet on the swingarm bushings/bearings/shaft/welds. By: NewEnglandJ on: 8-14-2009
- Thanks again 18, 19, and 20. As you know I spent a year getting this together, including the money. Spent the week riding (under70). Had some club biz catching up to do. It is one sweet bike. I am hoping to get into the 3rd shop this week. I have printed out all the suggestions. Today when I was riding I noticed if I push hard forward on the bars, it cuts the wobble a bit. Also if I take one hand off the bars it cuts the wobble a bit. I am back thinking perhaps the bushings are an issue. Anyway I'll keep you all posted as to the solution when it's found. If anyone wants to know what I spent on this build, and what I would do different if I could start over, drop me an e. By: Guest on: 8-16-2009
- have your rear spokes checked, no shit By: Guest on: 8-21-2009
- Hey bro.just my 2 cents. I have an 03 nt with air bags and a fork stabilizer and 20" bars I get no wobble untill after 110. My buddy has an 01 nt with 18" bars no fork stabilizer and he gets a wobble at 70. It might help By: Guest on: 8-31-2009
- Thanks everyone.
Still waiting to get it over to the new shop. Can't seem to give it up yet, with so much riding I missed. All the responses will be considered when I give him the printout. Again I'll let you know the outcome. Plus side, I have no chance of getting a ticket for speed right now.
Cheers By: Guest on: 9-1-2009
Reads: 822
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