Problems with front suspension or forks?

HotRodRooster

Registered
I could use a little help. I have an 08. This bike held to the road like glue until I trailored it to CO. Since then the bike feels very squirly. I don't know what happened. It was tied down by the hand grips, however I didn't tighten it all the way collapsing the suspenison. Just enought to hold the bike still.

I have had a wheel alignment done and my triple trees (front end) checked for alignment as well. Yet it every time I go into a turn, it feels like the front is going to give.

I can't figure out why the bike feels so unstable now.

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. :please:

Mike HRR
 
I could use a little help. I have an 08. This bike held to the road like glue until I trailored it to CO. Since then the bike feels very squirly. I don't know what happened. It was tied down by the hand grips, however I didn't tighten it all the way collapsing the suspenison. Just enought to hold the bike still.

I have had a wheel alignment done and my triple trees (front end) checked for alignment as well. Yet it every time I go into a turn, it feels like the front is going to give.

I can't figure out why the bike feels so unstable now.

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. :please:

Mike HRR

I would like to know the answere to this because i transported mine from Colorado to DC and had the same problem, checked tire pressure and it was
only off 2 psi. I used a Harbor freight chuck and strapped by the rear pegs.
 
I guess you already checked for leaks at the fork seals? Sometimes compressing the front end too long can cause issues.
 
I guess you already checked for leaks at the fork seals? Sometimes compressing the front end too long can cause issues.

Yep i checked mine, maybe the alttitude change causes a problem :laugh: No but seriously I also had some head shake when I unloaded it and rode it after correcting the pressure.
 
idk but my seals are shot all to hell...this will be the 3rd time for seals...@#$% love the wheelies...
:poke:
 
Well my tire pressure is right on. I don't do wheelies and have only about 2000 miles on the bike. My bike doesn't leak anything from the forks. When it was on the trailer, there was a small puddle by my front end, but when i looked at it, it looked like water. I trailored it in Jan with a little snow on the road.

How hard is it to check the oil level in your forks?
 
Can you describe in more detail how it feels now?

Every time I go into a turn, that front end feel like it wants to trun more, or the other direction. You have to fight to keep it where you want it. Plus it does actully wiggle a little bit when you go into a turn. If feels like the front end is going to give away and make the bike feel very unstable.

also noticed that when i am accelerating then let off the throttle, the front end shakes too.

I'm getting very nervous about riding the bike. When i take it in, they say it is just fine. Though they have not checked the oil level in the forks. they said no need since they can't see a leak.
 
It sounds like a tyre pressure problem,mine does it everytime the pressure is low .Maybe you should try a different gauge,but if you confident about that the pressure is right then another suggestion is to tighten front compression and damping adjustments to full tight ,bounce the front end a few time or take bike for a shot ride and then reset back to original settings(clicks)retest ride.
 
Can you tell if any fluid has leaked from the steering damper?

Honestly, this sounds very strange to me...

D
 
I would get out the manual and tighten all of the bolts on the front end to the required torque.
Do the axle, and triple clamp too.
Next I would take off the steering damper and push/pull it through it's working arc.
See how it feels.
You can also check the front wheel for balance and run-out.
If it still does it, I would change the fork oil and see how much comes out of each leg.

All of this stuff is in the manual.
Test it after you try each thing.
I would never sell a bike that worked once and now has a problem.
It has to be something that can be fixed.

You may have a bad front tire too, so don't rule that out.
Start looking and I know it will be the last thing you check.

Good luck!
 
When you tighten the upper and lower triple clamp bolts, make sure to depress the forks, as they describe, so as not to have a pinched fork.
That may be what has happened too.
 
When you tighten the upper and lower triple clamp bolts, make sure to depress the forks, as they describe, so as not to have a pinched fork.
That may be what has happened too.

I had the dealer check the forks. So I don't know exactly what they did.

I will post a picutre soon as i can.

I did ride it to work to word today paying attention to exactly what is is doing. The bars don't wiggle from left to right, however, the forks seem to wobble up and down a lot. That is when the bike start to feel unstable.

The only time they wiggle left to right is when i'm accelerating, then let off the throttle.
 
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