 Re: HD death wobble
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,393 Likes: 1
Second Wind
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Second Wind
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,393 Likes: 1 |
They should just concern themselves with building a quality product that justifies the price.
I have no faith in human perfectability. I think that human exertion will have no appreciable effect upon humanity. Man is now only more active - not more happy - nor more wise, than he was 6000 years ago.
Edgar Allan Poe
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Re: HD death wobble
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 688
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 688 |
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My bike wobbles when I take my hands off the bars.
Mine only does that when the front tires are worn more than 50% and develop a slight cupped wear pattern. You can feel it by running you hand over the tread or use a tire tread depth gauge on several areas of the front tire.
2011 Triumph America (10/2011 to 07/2014)
2012 Harley Davidson 1200C Sportster
2014 Harley Davidson Dyna Wide Glide
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Re: HD death wobble
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 688
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 688 |
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I've been told that with a HD, once committed to a turn, it's hard to modify the turn to go tighter or wider. I haven't ridden a HD (I'm pure) and I puzzled why that could be so. This explains it.
But I wonder why, with modern technology, HD can't build a better balanced engine? Every other manufacturer has no problem.
They do and have for quite a few years now, Richard. Some of their Big Twin models have had balance shafts inside their engines since around 2005, as had their V-Rod model and their new line of water-cooled smaller V-Twins just hitting the market now.
Yes, all the Softail models have rigid mounted balance shaft big twin engines.
2011 Triumph America (10/2011 to 07/2014)
2012 Harley Davidson 1200C Sportster
2014 Harley Davidson Dyna Wide Glide
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Re: HD death wobble
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 688
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 688 |
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Harley is the only company with this problem because their engine shakes like a paint shaker and the motor is rubber mounted which is the only anyone can sit on one at idle.
Funny story about that here.
Guy buys a Sportster. Rides out, comes back the next day saying there's something wrong with the bike, it shakes too much!
Trying to explain to the guy that it is a Harley "thing". Guy couldn't believe it. Left the bike overnight for the shop to "fix" it. They rode it, tried to see if there was something loose... nope.
2 months it goes like that, guy comes back to shop, complains about the "shake". After 2 months, guy asks the shop to buy back his bike....
I tried it. Didn't like it... not one bit. And yes, it shakes like crazy!
The name... "Sportster"... is it because it is a sport to just stay on that bike?
All Harley Davidson dealers here will let you test ride the bike you are interested in buying, or have a demo bike of the same model. No other brand here allows that not Triumph, Honda or BMW. The only exception was Ray Price Triumph because they are also a Harley dealer and run their Triumph brand the same way. A test ride confirms it's the bike you want.
2011 Triumph America (10/2011 to 07/2014)
2012 Harley Davidson 1200C Sportster
2014 Harley Davidson Dyna Wide Glide
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Re: HD death wobble
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,194 Likes: 56
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,194 Likes: 56 |
Hermy has demo Triumphs to ride.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: HD death wobble
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 459 Likes: 1
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 459 Likes: 1 |
I know that Harley redesigned the frame on all the touring models in 2009 and designed a new engine mounting system. It was supposed to be for better handling and a smoother ride. That may be HD pillow talk for "we addressed the death wobble issue" . I noticed that the article linked was from 2011 so the bikes in question are most likely pre 2009s.
2006 865 Neon Blue/Jet Black Speedmaster,790cams, TTP Stage 2 Firestarter, Epco Exhaust with 10.25" Samson Vrod baffles, UNI pods with 40 pilots, 150 mains,Thruxton needles, 3 turns out.
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Re: HD death wobble
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 105
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 105 |
No clue what causes the HD problems, but I am aware of some HD crashes* posted in the newspapers that seemed to happen in unlikely locations. Maybe...?
I did a tank slap get off years ago on a Yamaha on a very rough snow plow gnawed road. Semi circular chunks of pavement were missing an inch or so deep. I seem to recall reading that front fork geometry might be a significant factor with a bike's susceptibility to this phenomenon. The good news - Speedmasters and Americas forks are apparently of a design that will not readily tank slap. If memory serves, the farther out front the forks ride, the higher the chance of tank slap, but that's only a part of the equation or rake, trail, and all that other good stuff I don't know much about.
Vehicle geometry does weird things. Certain styles of dry bulk tanker trailers and flatbeds when loaded just so will jump up and down at something like twice a second speed at 80,000 lbs. GVW at speeds of around 40 to 45 MPH. Suspension bridges do this too when carrying a traffic jam load. The first time one experiences a half or full mile long bridge jumping up and down can make a body wonder about frequency of recent or future church attendance.
Then there was the outer bridge lanes of Manhattan bridge literally held up on the Greenwich Village side with wooden 12 X 12's lashed together with 3/4" metal cargo bundling strap of 20 plus years ago - another inducement to finding a God along the road. ;-)
*(CT papers often list vehicle make and year, etc.)
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Re: HD death wobble
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2 |
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Suspension bridges do this too when carrying a traffic jam load. The first time one experiences a half or full mile long bridge jumping up and down can make a body wonder about frequency of recent or future church attendance.
Aah...reminds me of the famous failure of "Galloping Gertie" in 1940, the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: HD death wobble
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,172 Likes: 15
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,172 Likes: 15 |
I work with a guy that claimed to have figured out his bikes 'harmonic'. Without saying that the insane vibration was not normal, he determined that it was worst between 40 mph and 60 mph. His solution was to rapidly accelerate up to 60 and just hold it there. When slowing down to avoid the shakes he would use his 'late braking technique'. Which any time that I rode with him, I observed this to be a dangerous practice. However he is still alive, the bike in question (HD ultra), not so much.
05 speedmaster - 1100cc, 11:1 racing pistons, Carillo rods, thunderbike cams, ported and polished head, 2mm over intake and exhaust valves, Barnett kevlar clutch, scepter pipes, oversize manifolds, 45mm HSR's, TTP stage 4 firestarter
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Re: HD death wobble
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 105
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 105 |
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Re: HD death wobble
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,931 Likes: 1
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,931 Likes: 1 |
we should do this every weekend!
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