| Author | Message | ||
     Sooner |
I don't really even know if there is anything wrong, but it SEEMS that the rear end of my 98 S3 feels a little floaty sometimes. I may just be feeling my tire breaking in, but I have never felt this before. I have checked all nuts and bolts, and everything is tight. I have over twenty one thousand miles on her, and I'm thinking maybe it's the isolators. I've been riding most of my life, and I may be just getting a little but sensitive and imagining it. Has this happened to any of you? | ||
| Cyclonemick |
When my isolaters went I knew it immeadeatly! Lots of vibration!!! Are your suspension settings set correctly? Like you said it could be a new tire. | ||
| Djkaplan |
How is your shock doing? | ||
| Kyrocket |
You've checked the air pressure also I'm assuming? | ||
| Essthreetee |
Not to hijack your thread, but I too feel this on my '02 S3T. Mine has 11k, broken in tire with good air pressure, no extra vibrations (like from isolators)...I too was wondering if the shock could be going...How does one check them? | ||
| Sooner |
Djkaplan, I have the updated Showa, and it sucks, as usual. That is the first thing I thought about when the bike started doing this, and I think that may be the actual cause of all of this. I hit some major twisties last night to see how she handled, and found out that part of the feeling comes from the fact that my new tire is finally starting to get a flat spot down the center. When I begin to lean, I can notice the transition. But sometimes, when I hit imperfections in the asphalt, it still feels a little floaty. I'm hoping that Al Lighton runs his first ever Half price sale on Works performance shocks this month.  Even after adjusting my shock, it feels like I am riding a hard tail. The next money I spend will be on a better one. I just don't get why someone can't make a decent shock under $700. | ||
| Djkaplan |
Keep checking the classifieds. I hate to keep going on and on about my most excellent used Penske shock, but I got it in the classifieds for $500 and it absolutely transformed my bikes rear suspension. I wouldn't have been upset if I paid full price for this damper... it's that good. | ||
| Benobewan |
Hey Sooner, I would check your (Message edited by blake on June 26, 2007) | ||
| Sooner |
Benobewan, I hadn't thought of that, thanks, I will. | ||
| Benobewan |
Hey Sooner, That is entirely wrong. First, the isolator bolts don't engage the swingarm at all, anywhere. Second, the bolts are supposed to be offset towards the rear of the hole in the frame, not in the center. Third, the isolators are not subject to any torque, only shearing forces. Blake (Message edited by blake on June 26, 2007) | ||
| Mikef5000 |
Uh oh. My hex head bolts are all the way to the back in the frame holes. They've been like that since I bought the bike. | ||
| Benobewan |
Hi Mikef5000, Yep, sounds like worn isolators. Then maybe the roller bearings/ bearing cups in the swingarm may be worn, or loose. Sooner- FYI, The Buell FM (pg. }2-38) calls the bushings isolators, my mistake. | ||
| Smoke |
i don't think the isolator hole is in the center, but comes new with the hole offset. my isolator stifeners from American Sport Bike definitely have the hole offset. i will check my spare set when i can. i look for torn rubber in the seams of the rubber. replaced 2 sets so far. tim | ||
| Crashbuell |
What do you guys think of this then. When I take off too hard, It feels like the engine rocks rearward, but if I take off easy, it doesn't. Any ideas? | ||
| Djkaplan |
"My hex head bolts are all the way to the back in the frame holes." They are supposed to be offset all the way to the back in the frame holes, Mike... like Smoke said. "What do you guys think of this then. When I take off too hard, It feels like the engine rocks rearward, but if I take off easy, it doesn't. Any ideas?" Check for tears in your isolators. | ||
| Djkaplan |
"The quickest way to tell is to look at the hex head of the bolts holding the swingarm on through the frame holes. If they are not in the center, the bushings are ripped." This is not correct... stop saying it. | ||
| Scott_in_nh |
Sometimes problems felt at the rear can be traced to problems at the front and visa-versa... So I would check the front isolator, engine mounting bolts, steering head bearings, fork action, etc...... | ||
| Blake |
You can easily inspect the outer visible surface of the rear isolators. If they are torn, you will be able to see the tear. If you don't see a visible tear, then they are likely fine. Buell's rear isolators are very durable, especially the newer upgraded versions released IIRC in 1999 with the 2000 model year bikes. To check the rear shock, bounce the rear of the bike up and down. If it lacks damping, you should be able to tell. | ||
| Djkaplan |
"Buell's rear isolators are very durable, especially the newer upgraded versions released IIRC in 1999 with the 2000 model year bikes." I still have original isolators in my 2000 M2 with 36,000 hard miles. | ||
| Iamike |
Have someone ride along beside you and watch the rear tire. If it is bouncing around (up & down) then your shock is shot. I knew mine had gone south by the way it wiggled in the curves. When a riding partner told me about how bad it was bouncing I decided to put on the Works Performance. Mine had slowly leaked all the oil out of it. | ||
| Billetmetallic |
sooner, just went through a similar situation with my 97 s1, floating feeling but still rideable. It did turn out to be the rear isolators(although neither was torn or bad in any other way), the isolators have a locating pin that keeps them in the proper location in relation to the swing arm carrier. In my situation the right side isolator locating pin had somehow "jumped" and rotated out of its locating hole, this caused about a 1/8 spacing between the carrier and the isolator. If you think of 1/8ths worth of movement at the source compared to its "real" movement at the rear tire you get the explanation of the "float". Now I dont know if this is the same float you are feeling, but i can say check to see if there is any space between either, if not both, of your isolators and the swing arm carrier, they should both be flush. Once my isolators were replaced (and located) my lightning was glued to the road |
