| Author | Message | ||
     S3thunder |
Last weekend I made a run up to Infineon Speedway to watch the AMA Superbike races. On the way I had to ride on way too much concrete freeway that was grooved for rain. Now this may work for cars, but over 70 mph my front end was getting headshake. I ride a 98 S3 Buell and was unhappy to see Goldwings and Road Kings pass by unperturbed. Is it my tires, Dunlop D220, or do I need a damper? Anyone have similar problems? If so how did you solve it? I have no trouble going 100 on blacktop so I know it is the road that is starting the wobble as my tire tracks the grooves. Thanks. | ||
| Cruisin |
I think it has to do more with weight than it does your tires. The Buells are lighter, and are more easily "pushed" by the road. The bikes like Goldwings and Road Kings are twice the weight, so with more weight there's more momentum keeping them in a straight line. One of the disadvantages of having a "flickable" bike. | ||
| Mikej |
Could be the tires or tire pressure as well. On one bike I had in the past I went through about every tire brand available in it's size. Some were great on grooved pavement, others made it feel like I was riding on a steel grate bridge with loose sections on a windy rainy day. | ||
| Tank_bueller |
riding on a steel grate bridge with loose sections on a windy rainy day. Been there.......it really sucks  . | ||
| Blackbelt |
Heck riding on the Mackinaw bridge (middle lanes) sucks PERIOD cause it is so da$med windy 24/7. I have driven over it numerous times in a car, and 3 times and i almost crapped my pants 2 of the times.. (Message edited by blackbelt on May 19, 2005) | ||
| Mutt2jeff |
I have no idea why, but I have always enjoyed riding on grooved roads and steel grate. I guess i just like the wandering, shifting feeling the bike gives me. Now that I think about it, I guess its because I realize that I am still very much in control, so I enjoy the ride. | ||
| Blackbelt |
You need theropy | ||
| Dfbutler |
I had same problem with my 1999 S3T. Changed to Metzeler (http://www.us.metzelermoto.com/) tires recently and it rides like NEW bike! The freeway shimmy was totally gone. As a matter of fact, I had some service done recently and when the tech returned from test riding he asked what I'd done to the bike to make it handle so much better. | ||
| Newblaster |
Yup, it's the center line on the tires. It grabs the rain grooves. The stock tires on the Blast are a nightmare on rain grooves, but since changing to the Pirellis (with no center line), rain grooves feel like any other kind of road. Except for the slabway k-thump k-thump k-thump, that is... | ||
| Mbsween |
Another thing, it may sound crazy, but if you relax your grip on the bars, the bike will usually find the way with a minimum of fuss. Assuming, of course, all the mechanical stuff is okay. Justa thought | ||
| Buelliedan |
The relaxing your grip is the most important thing you can do. the wnadering feel is due to your front tire runiing in a different groove than the rear tire. By relaxing it allows to front end to track easier on its own. | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
Same here newblaster. I went from Dunlop to Pirelli and no more wandering on Cali freeways... | ||
| Ray_maines |
You were just going to slow | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
"too slow" - Not possible in So Cal - You'd get run over...  | ||
| S3thunder |
Thanks for all the helpful comments, It was a windy day, blowing 25-30 at right angles most of the time, but whenever I hit a patch of asphalt I was good to go 80. I was in the diamond lane a lot and there the traffic was going 80-85 on the Sunday. I know about easy on the bars and that is how I could let it go 70-75 to keep up with the average traffic in lanes 2 and 3. Mostly I just had to accept 70 and relax in the right lanes. Too damn many cars over there for me. I will have to give the Pirelli a look as I hear lots of good comments about them. |
