TOPIC:

My bike has a wobble. It happens when I am in a turn and turn hard - lean alot.. the wobble starts. The bike seems to wobble left to right slighty, or maybe its the steering thats wobbling. I dont like it all. I dont know what it is.. any idea what it could be ? What should I check/look for ?

steering head bearings,wheel bearings,swingarm bushings ,bent rim ,bad tires ,dirtbike boots on front forks:whistle: (had to throw that one in! )goodluck,happy wrenching!

wireman: I knew it was the boots ! LOL

So, one of all those things you mentioned could be the culprit ? Should I start replacing one at a time, or is there a way to check the parts before taking them apart.

Can I eliminate a bent rim since it goes nice and smooth on the hwy at high speeds.

Put bike on centerstand. Pull on forks. Can you feel any play or slop in steering head? Turn handle bars. Do you feel anything different between turning left or right? Grab front wheel wiggle it. Does it move at all? Have buddy push down on front of bike. Wiggle swingarm. Does it move side to side at all? Wiggle rear wheel. Does it move at all? There should be no wiggle or side to side play in wheel or swingarm bearings or bushings. Bearings are not expensive, as long as you don't get them from a bike shop. All bearing have no# on them and can be got from industrial bearing suppliers. If bike has any sort of mileage or history of poor maintenance (PO of course) then think about all new bearings.

I checked my rear wheel and swing arm.. I didnt find anything obvious. I was able to detect a slight movement in the rear wheel. I would push the bottom and pull the top of the wheel - and there is a slight movement I noticed at the drum cover and wheel hub(if thats the correct part names). It is very slight.. I dont know if that is bad. I was not able to check the front end very well.. I will this weekend.

Is there a good way to check if my tires are good and not cupped or anything that would cause the wobble ?

My rear tire had a bit of a bulge in it, and was fine going straight (even way over the speed limit;) ), but going around turns, the bike would have a big wobble if I leaned it very much.
Scott

You could remove the rear wheel and shocks and see if the swing arm bushings are shot. That'd be my bet.

KZCSI

Has anyone thought to them selves that the stock swing arm is the culprit? The stock arm is only round tube and is not very thick. Same thing with the frame. Its not at all strong. That why so many people are gusseting the frame. I beleive the stock arm is the problem with the high speed wobble. If it is a low speed wobble then it is your tire.
The new swing arms are square witch is more ridged, and can control high speed flex more efficiently. Thats just my .02.
I wonder if anyone that did a swing arm conversion got rid of the high speed wobble?? New thread time...