Also, something to take note: A windscreen can have a big effect on how the front end tracks depending on size and angle. My front end feels lighter with the screen on vs. off and since I cut it down a bit and changed the angle the front end feels much tighter.

Just a thought when comparing others to yours.

Yes i have hought about that but my bike is competely bone stock 06 silverado and why would heres with same exact stock silverado with same exact windscreen setup/brackets/ang mfg to same factory specs not have the same issue if it was in fact a wind screen issue?

And this hapend at slow speeds to,it can happen as low a 45-50mph .

If the different new tie doesnt fix it as i already mentioned i am going to remove the wind screen and see how if any that helps,will likely help some but i dont think its the complete issue on my bike.

But if it find the windescreen is the complete issue and i cant adj it for better angle to stop that problem and tightening the frok bearing doesnt help either the bike will likely be going by by even though it run great,is in great cond, and only has 5k miles on it,this ussue is something i can't tollerat as it hapens almost all the time your riding the bike,veyr anoying if not down right dangerous at times.

And the more i read here in RSC the more i am fiding its somewhat of a common issue with these bikes which isnt lookinh goo,possibly thers an inhearnt design issue with respct to laoding on fork and or fork/front neck angle in an attempt to reduce load on fork to make the bike easier to handle at slow speeds etc thats makes some of them unstable is mfg tollerances slip a bit when it comes to front end fork head angle when its welded up and that why some R* are fine with factory setup and some arrent.

But if new tire doesnt fix it and i find its windescren then why is my bike so sensitve to widscreen when other peoples same exact setups aren't,my bike has never been down/wrecked either so there no frame issues etc either.

This safety issue with this bike is getting old very quickly as the time &
$ adds up trying to fix this invisable type problem you can see to put your figer on,will reprt back as things progress.

Thats because i want a cruiser that works well with a windscree,i am tired of being beat up by wind over the past almost 40 yrs of steet riding.

Scott

I'm all ears on if the new tire fixes your problem. I have about 7,500 miles on my RS and I can feel that unstable shimmy, but mine only does it at high speeds, most noticably around 85mph and up. Although there is some shimmy at slightly lower speeds from time to time. I'm going to try to bump up the tire pressure (to 40psi) tonight to see if that helps.

I don't have a wind screen but I do have 16 inch apes. I kind of attributed the shimmy to me being stuck out in the wind like a big parachute. But if its a tire issue that can be fixed I would love to have a more stable bike at high speeds.

Dang,as more times goes on here more and more people are chiming in with this same issue,some worse some not so bad but its a trend tha thats not goodf at all,are these R*'s messed up design wise?

I have owned approx 20 street bikes over past almost 40 ytrs of riding some with & without windscreens and none have had thi issue like my 06 R*,even my 33 yr old kawi 1000 with wind screen is stable as a tock at all road speeds slow or fast ,what the heck is up with the R*'s that so many people have veriynng degree of wobble/unstable front ned issues?

Even the 5 triple cyl 2 stroke kawis i wrode many yrs ago that had rep for horrible handling didn't even begine to wobble in a straight line inless you were going like 95-100+ mph and hit a little bump to set it off but a small streeirng damper took care of that.

But keep in mind here they were all used /older bikes and they still never wobbled/felt unstable at 60mph cruise speeds like my R* does,thats just not right IMHO that so many R*'s have this issue,even some without windscreens.

Hey,with that thought in mind do they mfg a steering damper for the R* ,that may just be the ticket to fix that gremlin if the new tire doesnt take care of it which i have a feeling with my luck isnt going to fix it.

This isnt looking good a all.

Scott

I've had my bike, an o6 model, for three years now, and this is just the conclusion that I have come to with my bike. It seems that our bikes weak area is the front end. We just have to pay a little more attention to front end maintenance. Mine needed adjusted around 10,000, and again around 18,000. That's more often than the manual says, but has been the way my bike has been.
Whether it is the bearings themselves, or what, I don't know. I do know that if I keep the neck bearings adjusted, and keep my tires aired, and balanced properly, My bike handles pretty good. But, it is still a big ol heavy bike. If you don't stay on top of things, it will bite you!

As someone else mentioned, these bikes come in a crate, and are put together at the dealer. I've seen a couple of the mechanics that made me cringe, hoping that they were not the ones putting these bikes together. So, if you have a new, or low mileage bike, and the front end doesn't feel right, adjust it, or get it checked right away. Could be something as simple as tire wasn't balanced right.

Next time I adjust my neak bearings, I think I will do what Clifford suggested, and fill neck with grease. Should really simplify neck maintenance.

You know, all things have their weak area. The HD touring bikes weak area is the rear end, ours just happens to be the front end. I've come to know my bike pretty good, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. This little tractor is here to stay.

Dan,Tanks for you nsite & experience with you R*.

I picked up the wheel with new itre tonight aqnd had then ballance the u=ire/true the wheel/and check the wheel bearing all all was ok,siad bearings were tight as new.

I also rechecked the fork/head bearing and the prload is set to a point when i give it a little pust to see how fast it will go from middle position to lock it will actually stop half was and no calbes are hanging it p either.

That seems to be more then enough preload/tension to me on fork/neck bearing but is smooth thruout entire lock to lock movemnt too,agaiun,has only 5 k miles on it.

well,tomorrow raid and cldy on sunday but suposed to be 60-632 deg so i wll try out the new tire then to see how it does.

Its too bad this bikes weak point is in an eraea that you feel the entire time your driving it that can be a safety issue at times too.

I wish it was the just spitting out fuel of the carb when its hot issue or slow hot cranking issue that were the only problems with the R*.

I can deal with/mod them to correct or at least can deal with them if they happen once in a while but the poor handling issue is completely diffent story that short of installing a new tire and all bearings checking out just fine & tight with 5k miles there nothing oi can do about it if the tire doesnt fix it.

Maybe i coul install an universal type sterring stbilizer if i had too and there was roo/good place on bike to attach bother ends without looking funny or hitting lrg crash bars etc.

I will report back late sunday pm wth result of new tire if rain mooves out as forcast to do mid day.

Scott

PROMISSED UPDATE:

YAHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My bike is fixed!!!! it was the POS brand new Dunlop 404 tire that caused the terrible instability & handling at all speeds (20mph-50pmh-70mph-didnt matter)on my R* .

I replaced the new dunlop tire i had just installed and rode for 500 miles trying to ensure it was well scrubed in which didnt help at all with a Bridgestone 703.

That new Bridgestone sticks to the road like glue,is stable ,and corners almost as easy as my 1000 kawi does thats 225 lbs lighter.

The new bridgestone tire also allowed me to raise the windsreen back to it's highest position for full coverage so air doesnt hit me diectly in middle of head hich was a big + too.

Bike cruises great at 70-75 mph,that seems to be a real sweet spot for motor rpm to be at on the open raod.

Then i came home after test ride and installed tne new Bucks lowers i had on hand and all the buffitiing is bacsically gone now too.

The bike is now a pleasure to drive & ride.

Also did some modes to the baffles in the road burner pipes i have to tone them down a bit wich worked out well too.

You can still heat it and sounds good but the baffle mod took the harsh rap out of it,no have to get wife on back to see if its quited down enough for her.

If not a little hit of steel wool in each pipe inserted inbetween the baffle of mod i did should hold the steel wool there .

But i have to say it did loose a little umph due to the additional back pressure the mode created alonw with stock short baffle which i expetced .

But wit 1700ccs on tap it still has plenty of umph to get out of it's own way very nicely.

I am so relieved and happy now,the bike is a dream at all speeds and even on little country roads at 30-40mph to the interstate at 70-75 mph,bike doesnt care and does great in both places which is what i expected from that bike and it's now delivering it.

Scott

TTT

Good deal !

scottw wrote:
If not a little hit of steel wool in each pipe inserted inbetween the baffle of mod i did should hold the steel wool there.

Usually it's the simple things.

Try using the coarse stainless steel wool .... it holds up much better than steel wool.

Doc