I've done a search for this and read several posts on this but still curious if anyone has a good cause for it and possibly a fix. While riding yesterday I removed both hands to zip up my jacket. We were running about 30 mph and the front end started to wobble slightly but stopped when I put a hand on the handle bars. I tried it again and the same thing...and it gets worse the longer you let it go unchecked. It will do this even at 45 mph. Though there seems to be no ill effects, handling wise, it is a little troublesome to me. This is on a '06 roadstar with less than 3k miles and the front and rear tire were at approx. 40 psi. I do have a tall MS windshield but this was in a residential area with little wind. I was riding two up with a loaded T-bag on the back.

Any new ideas?

Thanks in advance for your input.

Noticed mine doing the same thing yesterday. Front TP is up there but the tires aren't exactly new anymore. Could be neck bearings, brake hanging up, loose bolt(s), , etc. Hope you get it figured out and fixed.

greyphart

Either tire pressure! Tire wear! or to loose on the neck bearings!
With your bike sitting on the kickstand turn the handle bar to the left side (part way between straight and full turn) it should not just fall over when you let go. If it does I would take the time to put a little more load on the neck bearings.

Are the steering head bearings tapered roller or ball? Seems like I read some where that they use a ball bearing which would not have any preload adjustment like the tapered roller. I know GWings used to use ball bearings at one time and many dealers changed them to tapered roller bearings to correct issues with fork wobble on decel. I will look and see if there is a preload adjustment and check the tightness in the front end as suggested.

Thanks,

Neck bearings fixed my wobble when taking my hands off handlebars.

They are tappered roller bearings. Trust me you only need to put a little more preload on them. That should take care of your problem as long as the tires are good and inflated properly. I would not worry to much about what the manual says for preload. It's more of a matter of feel. If you have a lift it works better for getting a feel of the bearing. As you tighten down a little at a time you should stop and check the front end by moving back and forth. You want it to be just a little snug. If you have ever adjusted the bearings on the front of a rear wheel drive car you should know about how much pressure to place on them.
Danny

With the mileage so low , I'd think it's the windshield. Pull it off and go for a spin. It always amazes me how different the bike rides with the shield. Check all of the above suggestions , but I'd be surprised if it weren't the w/s. BB

Thanks to all for your input. I was reading a long thread from last year and this guy had taken his to the dealer and the thread ended without any real conclusion or if tightening the bearings fixed the problem. I store my bike on a jack and the forks will swing side to side with no resistance. I am not in the habit of letting go of the handle bars but sometimes it becomes necessary to zip up a jacket or something. It's also alarming when you handle bars start to whip violently from side to side. I'm not sure just how bad this shimmy would get if I didn't stop it and don't intend to find out.

When I read the many threads on this problem it is evident that this is quite common with the Roadstar yet there is a very mixed response on how to fix it. And, maybe it can be caused by a cupped tire, loose bearings or handle bar mtd. windshields or a combination of things. I'll try taking the windshield off, simple enough, and go from there. The loose bearing issue seems like the most feasible cause to me. Having an extended warranty I may let my dealer examine it and see what they have to say. If and when I get the problem resolved, I'll post my finding. A basically new motorcycle with less than 3K miles shouldn't shake it's head...

Thanks again!!!

Keep in mind, these things come in a box, and it's up to the dealer to make sure it gets put together right, you may want to go to a dealer other than where it was bought...

I hear ya Flashback...fortunately, at my local dealership, the two man crew who puts them together and the mechanics who work on them are at two differenct facilities and let's hope the mechanic knows more about what he's doing. After all the valuable input here on the RSC, I feel the steering head bearings may just be the culprit!