Harley Wobble Elimination

I am not sure exact year could be 1957 is what sticks in my mind. Harley started using the same exact steering head bearings and steering stems in all models. Up until 2013. 2014 everything changes some better some changes not. Races are replaceable and all models have tapered Timken roller bearings. Races and bearings come packed together and replcement bearings and races is standard procedure when replacing them. Resolving wobbles and weaves are typically pretty straight forward. There are those bikes at times not so easy
 
Let's not forget rider input. If a bike wobbles in a straight line, that's one thing. But if it wobbles when cornering at speed, that implies other issues.

One of the first things we were taught in road racing school is to be relaxed on the bike. I tight grip on the handle bars will often induce a wobble while leaning and cornering the bike. The bike steps a little out of line and we compensate, although a tiny bit too late, so our action becomes steering input rather than compensation. As the effect grows, we unknowingly induce our own wobble and very often, all we need to do is relax our grip on the bars to let the bike settle out.

After that, there are damping rates, fork oil viscosity and spring rates to consider, if you really want to get into it.
 
Always start with the basics. All touring bikes have a self centering front end. The steering head bearings should lubed then check the fall away. All touring prior to 2014 2-3 swings. Any more than 3 swings is loose bearings. I always adjust to loose 2 swings to compensate for weight of bike and bearings re-seating. Road glides 13 and older 1/2 to 1 swing. They changed the fall away specs in 2013 for road glides due to frequent steering head adjustment issues. If fall away adjustment does not correct wobble issues it's then time to inspect other related parts. Engine mounts vehicle alignment etc.

I'm a factory trained Harley mechanic (granted it was in 1980) but after building and working on 100s of Harleys for public and Police Dept's, this is the proper approach.
 
3 years ago I just about went down on my 2005 FLHT from a severe wobble which is was more like a flat tire, but when I got it stopped and I checked it out and found nothing I could see, so I limped it home and started tearing into it. I found that front motor mount broke, swingarm bushings junk. But before I found all of that I thought I had a bent frame so being an engineer I took the whole thing apart and reverse engineered the fame geometry took me all winter. Put everything back together and found a guy in Long Beach, CA at Glide Pro and bought new swingarm bushings and motor mount and swingarm pivot shaft went from 5/8" Stock to 3/4". Then I set the fall away and I've developed a way to align motorcycles just like they do your car. I spent a couple of months machining the brackets and hardware, but aligned mine and not wobble or vibrations or anything even on grooved roads. This picture is the prototype version. I've done over 80 bikes in the last 2 years and 10 of them are Police bikes and also 5 Harley mechanics and everyone tells me that their bikes handle better than they did when they were brand new. Most of the bikes I've done I have not changed the bushings, or motor mounts, but I did on mine because of the bigger motor 107 cubic inch I put in before the wobbling to much torque wore them out premature. So if you know of someone that needs this done in OHIO let me know.
Bill
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Just saw this thread. I have a '97 dyna wide glide, and have experienced the high speed rear wiggle.. I like the op's mod, and think that's a darn nice project for this winter.
 
One other up-grade H-D made back in 2000 was going to a 1-inch axle front and rear, from the usual 3/4-axle.

Also at the same time they (H-D) went to ball bearings in the wheels, the reason being when their bikes were being washed using a pressure washer the water would get by the wheel hub seals washing the grease out of the Timken bearings. This caused bearing failure making the motorcycle fall down.

Jake
 
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