Getting Frustrated with the wobbles! (Advice plllease)

[Cazwik]

So a little update for those who have been patient and helping me try to figure this out.
- Bought 08 road* with 6k miles
- Tires were pretty worn so changed them right away at a garage mechanic because dealer wouldn't work on a 13 year old bike.
- After riding it around noticed a wobble at 60+ MPH...
- Friends here suggested it may be aftermarket improper mounted fairing
- Took it off, tried it out seemed to be a bit better but still got a little wobble at high speeds.
- Installed royal star risers hoping to help get a better fairing mounting..
- Friends here suggested I do a flop test and tighten or loosen stem neck bolt
-Flop test showed it was to tight.
- Bought some tools , jacked it up , tightened and played around with stem neck at different TLB ( 13-15 after initial tighten)
- It Seemed to be better at 13 FP ... was a bit windy so I let it sit for awhile.

Bought some OEM windshield mount brackets from friends here, had to buy some proper nuts to mount it properly .. went on perfect, then I bought the OEM windhield off EBAY that comes in tomorrow. . .
Saw the old aftermarket fairing sitting there and just couldnt keep my hands off. So I tried to mount it with the OEM brackets just to see if it would make a difference with the fairing... It seems to be a little better ( Pics)
Took it for a test drive with 22MPH winds. I had a hell of a wobble.
Jacked it up did a flop test with the fairing on it. it failed. Salmmed on the side of the bike with a tip.
Undid everything and tightened it to 15FP.
Flop test ( with Fairing) seemed perfect. Tips and stoped right before hitting the tank.
Damn Jack was giving me hell getting it back from under it... bike tips over >_< I got it back up... it wasnt to its side long but I noticed a smell of fuel and a little spot under. No cosmetic damage besides the cheapo aftermarket hardbags that came on it. No more leaks when i got it up right and started back up seemed to be no issue.

Took it for a test drive and still seemed a bit off. I feel like it could be something more. I have tried a few times to set the stem nut but I feel like it shouldn't be giving me this much trouble. I really want to blame the wind because with the fairing off and going in certain directions I didn't have much issue cranking it going with the wind but it beat me up when i would turn around and try to ride in the wind ( 15-23 MPH )
It could still be the fairing just does not go with this bike? I want to try the OEM windshield tomorrow if it comes in to see if i still feel this wobble.
The tires are 40 in the back 38 in the front.
Does anyone else that rides this bike naked feel the wind ?
Hoping to get some ideas if its not the wind.... Tomorrow it will drop back down to 3-5MPH so I'll see if there is a wobble with that as well...
I know this is a long shot but could a improper set after market tuner cause any problems like this?

I will say all this assemble and reassemble has gotten me pretty comfortable taking it apart lol . However, I am getting insanely frustrated that I don't feel comfortable riding this bike on HWY speeds. Losing hope.
Yes rode other bikes before. They were brand new. This is my first used bike I have owned that is not HD.

Thanks for listening and helping me out. I do appreciate it!

[Shores]

An aftermarket processor would not cause the problem but if you have one on the bike I suggest you remove it because it will run much better with the stock processor. The only things that would cause the problem would be tires, wheel bearings, steering head bearings, incorrect wheel alignment or swingarm bearings but with a 2008 neither of those seem likely other than the steering head bearings. I have 70,000 on my 2008 and it's very stable up to and past 100 mph.

[Cazwik]

So I can start with the most likely. Should I try swapping out those steering head bearings?

[davej]

I'm thinking you may have a bad tire. You wouldn't be the first person to buy a bad new tire. Did you have the wobble before installing the new one?

[Brad_G]

Cazwik how many miles have you put on the new tires and what did you put on? Sorry if you mentioned this already but don't see it/remember. When I put new Michelin Commander IIs on my bike it didn't have what I'd call a wobble, but it definitely felt unstable at highway speed. Mine kind of felt like you were riding on loose rock. It took a few hundred miles before they broke in and felt good. So just wondering if you're seeing this handling from the new tires.

[Cazwik]

I would say maybe 100 miles. Do you think I would need more? Unstable would be the perfect description. Cruising around town is not to bad but I would fear my life getting on I20!

[Brad_G]

I'm no expert but I'd say you probably haven't gotten them broken in yet. Yeah riding to work at 55-60 down the highway was a bit unnerving. I don't remember the exact mileage but it seems to me I was well over 300 miles before I thought it felt good. I do need to service the steering bearings as I know I fail the flop test. So that could have contributed to my issues as well.

At this point I'd say get out and get some more miles on before you start wrenching things trying to solve this issue. You may find it goes away on it's own.

[brianmac]

What is the four digit number after the DOT stamped on the tires. Those digits with mean the month and the year of manufacture. I would also suggest that you dropped down to 36 in the front, and check your air pressure with three or four different gauges sounds like you're overinflated. Or cupped. If your rear shock is too tight it can amplify issues.

[Cazwik]

2021 is the number , I'll try lowering the pressure. I'll search on the rear shocks but the instability is felt in the front.

[Lug Nut]

Measure with a measuring tape... measure the distance from center of pivot swing arm to the rear axle. Should be exactly the same left to right side. If not make adjustments to get it equal. A long threaded rod with a nut/washer/nut on each end helps out (tighten one side snug and the side hand tight and then the washer is thin enough tobget exact measurement in middle of axle and middle of swing arm pivot hole.

put bike on jack and check swing arm pivot bearing...at your year and mileage most likely not worn/loose but something to check (refer to manual).

How are tires balanced? I really like Ride On tire sealant...one bottle in each does a great job and eliminates any balance issues and can help with a tire with a bump on it.

Fork oil and aprings also should be fine IF no one was in there messing around before you got bike. Might want to check fluid level and make sire its equal and at the right level (pop cap off and use clear plastic narrow measuring stick in mm.

[Cazwik]

Not sure how he balanced , but if I wanted to redo it what would it involve?

[Shores]

So I can start with the most likely. Should I try swapping out those steering head bearings?

At 6,000k I doubt they are worn out but could possibly be dry or loose. You could lube them with a heavy duty Marine Grease. Was the bike ever wrecked? If you roll the bike forward and slam on the front brakes do the forks seem to compress smoothly? With the bike on a jack and the wheels spinning fast do you see any wobble?

[Cazwik]

Ill jack it up and give a few spins tonight. To my knowledge there was no wreck. The previous owner bought it trying to to get money out of a resell. The owner before that just never rode much ( that's the story anyway) Looking around it there are no scuffs or big visual stand outs that would lead me to believe it was. For regrease is it simply screwing off the stem neck , taking the package out , regrease and replace? I ordered a service manual and the CD that came in didn't work. Still looking for one =/

[roadiemort]

Shock mount welds have been known to fracture on these bikes also.

[Shores]

Ill jack it up and give a few spins tonight. To my knowledge there was no wreck. The previous owner bought it trying to to get money out of a resell. The owner before that just never rode much ( that's the story anyway) Looking around it there are no scuffs or big visual stand outs that would lead me to believe it was. For regrease is it simply screwing off the stem neck , taking the package out , regrease and replace? I ordered a service manual and the CD that came in didn't work. Still looking for one =/

To do top and bottom bearings you need to remove front wheel, remove top tree, remove forks from lower tree and remove lower tree.

[Cazwik]

Yikes.

[Cazwik]

So After action report :

So tonight, I tried something Lug mentioned to me a little while back and I couldn't do because I didn't have the adaptor . I took everything off. Turned the tires on the stand like shores said and didn't see nothing out of the ordinary.
Lugs mentioned that I may need to try to torque inches instead of feet for accuracy. I went to Harbor freight and got a 3/8 IN > 1/2 adaptor for the special tool. Tightened the steer nut and torqued it to 156 IN pounds. Also picked up a digital torque reader and it was at about 13.7 when ti was said and done. Popped on everything along with the new OEM windshield I got today and did a flop test and seemed very good. I said a prayer, talked to it a little bit , and took it for a spin. Handling off the bat was better. Went on the main road and cranked it , looked down and I was at 70. Didn't feel at all as bad as it did last night. Stopped at a gas station and popped on some dessert dawgs because it was chilly. Road a small highway and popped around a bit and I didn't fear for my life. I still feel a little instability but was alot better. The winds did die down quite a bit to 1-3MPH. Tomorrow I will try it out again and take off the WS to see if I notice anything different. Brad_G I put exactly 250 miles on these tires so far.

Not sure if I fixed it but I do feel a lot more comfortable riding! Next ill check alignment to make sure all is good there along with the fork spring fluids.

Thanks for everyone's advise! you guys are great!

[Shores]

You need 200 miles at least on Twisties to scrub the tires in. Feeling unstable is different than wobbly. Are the handlebars shaking? Remove the balancing weights and add Ride On balancing gel per instructions.

[brianmac]

Hey I'm going to second the suggestion to get ride on tire balance and sealant to put in your tires. Good stuff is golden. If you have two tires that are a little out of balance and they spin opposite it will negate the effect but when you drive around town and the imbalances match up the effect will be synergistic and thus more amplified. My brother Kevin the diesel mechanic says where your tires balanced statically or dynamically? Or computer balance etc.

[HotRod]

As Shores said above, you need some more miles on the tires to get them scrubbed in completely. I cannot emphasize enough tire pressures in MC tires. 2 pounds can make a huge difference in the way a bike "feels" either good or bad. I would suggest upping your pressures by 2 pounds in each tire, but do it after you have ridden the bike testing all other changes and after you have put some more miles on them. You may find you wont need to after they are broken in.

Rod

[LeonW]

Hey Cazwik, I just ran across your post. I purchased my Roadstar several years ago and wasn't really impressed with the way it handled but just figured it was what it was. It felt a little loose in the frontend. A couple years later when I had the front tire replaced, the mechanic at the dealer told me the collars on the front axle were missing. He installed them and I could definitely tell the difference in the way the bike handled. Since you apparently had the tires replaced by a garage mechanic you may want to check and make sure the front axle got put back properly with all the parts.
Just a side note, right after I bought the bike I took it to the Yamaha dealer to have the oil changed and the bike checked out. They called and said there was no air filter in the bike. . Go figure! Other than that, the bike was in like-new condition and it's still going strong,

[Cazwik]

Thanks! It's alot better then what it was but I was thinking of taking it to a yamaha dealer in the next town to do a check over myself! I'll mention that Thanks !

[Roadhorsen]

If you still have issues, have the tires pull off, and put those wheels on a good balancing stand and check for consistency side to Sid and vertically doing a spin test..you might have a wheel issue

[roadiemort]

If you click on their profile name it will tell you last time they logged on, 5,6 months have passed on these 2.

[Roadhorsen]

Oh, good tip..Old thread, but keep in mind, people with similar issues, even years down the road will search and read for help

[roadiemort]

Yes lol, that's why we have a search function also. Some folks won't bother looking at an old thread here, opening a fresh thread with your own issues will always get you looked after.

[Cazwik]

Lol, Thanks for the help. After a bit of road miles the ride smoothed out alot. I think it just needed some miles. It's a great bike for its age!