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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-thehut!hood
From: hood@thehut.DEC (Stupid computer tricks)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: wabble n roll
Message-ID: <1458@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 16-Nov-85 01:30:39 EST
Article-I.D.: decwrl.1458
Posted: Sat Nov 16 01:30:39 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 21-Nov-85 08:07:04 EST
Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 36


I've got a wobble.

In March I replaced the stock tires on my bike (84 Honda Nighthawk-S)
with a pair of Dunlop Sport Elites.  For the entire spring and first
half of summer, I was convinced that the folks at Honda designed the
bike around these tires.  Steering, braking, handling, everything improved
dramatically.

Toward the middle of summer, I started getting a back-and-forth (right-
to-left) shimmy in the handle bars from about 30 to 45 mph.  Not enough to
affect the ride at all, but enough to be damned annoying. 

As time went on, the wobble got more pronounced.  It still didn't affect
handling, but it did get more and more annoying.

I've tried checking fork pressure, wheel balancing, rear shock adjustment,
and a few other things.  At the suggestion of my mechanic, I increased
tire pressure from 30psi to about 35.  This cut the wobble quite a bit,
but still didn't eliminate the problem.  (The mechanic also has a
Nighthawk-S, on which he put either Metzler or Michelin soft tires,
and also has a bit of a wobble now.)

I talked about the problem a bit to a guy who runs a motorcycle tire
store (not where I bought mine) who suggested doing all the things I
checked, and also recommended against using "aerosol donkey snot" in
the tires.  He mentioned that sometimes he just gets a bad tire that
causes wobbles for no apparent reason, but because mine didn't wobble
until a couple of thousand miles, that it might not be the problem.

The tires aren't showing any signs of unusual wear or anything, and
everything on the bike seems to be ok.  Any suggestions?

					Tom Hood
					DEC, Littleton, Mass.
					via whatever path works