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Harley Speed Wobble, Tank Slap, also known as the Death Wobble

Hi all,
I think its a sad day for me ,After reading all the posts on this subject I think Ive made up my mind to sell my 2004 ultra classic .I too experienc this problem all of the time and it scares the (Edit)out of me .I think you guys in the states dont have this problem as much as you have long long roads to cruise ,But here in Ireland every bend is a challenge on my ultra ,Also last year I took it to the Bulldog bash in the uk >What should have been an amazing ride through Snowdonia was terrible with my missus on the back and luggage every corner was hard work and my buddies on their bikes left me for dust ,
I had fitted a progressive unit and it really mproved the bike on sweeping wide bends ,But not on the tight ones .I can honestly say that this bike is taking away my confidence .The proof of the pudding is the fact that all harley dealers now boast that the newer models now longer have this problem as they have changed the frame .Its a pity they did not do a call back but they would not admit to the problem .I wish I knew what tourer to buy next as I going to France and Spain again in a few weeks .
Ps Sorry about your bro mate

Regards all Boo



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Hi Bo
Not sure exactly what you are experiencing, but if it really is wobbling all the time and every bend is a challenge, then something is seriously wrong/out of adjustment on your scoot. They do not do that all the time.

I've had mine for 13 years, and experienced a real wobble twice. I live in Norway where the roads are like yours and I tend to ride fairly hard.
I agree that pre-2009 Harley tourers have a handling issue, but it can be improved by using one of the many stabilizer kits out there. I'm adding one now - not caused by the softness in sweepers, but I do not want to experience another wobble...

Before selling yours, I'd check it carefully because yours does not sound right.
Check front and rear suspension. Are your new progressive shocks heavy duty type and did you set preload correctly for your trip? Overhaul the forks, including replacing oil with heavier type and add progressive springs or cartridge emulators. Check tyres for pressure & wear and wheel alignment (Hoople has a very good and detailed description right here), check your swingarm donuts for wear, and finally buy one of the stabilizer kits. You will have a new bike. Lastly, does your GF lean into the turns?
 
what was your tire air pressure. I have rode every bike known to man and have never had this happen in my 60 years of riding....heard about it alot but never had it happen to me. Also too what brand tires are you running?
 
Thanks for your replies guys .
It was the engine mount progressive that i had fitted .
IM BEGINNING TO THINK THE FRONT END WOBBLE IS TO DO WITH THE FRONT FORKS .tRY THIS Anyone .with a load en the back of the bike sharply pull the handle bars to one side and back to centre .Ive noticed there is movenent still there when I stop .I wonder is there something that can make the front end more stable .The problem with mine is not on every bend which to me is a bigger problem because You never know when it will happen .
I took a triumph rocket touring out for a test run and i have to say Im tempted to buy .Why am I so attached to my ultra ,I think it must be giving up the dream or something
Bike is still on dunlops tried many tyre pressures .Some old guys in the uk told me to change to avons. i dont know it seems like to much hassle

Regards all
 
O.K. Let me see if I can make some sense of this issue. I have a 2001 Electraglide Classic and at about 14,000 miles I got to experience the “my butt is going in the wrong direction” syndrome while chasing our hog group director around a 270 degree exit ramp at a fairly good clip. I had already changed the tires on the bike 2,000 miles before this happened. I checked the alignment of the bike and researched several possible causes, i.e. the rubber bushings on the swing arm, the front motor mount, etc. Pulled the saddle bags and stared at the beast for a long time and then realized that the problem was not in any of the other items. The problem appears to be a poorly design rear suspension. Looking closely at the rear air shocks, I realized that these shocks have their air hoses connected together, rather than separate like air bags installed on a car or truck. Also these shocks, by their design, would appear to have more side to side flex than a shock with a spring around it. That being said, let us take a look at what happens when one shock compresses slightly more than the other. The air from the shock which compresses first will travel to the other shock and attempt to expand it. Since the shocks are rubber mounted, the mounting bolts will twist slightly in the shock eyes and allow the same air transfer action to be repeated. At this point you now have the rear wheel and engine misaligned in the frame and the rear wheel wants to steer your butt somewhere else other than where the bike is headed. Keeping in mind that as you move toward the front of the bike, for every pound of force applied to the rear wheel in a twisting action the rubber mounts must resist that force with a larger force to keep things aligned, and that force is greatly increased at the front motor mount.

My solution to the entire problem was relatively simple. I had a pair of Progressive 12” shocks (412 models) for a Dyna I had been playing with on my Sportster. Yeah I know, rough ride. I ordered some 120/170 springs to replace the Dyna 210/250 springs. Mounted the shocks to the Eglide have not been able to reproduce the wobble under any circumstances (fully loaded, old lady and all) in over 5,000 miles. Absolutely nothing else on the bike has been changed. By the way, the hog group direct can’t outrun me on the 270 degree turn anymore either. Also note that this shock is 1 inch shorter than the stock shock which slightly changes the front end geometry when the rear is lowered. If memory serves, this shock/spring configuration is now available from Progressive in both a 3” travel and a 2” travel. Mine is the 2” travel model and works extremely well fully load at the adjustment midpoint.

Hope this info helps anyone having this issue.

Chris
 
I used to get the wobble on my ol 74 FXE back when I was young and dumb. I would speed up till it went away and it worked. I haven't had it with the 88 flt (old Ugly) or my 01 FLHTC.
 
I had some wobble on my softail in corners above 50mph while i was running Dunlops... I switched to metzler me880's and it went away... It really only happened when i was cornering and hit a bump or dip in the road. I never have liked the stock dunlop D series tires. I changed them out one at a time as they wore out, the front didn't make much of a difference, the rear tire made all the difference in the world.
I also ran a dunlop E3 on the rear for a while... It had no wobble, but i didn't get the miles out of it i get from the metzlers. I did notice the E3 tire wanted to cup, and i check my tire pressure pretty frequent.
 
I experienced the high speed wobble on my 05 electra glide it turned out to be the back tire wasnt aligned. I noticed the belt was tracking off fixed that and it went away.
 
OPINIONS PLEASE :
I have been reading and probably way to many all the post's on the wobble and the rear stabilizers for it. I have a 2004 retired police Roadking, 3 rd owner 18000 miles, I have ridden the bike 1 Michigan riding season and approx 3000 of those miles, never having a Harley before I am appealing to you that have. I do not believe I felt the wobble but nor do I ever want to. The Progressive touring link at less than $150.00 now cheap insurance that it wont happen ? or money wasted and spend it on something else ? Stock bike other than chrome accessories maint done every year or will be done now that I have it found an awesome indy right around the corner, new tires this year went with the OEM dunlops for this set, I know most everything to do with your bike is personal but this seams like a safety issue as well. With as old as this bike is and with the miles if it hasn't happened yet it wont or it's approaching the time that if it is going to happen now is it. Thanks all opinions from those more wiser than I are most welcome. Tim
 
Like many, I run a stabilizer for the peace of mind, and the fact that I got it cheap. It's the Progressive Touring Link.

I'll relate an experience I had last year down in Arkansas. On the way down, I started to feel an odd vibration on decel, and it got worse as the miles wore on. My riding bud and I looked her over real good at every stop but found nothing.

About 40 miles from our destination, POW! All (EDIT) broke loose. My normally stable as a rock motorcycle was all over the place. Once I got her stopped, we found that the year-old spherical bearings in the swing-arm were toast (these were the cheapies from V-Twin, not the good ones from CCI). This was my mystery vibration all day and the big bang was when the Progressive Touring Link finally snapped.

So... how do I feel about the stabilizer? I'm not sure. On the one hand, it held things in check that were way messed up and for God only knows how long. But on the other hand, it masked the problem until things got real wonky. I'm pretty sure I would have noticed my bike behaving badly long before I did if it weren't for the stabilizer.

We rallied the troops, got parts, fixed the bike in a motel parking lot and enjoyed the rest of our trip. I still run the Touring Link, but I now make it a practice to check out the swing-arm/ rear mount area very carefully each winter. I would advise everyone to do the same.

Sorry for the long read.

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