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[Chief]

Mine drops lotsa revs when I'm drafting them. I get on the bumper, pull my clutch in, and let them tow me. When I start breaking the draft, I let the clutch out, catch the draft again, and pull the clutch in again. Better be paying real good attention when doing this. TT air brakes stop real well!

Hoist!

Breaking the draft is not the concern here, braking the rig and then breaking your head is the problem.

[Capo]

Just picked up my Screamin Nemo following MOCO lowering kit and Tru Track install and the ride home was in mild wind and I was very disappointed in the handling. Comng off my SERK to the SEUC the fairing appears to be the big difference-I had solid wheels on the SERK and a large wind screen and wind was only an issue in  Eastern WA where the crosswinds are notoriously VICIOUS as in lane changing so you absolutley drift-no one spynchter can stay puckered that long!

[Chief]

Just picked up my Screamin Nemo following MOCO lowering kit and Tru Track install and the ride home was in mild wind and I was very disappointed in the handling. Comng off my SERK to the SEUC the fairing appears to be the big difference-I had solid wheels on the SERK and a large wind screen and wind was only an issue in  Eastern WA where the crosswinds are notoriously VICIOUS as in lane changing so you absolutley drift-no one spynchter can stay puckered that long!

They all do it. Seriously, they do. You have a lot of aerodynamic forces going on up front and now there's a big 'ol piece of plastic up there transmitting those forces to the bars.

Hopefully you'll get used to it. Try to loosen up your grip on things and let it flow. It makes a whole lot of difference if you're trying to keep it from doing what it naturally want it to do.

Good luck and I hope you can work it out.

[Capo]

I will not have a problem and I appreciate the advice the real issue is with mama- she becomes a giant WHITE Knuckle!

[grc]

There are two separate issues that are often called "wobble".  First there is the understandable front end shake caused by the handlebar mounted batwing fairing.  Any windshield or fairing mounted directly to the bars is going to affect handling, it's something you eventually get used to.  As noted earlier in this thread, recognize it for what it is, relax, and give the bike it's head.  The worst thing you can do is put the death grip on the bars and fight it.

The second issue is what I consider to be the real "wobble", and that is the failure of the rear wheel to track perfectly true with the front due to side loads distorting the rubber mounts.  Swing arm and frame flex are involved also, but the biggie is still the rubber mount system.  If you ride behind someone with a severe case of the wobbles, you can actually see the rear tire walking around.  Definitely spooky.  This is the phenomenon that the Sta-Bo bushings and the various stabilizers like True Track and Ride Str8 are supposed to help.  It is also the one that Dan's original question is concerned with, ie. does the relocation of the upper engine stabilizer link from between the two heads under the fuel tank to the front head and frame downtube make any difference in this type of wobble?  I personally doubt it, but a point was made in a previous discussion of this topic that the frame would likely be stiffer where the link is attached now, versus the old backbone location.  So possibly you would have less drivetrain movement due to frame flex.  Of course, you still have the same rubber bushing design at the trans mount/swingarm pivot, so IMHO you will still get side movement under side loads. 

Jerry

[Gone Fishin']

They all do it. Seriously, they do. You have a lot of aerodynamic forces going on up front and now there's a big 'ol piece of plastic up there transmitting those forces to the bars.

Hopefully you'll get used to it. Try to loosen up your grip on things and let it flow. It makes a whole lot of difference if you're trying to keep it from doing what it naturally want it to do.

Hi Chief,
There is a difference in behaviour. The reaction of the fairing to wind and wind direction changes is as you describe, and actually "letting go" a little bit on the grips will greatly diminish the uncomfortable feeling and stabilize the ride. However, the high speed wobble is something much more serious, as the movements of the front can not be stabilized by "letting go", but rather by slooooowly decreasing speed and the rider scootching forward towards on to the tank (an old trick first invented by the highway police riders). "Letting go" at the high speed wobble will most definitively help the bike completely loose direction and many times would bring the bike down.
While the fairing issue is what it is, the wobble must be fought by improvements on the bike, such as the tru-trac (whatever it helps) and other measures. It can't be that a bike capable of doing 120 mph gets unsafe at 90 mph!
(And by the way: Lowering the bike will most definitively increase the wobble. This is what made specifically the 2005 SEEG so hard to handle at higher speeds. These bikes were already lowered when the came.)
I'll report back, once I do have a chance to test ride my 2008 SEUC with the tru-trac and baffle.
Ride safely,
Louis

[Capo]

The Tru Track has definately helped the "wobble" and maybe that's why I am noting the front end so much more. I thought the MOCO changed the bushings last year in the swing arm? The Tru Track gang told me when I ordered that had been done. The lowering I did was to reduce seat height for my 29" inseam, hope I didn't waste the $$ and create a crappy handling issue.

[mhjimh]

I had posted earlier about a friend how wrecked do to th violent wobble in his bike. I was right behind him and my bike was doing the same thing I was able to control mine. Since then I installed the TWR and was able to ride the same curve the other day at high speed and felt no wobble at all, I'm sold. We both have been riding for 35 + years I've owned every touring model and have felt it in every one of them to some degree. So every one needs to now that it can happen to all touring models.

[vagabond6542]

Hi Chief,
There is a difference in behaviour. The reaction of the fairing to wind and wind direction changes is as you describe, and actually "letting go" a little bit on the grips will greatly diminish the uncomfortable feeling and stabilize the ride. However, the high speed wobble is something much more serious, as the movements of the front can not be stabilized by "letting go", but rather by slooooowly decreasing speed and the rider scootching forward towards on to the tank (an old trick first invented by the highway police riders). "Letting go" at the high speed wobble will most definitively help the bike completely loose direction and many times would bring the bike down.
While the fairing issue is what it is, the wobble must be fought by improvements on the bike, such as the tru-trac (whatever it helps) and other measures. It can't be that a bike capable of doing 120 mph gets unsafe at 90 mph!
(And by the way: Lowering the bike will most definitively increase the wobble. This is what made specifically the 2005 SEEG so hard to handle at higher speeds. These bikes were already lowered when the came.)
I'll report back, once I do have a chance to test ride my 2008 SEUC with the tru-trac and baffle.
Ride safely,
Louis

Louis

I wish I could agree with you on the lowered bike. I am inseam challenged and had to lower the SEUC2 to get some of my feet to the ground. On the handling side, the bike behaved as well as the "Road Sofa", aka, "RV on two wheels"  that I still have.
But there is another method without expense to help the front wobble, both bikes displayed front wobble at high speeds, i.e., above 110 mph. 1)Check tire pressure. 2)On both tires, go to max cold psi or metric equivalent. 3) Lower both tires 2 to 3 psi or metric equivalent. Keep the front less by 1 psi What is happening is that you are changing the aero dynamics of the tires at high speeds. The heavier the bike the less the pressure has to be removed. The foot print of the front tire is also being increased to decrease the wobble.

Vag

[Gone Fishin']

I wish I could agree with you on the lowered bike. I am inseam challenged and had to lower the SEUC2 to get some of my feet to the ground. On the handling side, the bike behaved as well as the "Road Sofa", aka, "RV on two wheels"  that I still have.
But there is another method without expense to help the front wobble, both bikes displayed front wobble at high speeds, i.e., above 110 mph. 1)Check tire pressure. 2)On both tires, go to max cold psi or metric equivalent. 3) Lower both tires 2 to 3 psi or metric equivalent. Keep the front less by 1 psi What is happening is that you are changing the aero dynamics of the tires at high speeds. The heavier the bike the less the pressure has to be removed. The foot print of the front tire is also being increased to decrease the wobble.

Vag

Vag,

I could not agree more on the tire pressure. If you go to high, it will definitely increase the chances of the wobble. The cost of going with a lowered pressure, however, is increased tire wear. A small price to pay for the increase in safety.
My experience with the lowered bike is based on my 2005 SEEG compared to a friend with the same bike, but notched up the regular height of the stock E-Glides. And with wind from the side, of course.

Ride safely,
Louis

[megavolt17]

I would have thought that lowering a bike, if done properly, would improve the handling.  It works for sports cars compared to SUVs for example.  I am thinking of lowering my bike so I don't have to stand on the balls of my feet depending on if there is a crown on the road or not, but I don't want to increase the chance of a high speed crash due to a wobble as a result.  0MPH crash beats 75MPH crash any day!

[Chief]

Hi Chief,
There is a difference in behaviour. The reaction of the fairing to wind and wind direction changes is as you describe, and actually "letting go" a little bit on the grips will greatly diminish the uncomfortable feeling and stabilize the ride. However, the high speed wobble is something much more serious, as the movements of the front can not be stabilized by "letting go", but rather by slooooowly decreasing speed and the rider scootching forward towards on to the tank (an old trick first invented by the highway police riders). "Letting go" at the high speed wobble will most definitively help the bike completely loose direction and many times would bring the bike down.
While the fairing issue is what it is, the wobble must be fought by improvements on the bike, such as the tru-trac (whatever it helps) and other measures. It can't be that a bike capable of doing 120 mph gets unsafe at 90 mph!
(And by the way: Lowering the bike will most definitively increase the wobble. This is what made specifically the 2005 SEEG so hard to handle at higher speeds. These bikes were already lowered when the came.)
I'll report back, once I do have a chance to test ride my 2008 SEUC with the tru-trac and baffle.
Ride safely,
Louis

Louis,

My response was to Capo who was complaining about the handling of his SEUC in comparison to his RK. He was talking about the effect the wind was having on the fairing and he was uncomfortable with it. Capo never mentioned anything about a high-speed wobble, which as we know is a whole different animal.

[Chief]

The Tru Track has definately helped the "wobble" and maybe that's why I am noting the front end so much more. I thought the MOCO changed the bushings last year in the swing arm? The Tru Track gang told me when I ordered that had been done. The lowering I did was to reduce seat height for my 29" inseam, hope I didn't waste the $$ and create a crappy handling issue.

Capo,

No recent change to the swingarm. I believe it was 2002 they changed things up.

I think you'll get used to the fairing movement with some miles. Don't fight it and you'll be OK. There's also a possibility that your neck bearings are too loose and that will amplify the movement. If you've got a shop manual, look at the section on steering head bearings. The procedure for doing the "swing test" is there.

Good luck.

[spydglide]

why don't these bikes come w/ a steering stabilizer on the front forks?  don't they work at all?    spyder

[Gone Fishin']

Louis,

My response was to Capo who was complaining about the handling of his SEUC in comparison to his RK. He was talking about the effect the wind was having on the fairing and he was uncomfortable with it. Capo never mentioned anything about a high-speed wobble, which as we know is a whole different animal.

Yes, I know. I am just so concerned with the wobble thing and was trying to better differentiate the two, just as you do.

Ride Safely,
Louis