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Author Topic: Help with bike sway after new wheels installed - feels unsafe  (Read 7539 times)

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beefcake

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so i had a set of dna wheels put on the bike last week,  23" front, and 18" rear.

i have this odd sway rock now, not at all speeds   and not in all gears.

at first it felt like the bike was rocking side to side at the handlebars, like the balance was off up front, but i was standing there when they balanced the front tire and got it to 0

i was on the hwy at 70,  and in 6th gear,  it got really bad, felt unsafe.   my buddy was behind me, and said he sould see the rear end swaying from side to side,  i imagine this is what is making my handle bars up front feel like they are rocking.

he said it doesn't seem like it's leaning from his view, literally that the rear end is going left then right then left then right.

again, not all speeds,

any idea what the issue is. 
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coloradotom

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Re: Help with bike sway after new wheels installed - feels unsafe
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2017, 11:01:01 AM »

Is it dogtracking? You can check cheaply by going through a puddle and see if the tracks line up.
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beefcake

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Re: Help with bike sway after new wheels installed - feels unsafe
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2017, 11:11:59 AM »

if thats the rear end, going from side to side

left to right, then yes.  don't need to go through water,  you can see it clear as day riding behind it,  moving at least a few inches side to side
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FlaHeatWave

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Re: Help with bike sway after new wheels installed - feels unsafe
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2017, 11:34:28 AM »

Could be a tire separating (especially if it's a Metzler)? or a rim out of true? improper inflation? Improper Bearing / not installed properly?
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hd-dude

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Re: Help with bike sway after new wheels installed - feels unsafe
« Reply #4 on: April 24, 2017, 11:40:11 AM »

Did you also install a set of raked trees and leg extensions to correct the rake and trail? If not there is your problem. Installation of a 23" front wheel without doing so is creating a death trap.

beefcake

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Re: Help with bike sway after new wheels installed - feels unsafe
« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2017, 12:07:25 PM »

Could be a tire separating (especially if it's a Metzler)? or a rim out of true? improper inflation? Improper Bearing / not installed properly?

yes, just installed new metzler 888s
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beefcake

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Re: Help with bike sway after new wheels installed - feels unsafe
« Reply #6 on: April 24, 2017, 12:08:15 PM »

Did you also install a set of raked trees and leg extensions to correct the rake and trail? If not there is your problem. Installation of a 23" front wheel without doing so is creating a death trap.

no leg extensions, but the dna kit did come with a raked tree
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coloradotom

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Re: Help with bike sway after new wheels installed - feels unsafe
« Reply #7 on: April 24, 2017, 12:16:04 PM »

if thats the rear end, going from side to side

left to right, then yes.  don't need to go through water,  you can see it clear as day riding behind it,  moving at least a few inches side to side

No, dogtracking is when the rear wheel is tracking different than the front one. Bad alignment, one wheel spaced too far the wrong way, etc. It'll keep trying to correct itself, but the bad track keeps pulling it out.

If you ruled out the rake I'd check that. The reason to go through water is to lay down two paths so you can see how off it might be. We used to ride them through paint so the tracks lasted longer.
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beefcake

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Re: Help with bike sway after new wheels installed - feels unsafe
« Reply #8 on: April 24, 2017, 12:30:36 PM »

No, dogtracking is when the rear wheel is tracking different than the front one. Bad alignment, one wheel spaced too far the wrong way, etc. It'll keep trying to correct itself, but the bad track keeps pulling it out.

If you ruled out the rake I'd check that. The reason to go through water is to lay down two paths so you can see how off it might be. We used to ride them through paint so the tracks lasted longer.

problem is, doesn't always feel like it's doing it all the time,  mosltly light throttle stuff,  at 70 in 5th, really don't notice it, in 6th, same speed on cruise, much more noticeable,  quick accelerating not noticeable.

25 mph zone, light throttle, noticeable
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coloradotom

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Re: Help with bike sway after new wheels installed - feels unsafe
« Reply #9 on: April 24, 2017, 02:18:33 PM »

problem is, doesn't always feel like it's doing it all the time,  mosltly light throttle stuff,  at 70 in 5th, really don't notice it, in 6th, same speed on cruise, much more noticeable,  quick accelerating not noticeable.

25 mph zone, light throttle, noticeable

It could be anything from the guy put the tires on with the arrow the wrong way to bushings to air pressure. Air pressure issues, you can test and fill the rear tire to the max PSI listed on the sidewall and go for a real short and easy ride at 25 to see if that changes anything?
« Last Edit: April 24, 2017, 02:20:31 PM by coloradotom »
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Re: Help with bike sway after new wheels installed - feels unsafe
« Reply #10 on: April 24, 2017, 03:15:35 PM »

I know that on Touring Bikes there are spacers that go on the axle on each side of the rear wheel.   They are specific from left to right.   I wonder if they could have been left out?    Maybe just the caliper keeping it located?   :nixweiss:
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beefcake

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Re: Help with bike sway after new wheels installed - feels unsafe
« Reply #11 on: April 24, 2017, 03:29:21 PM »

I know that on Touring Bikes there are spacers that go on the axle on each side of the rear wheel.   They are specific from left to right.   I wonder if they could have been left out?    Maybe just the caliper keeping it located?   :nixweiss:

the entire rear is moving,  not the tire by itself
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Re: Help with bike sway after new wheels installed - feels unsafe
« Reply #12 on: April 24, 2017, 05:19:40 PM »

For the hell of it, check the upper stabilizer, I had one that the ball on the frame side froze and wouldn't pivot so it broke off in the frame, it acted like something wrong in the rear wheel, this was on my 2015 Street Glide Special


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Re: Help with bike sway after new wheels installed - feels unsafe
« Reply #13 on: April 24, 2017, 08:09:53 PM »

This is another of those things that look cool, to some, and ruin the ride quality of an expensive bike. The shop that mounted the tires/wheels & installed the rake kit has some responsibility here for returning bike to you in unsafe riding condition and to not install longer legs not good at all. You need them.
Quit riding the bike until you find the problem.is
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RonandJanet

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Re: Help with bike sway after new wheels installed - feels unsafe
« Reply #14 on: April 25, 2017, 07:45:25 AM »

This sounds unsafe. I would bring it back to the shop that did the work and have them check everything and get the problem resolved. 
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