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[Seegarsmkr]

I am dreadfully sorry about your friend, also.  I have been in a couple of slappers with sport bikes, all of which were my fault.  It is unfortunate that this post had to be written at all, but if some good comes out of it then all is not wasted.  There are many inexperienced riders out there who do not pay enough attention to tire pressures, and general "waste of time" maintenance issues.  Most of the guys here realize how important these seemingly monotonous these issues are each and every time you ride, but it can't be emphasized enough.  Not sure if he was truly at 55 or if there was another issue at play here but, collectively we need to prevent these events if we can.  Every time something like this happens, preventable or not, we take another black mark from those who do not understand that it is a safe and wonderful thing to do, unfortunately, many of them are lawmakers.

Seegarz

[Hoist!]

Sorry to hear about this no matter what the circumstances. Hoping a full recovery.

Guys, the way I read his account of this, it's not his friend. Bobby himself is the friend he speaks of. And it was awful kind of you to summarize your experience with us. All the best Bobby!

Hoist!

[theslash]

hope you get better
gods speed

[Smiler]

After taking a spill myself this morning, my thoughts are with you my friend.   I don't have anything like your riding experience, having got into it late in life so I can only try and empathise.  55mph is no speed to travel.  I don't understand the term tank slapping, or wobble, would someone please explain this to me.  I had a softail which has now been traded in for a  SERK, what I am led to believe is that this occurs on the touring models, is that correct..

[Seegarsmkr]

Smiler,
A wobble is when the front/back wheel literally wobbles, if the handle bars correspond to the wobble in the front wheel you get a tank slapper when the right handlebar hits the tank then immediately followed by the left...rapidly and continuously until either the bike rights itself or you go down.  It can happen in any type of bike and was more common in sport bikes until they started installing steering dampers which cuts down significantly in the ability for the handlebars to slap the tank.  There are many causes from mechanical defects with parts on your bike or  other foreign causes i.e. exceeding the speed rating on the tires, something breaking on the bike or hitting something on the road.  I am sure the techno gurus on this site can give you the particular causes that certain Harley's have been prone to this issue, but I am a novice as a wrench.

It is never good in any case or any bike, the centrifugal force of the wheel is enough to keep it up right until that force is disrupted.  The higher the speed the more potential damage.

Hope you are feeling OK after your spill.

Seegarz

[Smiler]

Hi seegarz - thanks for the explanation, in my ignorance, I thought it was something to do with the sadlebags flapping lol, silly old me.
On a serious note I cannot imagine that happening, or how I'd respond.  This certainly puts things into perspective as it shows none of us are invincible and as the man says, "be careful out there" .