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[kiwihog]

Anyone want to help??? about half way thru my 3000 mile roadtrip I noticed at slow speed (entering and driving around) parking lots the handle bars developed a whipping action when hitting driveways and smallish bumps in the surface of the road . To start with I thought I had loaded the bike top heavy so emptied all the luggage and it still did it.. checked tire pressure.. ok   I took it to my local dealer when I got home and showed them while sitting still in the service dept if I turn the handlebars quickly side to side the front wheel whips back and throws the handlebars in the opposite direction while doing that I noticed the back end tour pak etc wags I want to say violently but that may be exaggerated could someone try this on their FLTRUSE and report your findings I am thinking maybe something in one of the frame joints?? where they are bolted together has come loose and allowing things to flex that should be solid..Of course the dealer said nothing wrong with it but I know it is different than before.. they did offer to pull the front end apart at my cost if nothing found.. I said I would do my own diag as wasnt convinced the front end was the problem.. this was after they confirmed that my Garmin was faulty  sounds like chipmunks re my post here last month when it started doing this  they still tried to squeeze me for an hour diag time ? If they confirm a problem are HD really going to not cover diag to correct it...WTF

[Cvostu]

steering neck bearings again??  Road glides seem to have this issue more than others that I read on here,  There are ways to check it with the "fall away".  Find a dealer that knows how to make the proper adjustments... This might be a bit of a chore too,,,  I call it a wobble.

[grc]

First thing I'd do is to find a better dealer that isn't out to rob you every time you walk in the door.  The next time they tried to extort money from me, I'd be on the horn to the mothership while standing in the middle of the showroom making a scene.  Then I'd do as cvostu recommmended, get the steering head bearing preload checked by someone competent.


Jerry

[JCZ]

First thing I'd do is to find a better dealer that isn't out to rob you every time you walk in the door.  The next time they tried to extort money from me, I'd be on the horn to the mothership while standing in the middle of the showroom making a scene.  Then I'd do as cvostu recommmended, get the steering head bearing preload checked by someone competent.


Jerry

I agree with Jerry.  Just because they can't find the problem it doesn't mean that it's not a warranty issue......just means their techs. are incompetent.

Years ago it seemed like it was mostly the bat wing fairing bikes.  Since the 09 frame change, the majority are the Road Glide models that have this problem.  Odd, because they're both using the same frame.

But, as many have learned on this forum....find a reputable and competent dealership and get them to do the fall away check.  I believe the specs call for 2 to 4 turns but if you can get them to set it down to about 2 1/2 turns, you'll be good to go.

It seems in the Road Glide models that the bearing races or the bearings themselves are not properly seated at the factory.  After a number of miles, sometimes a few thousand, they finally drop down in place and then you have the excess slop in the steering head.  Seems like as often as this has happened, the MoCo would have put out a service bullitin  by now.  If anybody knows of one, please post it up.

[Twolanerider]

Of course the dealer said nothing wrong with it but I know it is different than before.. they did offer to pull the front end apart at my cost if nothing found..

It is too common that bike owners just blithely accept something because the dealership says it.  What they said here is patently wrong (and crap).  You're describing a handling and safety issue and they are essentially avoiding even attempting to correct it.

When the dealers, as they so often do, say "that's normal" or "that's how they all are" in response to something that is obviously not as it should be the guys above are right; it does deserve a call over their head.  But it should also bring up one more conversation immediately and directly with the offending dealership.  Something like "Sure, I'll keep riding it the way it.  And here is the liability acceptance for you to sign since you told me to ride it this way."  These people have to be metaphorically bitch slapped when they are so arrogant and callous with our riding safety.

[kiwihog]

thats how I feel the bike handled one way for over 5000 miles then started doing this. I had taken the bike in yesterday for its overdue 5k service @ 7200 oops they supposedly  adjusted the steering neck bearings fallaway they say is 3 I always thought there should be a half in there somewhere since it is supposed to return to straight ahead isnt it . I did let them know they would be hearing from me if I wreck because of this the good thing is its a low speed thing .. I did experience the wobble discussed here earlier this year with the hands off the bars this is different . Im gonna take a ride around a few dealers over the weekend and check if other RG ultras do this
Thanx for listening guys
Kiwi

[JCZ]

Then tell them to set it at 2.....or what ever it takes to make the problem go away, that it's a life safety issue the way it is.  If the Svc. Mgr. doesn't want to listen, then go to the GM or owner.

Right now it's doing it at low speed but like many others, you may not get a warning when it's going to do it at high speed until it's to late and you're in the middle of that 60-70 mph sweeper doing the watusi shuffle.

It's not an "ultra" issue.....it's a Road Glide issue since 09 and apparently all models of Road Glides.  Not just a CVO problem either, heard a guy at the dealership last week arguing with them about it and he had a regular Road Glide.

[kiwihog]

my Ultra comment  I did mean RG Ultra tried it on a RG Custom 2010 on floor at dealer and nothing need to find some with tourpaks on

[ultrafxr]

thats how I feel the bike handled one way for over 5000 miles then started doing this. I had taken the bike in yesterday for its overdue 5k service @ 7200 oops they supposedly  adjusted the steering neck bearings fallaway they say is 3 I always thought there should be a half in there somewhere since it is supposed to return to straight ahead isnt it . I did let them know they would be hearing from me if I wreck because of this the good thing is its a low speed thing .. I did experience the wobble discussed here earlier this year with the hands off the bars this is different . Im gonna take a ride around a few dealers over the weekend and check if other ultras do this
Thanx for listening guys
Kiwi

They may want to check the 2011 service manual.  For RGs the min is 1 and max is 2.

[kiwihog]

thanx for that info thought i had read that somewhere when i said it to the service advisor he told me it was 3
just checked and I did have that PDF file called dealer and he asked the tech he said he set at 1.5 . I still feel its not coming from the front of the bike


Just tried fallaway test at home on lift both wheels evenly off the ground and wont even swing 1/2 just goes from lock to center there are so many cables running thru at  that pivot point dragging and stopping steering from swinging.. checked and cant see any evidence of any of the cables or wiring being disassembled I think I have found the #1 tech at this dealer he can adjust this by eye lol  I was trying to eliminate the simplest thing first now feel like the AH lied to me

[Texas 103]

Anyone want to help??? about half way thru my 3000 mile roadtrip I noticed at slow speed (entering and driving around) parking lots the handle bars developed a whipping action when hitting driveways and smallish bumps in the surface of the road . To start with I thought I had loaded the bike top heavy so emptied all the luggage and it still did it.. checked tire pressure.. ok   I took it to my local dealer when I got home and showed them while sitting still in the service dept if I turn the handlebars quickly side to side the front wheel whips back and throws the handlebars in the opposite direction while doing that I noticed the back end tour pak etc wags I want to say violently but that may be exaggerated could someone try this on their FLTRUSE and report your findings I am thinking maybe something in one of the frame joints?? where they are bolted together has come loose and allowing things to flex that should be solid..Of course the dealer said nothing wrong with it but I know it is different than before.. they did offer to pull the front end apart at my cost if nothing found.. I said I would do my own diag as wasnt convinced the front end was the problem.. this was after they confirmed that my Garmin was faulty  sounds like chipmunks re my post here last month when it started doing this  they still tried to squeeze me for an hour diag time ? If they confirm a problem are HD really going to not cover diag to correct it...WTF

The problem is  the head bearings ,mine was 4 1/2  swings from  the factory and did the shake and bake. I'd bet yours is like that or worse. Mine in fact popped and cracked when I went over small bumps. My tech tells me the way they do them on the line is at  best a guess and they aren't  even close.  We ended up adjusting mine to 1 swing and a little wobble. Yes that's tighter then the bulletin says to adjust them, really don;t give a chit, mine is fixed and three of my other buds here had the same issue and it fixed theirs. And yes they can fix that under warranty      X-2 on what Jerry said, most competent techs know that's an issue on the RG's not so much on the Batwings because of all the weight in the faring.

[Texas 103]

thanx for that info thought i had read that somewhere when i said it to the service advisor he told me it was 3
just checked and I did have that PDF file called dealer and he asked the tech he said he set at 1.5 . I still feel its not coming from the front of the bike


Just tried fallaway test at home on lift both wheels evenly off the ground and wont even swing 1/2 just goes from lock to center there are so many cables running thru at  that pivot point dragging and stopping steering from swinging.. checked and cant see any evidence of any of the cables or wiring being disassembled I think I have found the #1 tech at this dealer he can adjust this by eye lol  I was trying to eliminate the simplest thing first now feel like the AH lied to me

That's the problem with the fallaway test, it's a guess at best. remember the old jap bikes that had the steering dampner?? WHen it started to wobble just tighten it up a little..

[Texas 103]

I agree with Jerry.  Just because they can't find the problem it doesn't mean that it's not a warranty issue......just means their techs. are incompetent.

Years ago it seemed like it was mostly the bat wing fairing bikes.  Since the 09 frame change, the majority are the Road Glide models that have this problem.  Odd, because they're both using the same frame.

But, as many have learned on this forum....find a reputable and competent dealership and get them to do the fall away check.  I believe the specs call for 2 to 4 turns but if you can get them to set it down to about 2 1/2 turns, you'll be good to go.

It seems in the Road Glide models that the bearing races or the bearings themselves are not properly seated at the factory.  After a number of miles, sometimes a few thousand, they finally drop down in place and then you have the excess slop in the steering head.  Seems like as often as this has happened, the MoCo would have put out a service bullitin  by now.  If anybody knows of one, please post it up.

That's exactly what happened to mine, Tech set it at 1 1/2 rode it home , checked it, it was 4, re-tightened to 1 swing a little wobble , problem solved.  Figured the races weren't seated properly. turns out we were right. 

[cowboy7123]

I just bought mine last week and right now i have 350 miles on her, during the past week it seem like I didnt have the problem until today. This morning I put my bike full up on my SS jack to clean and do a few other things. This afternoon i took her out and guess what? I have the wobble and it happens during decel between 30 and 40 MPH.. 

[danner55]

My 1989 flt old style shark nose fairing does the same thing. I've owned this bike since 1991. In 1991 had a dealer check it out for the same wobble at low speeds. I had the neck bearings adjusted .  At that time the MOCO said that it wasn't supposed to operated with your hands off the handle bars. I've changed tires numerous times, added a chrome front end & adjusted the bearings over the years. YES I still have that problem. I just have to be aware that it can happen any time. This isn't something that is new to the frame mounted Harleys!