One main thing you didn't touch on was tire to tire alignment. Hence why the notches are on the back wheel. If you move your back wheel for any reason make sure it is aligned correctly. This is a major cause of speed wobble.
@@JayyBird93 self explanitory statement... either you or the handles slap the tank and it gives the bike a input to react and it normaly fixes it with that.
Had that death wobble happen when I hit multiple potholes merging onto the highway in south east Michigan(Luna Pier). Guessing it was a 3 part combination of death grip and front tire bouncing slightly off to the side after bouncing out of the holes AND accelerating. I did end up putting my weight forward on the bike, loosened my grip on the bars, asked God for some help and it helped a lot
I like to call Ohio crater country lol. Highways are "generally" pretty solid, but literally any other road will seemingly have a pothole every 1000 feet.
@moze_- Just like New Orleans in Louisiana, which is why I don't ride my bike in New Orleans. Lastly, people get carjacked all of the time, and I have a rare and fully restored 1985 Yamaha 2 stroke RZ 350 Kenny Robert's Edition Bike, so I'm not taking any chances. Bought from Kaplan Cycles, the best around. They own the New England Motorcycle Museum. Kaplan America is their channel on You Tube. Check them out. You'll thank me later, if you don't already know about them.
I'm from the UK and passed my bike test in 1983. This involved the examiner being on foot and watching you ride for as long as you were visible to him. For about half the test, you weren't visible to him at all. I know tests have become tougher since but what my 42 years of riding has taught me is that all new riders should learn what all main parts of a bike are - and how to make sure they're working properly. This should absolutely be part of the test and wish it had been for mine because it would have saved me from two horrific lock to lock tankslappers that, thankfully I managed to recover from. Sure, I learned over time from friends about the importance of tyre pressures, fork maintenance/operation, wheel alignment etc. But this should have been taught/learned as part of the test. If you're new to riding, teach yourself about this - it's crucial. The fact the test doesn't require it is outrageous. Make sure you don't suffer from this omission.
About the wheel alignment, at my place it's usually either the manufacturing is trash (well, domestically and horribly made bikes from Chinese licenses) that the whole frame of the bike is messed up, or teenagers' (or dudes with the mindset of one) modding goes wrong. I've been told by my father that I must get friends riding behind me on test rides, filming it on different angle then show me along with their reviews on me riding, in case I want to buy cheap/suspicious/nobrand ones. "You're my only son" he said, and almost a decade later I'm still riding the bike he bought for me - I never bother buying new one out fear that it would make him worry. About "Darwinism", man... Sh..t... I've witnessed so many of its "proofs" that I don't want to utter the word itself...
Omg. I think i held my breathe for most of this video. Thats absolutely frightening to find yourself in such a situation. One cant even practice for this if it ever happens
ANOTHER BIG MECHANICAL ISSUE THAT CAN CAUSE DEATH WOBBLES IS THE TRIPLE TREE BEARINGS. They gotta be TIGHT ENOUGH, but NOT TOO TIGHT, they can't be DAMAGED, and they need to be WELL LUBRICATED. This is one of the BIGGEST causes of death wobble, and like tires, almost EVERYBODY overlooks them as a possible cause.
I dont have all the answers, but I've been riding for 52 years, am 70, still ride "enthusiastically" AND am still learning! Road surfaces, (especially long longitudinal grooves due to resurfacing, re-grading, roadworks....what ever) can "start the wobble" and your bike is only too happy to join the party! Here in East Texas, the many heavy logging trucks can influence the right lane surfaces. "Read" the road. Sure, the bike can be at fault with tire tread, bad bearings, stabilizer issues, BUT!! ....take some responsibility and DO NOT assume the road surface is in your corner. Once the wobble starts, (I just had one "start" this past week 03/26/24, at 80mph on my normally stable, heavily tuned, modified Harley AND I run Pirelli Night Dragon rubber, front an back. I consider them the greatest for my setup. I was in West Louisiana, [THE worst phuking roads in the USA] and it took me by surprise. Avoid braking, ease off on the gas and cover the rear brake without any sudden pressure and slow things down with love and passion in its lightest form! This is THE ONE AREA where the front anchor IS NOT your friend. Caress that pedal with light a light foot and live to advise others! Above all....Every Success! Ride safe my friends.
Holy crap. The Night Dragon is a bias-ply tire, Harley-Davidsons are crap, and you obviously don't know how to ride. I would encourage you to get a competent motorcycle, a full set of proper safety gear, and take the MSF Basic Rider Course for starters. It takes more than that to become an actual rider, but those initial steps would put you much closer to that goal.
@@YernBelfus400 , It would appear you have just proven, how truly uninformed you are in the areas that you decided to dribble your drivel in! However;.....do not fret, as the facts do not give a Rat's Ass about your opinions, so no damage occured. You have however just proven, how truly apt, the old adage still is and how applicable it also still is! "Empty vessels really DO make the most noise!" Try reading the technical information, to discover how many bubbles you are off plumb.
@@YernBelfus400 How remarkably uninformed you are....yet so willing to run your mouth! The good news is that facts do not care about your opinions. Me neither.
@@Dodger2879 Wrong again. My background includes being an expert-licensed motorcycle road racer and motorcycle road racing instructor. I have lapped the Snaefel Mountain Course on the Isle of Man during the TT at triple-digit speeds. I have been over 200 mph on my superbike. And I have been paid at the rate of $1,000/hour as a rider and model for the advertising campaign of one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world. So when I tell you that you know nothing, it's because you know nothing. You know LESS than nothing about riding.
Hey! Spunky Boyy, I like your channel, you share a lot of important info. I'm 74, started riding at 14. Bought myself a 78' GS1000 in 79' as a college graduation present to myself. Some fraternity ''Biffs & Chads'' mom & dads bought them ones too - invited me to drag race, one of their GS1000 did a tank slapper at 120mph ,bent him & bike. I put heavier fork oil in front air forks, I had a tank slapper racing. Called US Suzuki, told me , measure w/ a dipstick to assure fork oil levels were equal or air pressure in forks would not be equal. This worked, never another wobble. I hope my experience can save some bent bikes & bones.
I have another tip to prevent speed wobble. Check your front forks for leaks and if they are serviceable make sure that they are at the proper fluid level and even on both sides so that one fork isn't stronger than the other. This is what can induce speed wobble because each fork is fighting each other.
Absolutely. Forks don’t get enough love for the job they do. They turn, they take big impacts (big wheelies), they take the full weight of the motorcycle on hard breaking. And when they leak you lose your handling, damping, and breaks.
@@25aspooner the funny part is that steering wheel dampers can actually induce the wobble because they don't allow the opposing forks to harmonize. I've seen videos of motorcycles *with* dampers speed wobble and crash. I don't want to pretend that a few video examples are absolute but I have to say that it makes sense. If you have two forks trying to oppose the other and you death grip the bar, it enhances the wobble. The steering damper behaves like you are gripping the bar constantly and it's good for preventing instability mid-turn on a track but if you think about it, it's counterintuitive in regards to allowing the wobbling forks to stabilize by not 'letting go' of the bar. The damper never 'lets go' if you get what I mean.
Absolutely. I had forks that weren't equally pressured on my old GPz550 and the result were two monster tankslappers that friends told me they were amazed I managed to hang on to.
@@pierrewilliams1533 do you happen to know if your motorcycle has serviceable forks? I think it would be beneficial for someone who reads this in the future to know whether or not they can service them.
Yesterday, a friend suffered a fatal accident while driving home. He was driving a high-speed motorbike, so it's possible that he lost the control of his motorbike due to death wobbles. The entire neightborhood has been shocked due to this terrible news. He was a great guy, and everyone in the neighborhood loved him. Thank you for sharing this valuable information. This can save lives!
Dude your the first guy iv heard apart from myself to bang on about tyre pressures! I'm lucky to have lots of older experienced guys around me and they always told me most riders bin there bikes on the roads due to poor tyre pressure and always check them before every ride ! And I always do ❤ 🤟🏻
I keep an eye on all of the peoples' bikes who show up at the same meets as I do or if I just see them on the road. Its scary how many glaring issues you can catch just glancing at peoples' bikes. Tire pressures are a big one. I can't comprehend how people don't notice because my bike feels SO off if its even 5lbs low. I know its not your or my responsibility, but I make sure to point these things out to people when I see them. I just want everyone to be safe!
Guys, here is our Savior HalleluYAH translates “Praise ye YaH” YaH is The Heavenly Father YaH arrives via the TENT OF MEETING YaH was Who they Crucified for our sins YaH was Crucified on an Almond TREE - Ancient Semitic Cuneiform of Moshe (Moses) - Isa Scroll (The Original Isaiah) Isaiah 42:8 "I am YaH; that is my Name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.” Isaiah 43:11 “I am YAH, and there is no other Savior but Me.” Isaiah 45:5 “I am YaH, and there is none else.”
yeah, I learned my lesson the hard way... (even tho only damage was clutch lever, mirror and my ego lol) I kinda believed that mechanic did a good job aaaand he didn't. Now I check my tyre pressure before every ride. One note tho, I recommend to buy a good tyre pressure meter (or whatever it's called) bcoz that free air at gas stations is something you cannot rely on. Usually no one checks if it works correctly. My local gas station has that built in pressure meter and it shows lower values (cca by 0,5 - 0,7 bar) than my pressure meter. Which is a lot. I bought an "expensive" one specially tested for accurate measuring. So just be carefull with that free air at gas stations
As a new rider, l seen one of your vids and loved how you break everything down by step by step. Keep on making great vids man. You helped me maneuver from 4 fingers to 2 on the shifts lever💪
Guys, Here is our Savior HalleluYAH translates “Praise ye YaH” YaH is The Heavenly Father YaH arrives via the TENT OF MEETING YaH was Who they Crucified for our sins YaH was Crucified on an Almond TREE - Ancient Semitic Cuneiform of Moshe (Moses) - Isa Scroll (The Original Isaiah) Isaiah 42:8 "I am YaH; that is my Name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.” Isaiah 43:11 “I am YAH, and there is no other Savior but Me.” Isaiah 45:5 “I am YaH, and there is none else.”
Great advice. Just wrecked my bike recently.. Another thing I see (even in this video) is guys slam that clutch lever when hauling ass and you can see they actually move the wheel slightly ans this causes speed wobble also. “Loosen up the grip”
If you’re watching this and your bike has spokes it’s extremely important to check your spokes tension regularly loose or broken spokes guarantee death wobbles
bro that's the same bike you were working on, when you showed ppl what to look for in a used bike if your buying one, wow man love your channel, I want a bike soon, so your content really helps, God bless you bro fr fr.
One thing you didn't mention is a MX tip. Squeeze the tank with your knees and tighten you core. I have the same damper and put heavy oil inside. Rebound damping too slow keeps rake angle steep which creates the wobble but makes it stay planted in the corner. Tire pressure is also temperature sensitive. The track had a chart for tire pressure on a cold day and they were very low.
I was 18 on a 2 stroke kR 250 doing 140 kmh and got a wobble, went down and I thought that's it. I survived and now have great respect for bikes. Young and stupid.
A friend of mine lost his lower left leg from experiencing a speed wobble. I have experienced it too, when hitting a dear carcass in the road at 55 mph. It was a ride I never want go on again.
I need to get one on my 636. But I’m SUPER thankful my 2007 Honda Cbr 600rr has the HESD “Honda electronic steering damper”, which they all come with from factory.👌🏽
Absolutely spot on !! Appreciate the knowledge, my friend this can be very helpful to everyone. I’ve been riding 30+ years and you actually just taught me several tips. I look forward to more videos. I am now a follower.
...Ya gotta find a better place to eat, brotha 😂😊. Wawa is only a good spot to eat for aggravating one's ulcer 😂 (Im kidding of course 😂). The Wawa's here in Va Beach are also called "kickstand ally" too (...all of us sportbike riders, here in Hampton Roads VA, always meet at Wawa 🤷🏽🏍).
Dunlop tire company had done some fairly extensive tests on what causes speed wobbles, and while the factors are many the major culprit seems to be a flat or worn rear tire combined with a pointy front tire. To get out of a speed wobble neither accelerating nor braking nor staying at the same speed had much if any affect; the only thing that seemed to work was the rider dramatically lowering himself ie tucking in. Things like steering dampeners didn't get rid of speed wobbles but only seemed to increase the speed upon which they occurred at. Loose steering head bearings also seemed to cause speed wobbles (and every single Suzuki I've ever owned needed to have their steering head tightened and the pinch bolts adjusted).
Lane to lane asphalt pours or big parking lots where edges aren’t flattened out which creates a mini curb. Hit too many on an expressway in Florida decades ago. Figured out how to switch lanes in those areas if i changed lanes at all😂. Got real tired of that💩. Only ever happened in that one area too. In hundreds of miles over almost 2 decades
Never ridden a motorbike higher than 125cc before but here's me watching all the instruction video's anyway 😂 I wanna be fully prepared for when I'm driving ~650cc in a year or so
Very well done & this is an undereported issue that is devastating...... I don't ride but I am looking & IDKnow the reasons but I have noticed more Gixxer's doing this than other bike brands? Perhaps more of them are videoed but I've noticed a disproportional number of them happening to Suzuki bikes? Putting new bearings in the front wheel as well as weight/balancing is cheap to do & as you said, add a dampener . This is the 1st video I've seen concerning this problem.... nicely explained. peace
On my MT09 I chop the throttle a lot. I heard bringing wheelies down hard might cause it but I didn't realize throttle chop + quick gear change could do it too. So used to riding sport bikes for 7 years, getting used to naked bikes. Also didn't realize leaning forward, no front brake, use of back instead all helps. Thanks for this!
Thank you for the info sir. I'm a rookie driver, just got my license last month, bought a CB1000R. I was driving with a friend and he had a wobble. He felt down but is relatively okay.
I have experienced a really mild tank slapper. Launched my bike and felt how the front wheel *of course* lifted off the ground a bit, I simply overreacted by engaging the rear brake way too quickly instead of backing off the throttle, at that point the front end compressed and in the moment it rebounded it started wobbling like crazy. Let off the bars, leaned all forward and it stopped just by the edge of asphalt, any second later and I would have been in a ditch with it. It wasn't as scary as losing traction on asphalt with new rear tire, geez how hard is it to correct when rear end tries to go sideways and then gripping sharply, jolting whole bike and rider with it left and right several times.. I have only bailed two times on bike, first time hitting a curb while parking and second time when front tire slid off in banked turn, me sliding down the road with my left leg under the bike. Ride safe!
I had it a few times, and if you still have enough power left due to not be going toooo fast, I always give more throttle so it lifts the front end a bit. That has helped till so far every time.
just bought a 2019 zx6r my step bro builds drag racing bikes and suggested a 636 and to run it in low power mode for a while until i can use the full power but this helped a lot with soothing my nerves so thank you
In the 90s , shaking of the heed stock was a normal way of the bike telling you to back off and ride bit smoother. you got that wiggle from the handlebars and you thought "oh shit" and backed off a bit
Death grip is hard for people, cause they need to stay fit to get posture on the bike without resting their weight on the handles, they need to make their core strong
I noticed too when you get on the gas rather hard so that it wants to pull your front wheel off the pavement. If you decide to switch a lane or two, any uneven part will barely nick your tire and make it turn left or right some that got my attention quick. Highway roads are not good for those high speeds anyway.
how he used the weight of his body to avoid crashing into the back of that car last second and then also avoided falling after the tank slapper is amazing
Well done for saying damper instead of the recent Americanism of damp-en-er. I agree with the tyre pressure point. Absolutely critical first part of the suspension system.
Steering dampers are not part of the suspension system, they're part of the steering system, and steering dampers should never be used as a crutch for not knowing how to ride.
My idea about bikes has always been that you ride/direct them with your body, not with your hands or arms. The handlebar is there so just you can have somewhere to put your hands.
Good points all around , tire pressure is important ... I noticed some bike are worse than others though due to frame geometry I assume , my old 929 was rock solid with no steering damper , never a head shake ever ... The ninjas I have owned where suspect though , had to put a steering damper on those old girls ... Most of the new stuff they come oem
The grip is REALLY good advice but the best I have ever heard about grip was from Spite from SpitesCorner, formerly YammieNoob co-host. He brought it up during one of his Bottom Sprocket podcasts with Whitney and Josh and talked about the Yamaha Race School he took and the "Ice Cream grip" you want to hold your bars as if you were licking a dripping ice cream cone. So you want your hands to be closer to the bar ends as you showed but instead of being straight towards your levers you want your hands angling back towards your center tree ever so slightly. So the outside edge of your hand and palm closer to your bar ends with your fingers at a slight angle inwards. This provides the largest contact patch and closest lever reach while still maintaining a loose grip.
I've never wrecked a motorcycle in my past 55 years. I've never forgotten to check air pressure. I've never suffered from bad bearings. I've never had steering wobble. I've never allowed a steering damper to go bad. I've never allowed my shocks to get old enough to leak or lock up. I've never gone over 70 mph. I've never had a tire blow from road objects or dry rot. I've never owned a street bike.
five and a half minutes to get to the PRIMARY REASONS FOR DEATH WOBBLE yup Mechanical errors can and occasionally do give death wobbles OPERATOR ERROR is the number one reason for death wobbles on PAVEMENT gravel and dirt tends to be gully n washes front wheel coming in contact with ground when not inline with direction of travel
This is the best comment and is totally correct. I analyzed my death wobble: I hit a bump at 90mph. My front wheel came a bit up and was not back straight on the tarmac. My rear wheel also hit the bump, and the bike was not in line anymore. I saved the day; I was just very lucky.
Tank slappers are not caused by the lack of a steering damper. Tank slappers are caused by gripping the bars too tightly. Steering dampers should never be used as a crutch for a lack of riding skill.
I think I cheated death way too many times with my 2011 R6😅 nice video and here’s what mainly caused my speed wobbles is actually accelerating way too hard on bumpy roads, I noticed it basically never happens if I do less of that and also lean forward it actually makes a big difference I remember I n e day doing about 190 kmh and it’s it happened on the fairly good road and bro trust me I saw my self crashing it’s like I felt everything and decided not today 💯 I’m not crashing today not at this speed either 💯💯 just ease off the throttle and try to keep all your weight to the front ✅✅🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲
@ 9:02 dude saved his own life by being smart. I'm making my daughter watch this later (Ninja 300) and myself since I got a Hayabusa for my first bike since I joined the military. Last time I rode was Afghanistan. Forgot all about speed wobble till I saw it happen in another video.
I experienced a tak slapper once in 10 years of riding. Grooved pavement caused it. Nearly crapped my pants. In that case just slowing diwn corrected it. Bike was too old for a steering damper - just like the current bike i have.
I’m referring to a built in steering damper. They adjust on their on own, as u speed up it tightens up the steering. When ur not moving it should be smooth and easy to turn.
@@SpunkyBoyy A normal mechanical steering damper doesn't "adjust" in use at all, its just that a more violent input will produce more resistance. That's just how it is when the piston is trying to push oil through a fixed size orifice. Unless you have an electronically adjusted damper like Honda's HESD, where it's actually adjusting the damping relative to your speed, just like if you were to turn the adjuster nob on your mechanical damper.
amateur engineer/comp rider here. if your front tire doesnt have enough grip, it wont keep in smooth contact with the road (imagine what your front tire would do if you were riding on ice). in a wobble, when the bars are turned, tire friction increases because the tire is misaligned with the road, and the grip increases along with that. from what ive always understood, wobbles happen when the front tire only has enough grip to correct itself when the bars are turned under this circumstance, but not enough to maintain it as the front end returns to 0 degrees. theres way too much math behind this for me to explain in a youtube comment, so ill just leave the solutions i know of here and let you guys do what you want with them. 1. good front tire grip (do not overfill front tire and the tire will have more contact with the road) 2. steering stabilizer (lengthens the window of time where the front tire is near 0 deg in a wobble, hastening recovery from a wobble after one begins) 3. for my fellow adrenaline junkies, get your front tire hot before doing wheelies at speed (regaining stable front tire grip as you set it back down will be more likely with a hot tire) i wish someone in r&d would study this and create some informative media testing these concepts, but alas, all we have to work with for now is theory. just remember that even with ideal tire pressure/temp, there are uncontrollable variables that can cause your front tire to lose grip such as the road surface/temp. nothing can truly "prevent" wobbles on many bikes, so get yourself a stabilizer so its there if you ever wish it was. id be decomposed confetti right now if i didnt have one. go at your own pace brothers. ✌
It happened to me in the 80's at 115 mph on a Yamaha 1100 (no damper then), I hit the rear brake slowly and loaded up the front wheel by leaning o the gas tank, it stopped wobbling soon after. That was a tip from a friend that was racing motorcycles. It's not a nice feeling specially at that speed. The wobbles were not as intense as in your clip though. Lots of good tips there.
Another serious one im not sure how bad it is in the states but i see it all the time in canada, having something like a michiline front tire and a pirelli rear tire. Never mix your tires always keep a matching set. This can also cause the death wobbles as the two different tire types may be gaining different tractions as you turn, you ever notice how the wheel slightly moves back and forth in a turn kinda like a steering wheel. Thats whats happening the front tire is actually loosing traction and regaining traction due to the different treads may not seem like much but at 120km plus youll really notice it. It should be smooth. Next is long riding on tires and not contiually balancing them as the tire wears the weight changes and throws it off balance you ever notice you have a tire for 2 seasons although your changing your tires now you notice mainly on the front tire only a difference in tread wear thoughout the tire making look loke little hills instead of a smooth wear down, thats the reason for this and this can also cause the death wobbles.
My concourse 14 handles very noticeably different if tire pressure is off even a couple psi, turns into a pig. I had a death wobble on my suzuki wes cooley. Mismatched tires were the cause i think. Suspension settings might have had an impact. Came on slow about 105, full wobble 110. Repeatable. Dampner, new tires, rebuild forks. Amazing how terror motivates maintenance
Cool video and explanations mate! I appreciate these type of videos. I like that you said "wheelies are cool, but do them in parking lots because it is dangerous at high speeds/while on the interstate". You are not trying to be a drag by stating that, you are just stating a fact and most street riders should NOT be doing wheelies when others around them can also killed/harmed if something goes wrong. Good tips mate and Ill subscribe to your channel.
Funny, How about just pulling the handlebars apart...clearly they wont come apart but using that lateral force stops the wobbles. Older dukes were bad for it and this tip was passed to me and it really works😎👍
Having your elbows out wide really helps on dirt bikes and adventure bikes and I'm sure on racing bikes too. You will be riding and get tired and relax your elbows and wobbles will start. Than you point your elbows out again and the wobbles stop. This is connected to "death grip".
2003 R1 here without steering damper. I religiously check tire pressures AT LEAST every 2nd gas stop and always at the same stationary compressor (don´t use those mobile, carry around ones on many gas stations), but still it can happen sometimes, especially on bumpy streets. Haven´t had one as bad as some shown here (like, JESUS CHRIST, what are you doing?!) but when it happens, immediately loosen the grip on my right hand to let the gas go always worked for me. Since the bike already rapidly slows down from just that, the weight of the bike and you on top will automatically transfer to the front and help self-stabilising the front tire.
For the some bikes like the first gen R1 it is a no brainer to buy a steering damper. In all other cases, you need a correct steering head bearing to prevent this.
I had one death wobble. It was on my 1990 yammy radian 600 at top speed. This man is correct 100%. I had a loose grip and that saved my damn life. Plus I had to buy a new pair of riding pants. 😬 ooops
One constant i noticed between all the examples you showed, was EVERY driver was going SIGNIFICANTLY faster than the speed limit/reckless driving (popping wheelies at high speeds) Seems to me, if you don't want speed wobble (what we call it in skateboarding) then quit driving like you dont care about life.
One main thing you didn't touch on was tire to tire alignment. Hence why the notches are on the back wheel. If you move your back wheel for any reason make sure it is aligned correctly. This is a major cause of speed wobble.
Tank slapper will happen till the front and rear tire come back into center.
@@JayyBird93 self explanitory statement... either you or the handles slap the tank and it gives the bike a input to react and it normaly fixes it with that.
@@JayyBird93 your handlebars go left and right without user input and that tends to slap the tank left and right. Again, it's in the name.
@@DTPGMedia585 🤣
🤣
Had that death wobble happen when I hit multiple potholes merging onto the highway in south east Michigan(Luna Pier). Guessing it was a 3 part combination of death grip and front tire bouncing slightly off to the side after bouncing out of the holes AND accelerating. I did end up putting my weight forward on the bike, loosened my grip on the bars, asked God for some help and it helped a lot
Yeah sounds like those damn potholes messed up the tire alignment. We have them all over Jersey😒
Amen😮
Hell, in New Orleans, we don't have potholes. We call them sinkholes.....because of how big they are.
I like to call Ohio crater country lol. Highways are "generally" pretty solid, but literally any other road will seemingly have a pothole every 1000 feet.
@moze_- Just like New Orleans in Louisiana, which is why I don't ride my bike in New Orleans. Lastly, people get carjacked all of the time, and I have a rare and fully restored 1985 Yamaha 2 stroke RZ 350 Kenny Robert's Edition Bike, so I'm not taking any chances. Bought from Kaplan Cycles, the best around. They own the New England Motorcycle Museum. Kaplan America is their channel on You Tube. Check them out. You'll thank me later, if you don't already know about them.
I'm from the UK and passed my bike test in 1983. This involved the examiner being on foot and watching you ride for as long as you were visible to him. For about half the test, you weren't visible to him at all. I know tests have become tougher since but what my 42 years of riding has taught me is that all new riders should learn what all main parts of a bike are - and how to make sure they're working properly. This should absolutely be part of the test and wish it had been for mine because it would have saved me from two horrific lock to lock tankslappers that, thankfully I managed to recover from. Sure, I learned over time from friends about the importance of tyre pressures, fork maintenance/operation, wheel alignment etc. But this should have been taught/learned as part of the test. If you're new to riding, teach yourself about this - it's crucial. The fact the test doesn't require it is outrageous. Make sure you don't suffer from this omission.
Darwinism at it's best.
About the wheel alignment, at my place it's usually either the manufacturing is trash (well, domestically and horribly made bikes from Chinese licenses) that the whole frame of the bike is messed up, or teenagers' (or dudes with the mindset of one) modding goes wrong. I've been told by my father that I must get friends riding behind me on test rides, filming it on different angle then show me along with their reviews on me riding, in case I want to buy cheap/suspicious/nobrand ones. "You're my only son" he said, and almost a decade later I'm still riding the bike he bought for me - I never bother buying new one out fear that it would make him worry.
About "Darwinism", man... Sh..t... I've witnessed so many of its "proofs" that I don't want to utter the word itself...
It's quite the opposite now on the actual test, but for the CBT the standards still pretty low.
This is so scary, is this something that only happens to high powered bikes? What about in the 46bhp range like a Triumph 400 for example?
It's possible on any bike I expect but I've only known it happen on bigger bikes. Keep your tyre pressures up on your Triumph and you'll be fine.
Omg. I think i held my breathe for most of this video. Thats absolutely frightening to find yourself in such a situation. One cant even practice for this if it ever happens
Had Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda. All new from dealer had loose triple clamps/ headsets. Always be aware of mechanical stuff on a motorcycle.
ANOTHER BIG MECHANICAL ISSUE THAT CAN CAUSE DEATH WOBBLES IS THE TRIPLE TREE BEARINGS. They gotta be TIGHT ENOUGH, but NOT TOO TIGHT, they can't be DAMAGED, and they need to be WELL LUBRICATED. This is one of the BIGGEST causes of death wobble, and like tires, almost EVERYBODY overlooks them as a possible cause.
Really good review and spot on with those points. VERY glad you mentioned tire pressure right from the start. Really important.
I dont have all the answers, but I've been riding for 52 years, am 70, still ride "enthusiastically" AND am still learning!
Road surfaces, (especially long longitudinal grooves due to resurfacing, re-grading, roadworks....what ever) can "start the wobble" and your bike is only too happy to join the party! Here in East Texas, the many heavy logging trucks can influence the right lane surfaces. "Read" the road.
Sure, the bike can be at fault with tire tread, bad bearings, stabilizer issues, BUT!! ....take some responsibility and DO NOT assume the road surface is in your corner. Once the wobble starts, (I just had one "start" this past week 03/26/24, at 80mph on my normally stable, heavily tuned, modified Harley AND I run Pirelli Night Dragon rubber, front an back. I consider them the greatest for my setup. I was in West Louisiana, [THE worst phuking roads in the USA] and it took me by surprise. Avoid braking, ease off on the gas and cover the rear brake without any sudden pressure and slow things down with love and passion in its lightest form!
This is THE ONE AREA where the front anchor IS NOT your friend. Caress that pedal with light a light foot and live to advise others!
Above all....Every Success!
Ride safe my friends.
Holy crap. The Night Dragon is a bias-ply tire, Harley-Davidsons are crap, and you obviously don't know how to ride. I would encourage you to get a competent motorcycle, a full set of proper safety gear, and take the MSF Basic Rider Course for starters. It takes more than that to become an actual rider, but those initial steps would put you much closer to that goal.
@@YernBelfus400 ,
It would appear you have just proven, how truly uninformed you are in the areas that you decided to dribble your drivel in!
However;.....do not fret, as the facts do not give a Rat's Ass about your opinions, so no damage occured.
You have however just proven, how truly apt, the old adage still is and how applicable it also still is!
"Empty vessels really DO make the most noise!"
Try reading the technical information, to discover how many bubbles you are off plumb.
@@YernBelfus400
How remarkably uninformed you are....yet so willing to run your mouth! The good news is that facts do not care about your opinions.
Me neither.
hey man i’m also from east texas!! that’s really cool information
@@Dodger2879 Wrong again. My background includes being an expert-licensed motorcycle road racer and motorcycle road racing instructor. I have lapped the Snaefel Mountain Course on the Isle of Man during the TT at triple-digit speeds. I have been over 200 mph on my superbike. And I have been paid at the rate of $1,000/hour as a rider and model for the advertising campaign of one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world.
So when I tell you that you know nothing, it's because you know nothing. You know LESS than nothing about riding.
2:59 That "62" overlay gave me a good laugh.
Hey! Spunky Boyy, I like your channel, you share a lot of important info. I'm 74, started riding at 14. Bought myself a 78' GS1000 in 79' as a college graduation present to myself. Some fraternity ''Biffs & Chads'' mom & dads bought them ones too - invited me to drag race, one of their GS1000 did a tank slapper at 120mph ,bent him & bike. I put heavier fork oil in front air forks, I had a tank slapper racing. Called US Suzuki, told me , measure w/ a dipstick to assure fork oil levels were equal or air pressure in forks would not be equal. This worked, never another wobble. I hope my experience can save some bent bikes & bones.
thank you!
Life saving information, thank you. Clear explanation, great advice re correcting the wobble and the maintenance tips are spot on, great video!
I have another tip to prevent speed wobble. Check your front forks for leaks and if they are serviceable make sure that they are at the proper fluid level and even on both sides so that one fork isn't stronger than the other. This is what can induce speed wobble because each fork is fighting each other.
Absolutely. Forks don’t get enough love for the job they do. They turn, they take big impacts (big wheelies), they take the full weight of the motorcycle on hard breaking. And when they leak you lose your handling, damping, and breaks.
@@25aspooner the funny part is that steering wheel dampers can actually induce the wobble because they don't allow the opposing forks to harmonize. I've seen videos of motorcycles *with* dampers speed wobble and crash. I don't want to pretend that a few video examples are absolute but I have to say that it makes sense. If you have two forks trying to oppose the other and you death grip the bar, it enhances the wobble. The steering damper behaves like you are gripping the bar constantly and it's good for preventing instability mid-turn on a track but if you think about it, it's counterintuitive in regards to allowing the wobbling forks to stabilize by not 'letting go' of the bar. The damper never 'lets go' if you get what I mean.
Absolutely. I had forks that weren't equally pressured on my old GPz550 and the result were two monster tankslappers that friends told me they were amazed I managed to hang on to.
@@pierrewilliams1533 do you happen to know if your motorcycle has serviceable forks? I think it would be beneficial for someone who reads this in the future to know whether or not they can service them.
@@MyWatchIsEndedI’m interested too. How can you tell?
I've always said respect the bike and the bike will respect you back
I say this everyday b4 i get on mine
Most don't respect what they are operating.
Yesterday, a friend suffered a fatal accident while driving home. He was driving a high-speed motorbike, so it's possible that he lost the control of his motorbike due to death wobbles. The entire neightborhood has been shocked due to this terrible news. He was a great guy, and everyone in the neighborhood loved him.
Thank you for sharing this valuable information. This can save lives!
Dude your the first guy iv heard apart from myself to bang on about tyre pressures! I'm lucky to have lots of older experienced guys around me and they always told me most riders bin there bikes on the roads due to poor tyre pressure and always check them before every ride ! And I always do ❤ 🤟🏻
I keep an eye on all of the peoples' bikes who show up at the same meets as I do or if I just see them on the road. Its scary how many glaring issues you can catch just glancing at peoples' bikes. Tire pressures are a big one. I can't comprehend how people don't notice because my bike feels SO off if its even 5lbs low. I know its not your or my responsibility, but I make sure to point these things out to people when I see them. I just want everyone to be safe!
Guys, here is our Savior
HalleluYAH translates “Praise ye YaH”
YaH is The Heavenly Father
YaH arrives via the TENT OF MEETING
YaH was Who they Crucified for our sins
YaH was Crucified on an Almond TREE
- Ancient Semitic Cuneiform of Moshe (Moses)
- Isa Scroll (The Original Isaiah)
Isaiah 42:8
"I am YaH; that is my Name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.”
Isaiah 43:11
“I am YAH, and there is no other Savior but Me.”
Isaiah 45:5
“I am YaH, and there is none else.”
yeah, I learned my lesson the hard way... (even tho only damage was clutch lever, mirror and my ego lol) I kinda believed that mechanic did a good job aaaand he didn't. Now I check my tyre pressure before every ride. One note tho, I recommend to buy a good tyre pressure meter (or whatever it's called) bcoz that free air at gas stations is something you cannot rely on. Usually no one checks if it works correctly. My local gas station has that built in pressure meter and it shows lower values (cca by 0,5 - 0,7 bar) than my pressure meter. Which is a lot. I bought an "expensive" one specially tested for accurate measuring. So just be carefull with that free air at gas stations
As a new rider, l seen one of your vids and loved how you break everything down by step by step. Keep on making great vids man. You helped me maneuver from 4 fingers to 2 on the shifts lever💪
Thanks! I’m glad you’re enjoying them💯
Appreciation a lot to this man, thank you for being honest and actually caring to help all riders either new or not.
That clip of the dude almost rear-ending the car during a speed wobble always makes me tense 😬
Glad I came across your channel. You give great advice and always keep it interesting. Much love ❤
I appreciate that❤️🤘🏻
Guys, Here is our Savior
HalleluYAH translates “Praise ye YaH”
YaH is The Heavenly Father
YaH arrives via the TENT OF MEETING
YaH was Who they Crucified for our sins
YaH was Crucified on an Almond TREE
- Ancient Semitic Cuneiform of Moshe (Moses)
- Isa Scroll (The Original Isaiah)
Isaiah 42:8
"I am YaH; that is my Name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.”
Isaiah 43:11
“I am YAH, and there is no other Savior but Me.”
Isaiah 45:5
“I am YaH, and there is none else.”
I always thought that you were supposed to grab harder when that happens... Good to know the correct way to act in that type of situation.
Great advice. Just wrecked my bike recently..
Another thing I see (even in this video) is guys slam that clutch lever when hauling ass and you can see they actually move the wheel slightly ans this causes speed wobble also. “Loosen up the grip”
Hope you’re alright dude
If you’re watching this and your bike has spokes it’s extremely important to check your spokes tension regularly loose or broken spokes guarantee death wobbles
bro that's the same bike you were working on, when you showed ppl what to look for in a used bike if your buying one, wow man love your channel, I want a bike soon, so your content really helps, God bless you bro fr fr.
I’m glad ur enjoying them, and I’m happy to help in any way I can👊🏻💯 thank you very much!
@@SpunkyBoyy yezirrrrrr, thank you bro bro 👉🏻👈🏼✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️💯💯
One of the only riders worth taking advice from on RUclips
Thanks! That means a lot to me👌🏻💯
One thing you didn't mention is a MX tip. Squeeze the tank with your knees and tighten you core. I have the same damper and put heavy oil inside. Rebound damping too slow keeps rake angle steep which creates the wobble but makes it stay planted in the corner. Tire pressure is also temperature sensitive. The track had a chart for tire pressure on a cold day and they were very low.
This was incredibly helpful. Thanks!
Wish I could like this a thousand times. Word for word before you said what to do, that's what I was verbalizing while watching.
I was 18 on a 2 stroke kR 250 doing 140 kmh and got a wobble, went down and I thought that's it. I survived and now have great respect for bikes. Young and stupid.
Excellent video. You saved lives today brother.
man, so nicely summed up and clear to understand. Thank you because it is practically and nicely explained.
one grateful here !
Glad it was helpful! Thanks💯
A friend of mine lost his lower left leg from experiencing a speed wobble. I have experienced it too, when hitting a dear carcass in the road at 55 mph. It was a ride I never want go on again.
I need to get one on my 636. But I’m SUPER thankful my 2007 Honda Cbr 600rr has the HESD “Honda electronic steering damper”, which they all come with from factory.👌🏽
Absolutely spot on !! Appreciate the knowledge, my friend this can be very helpful to everyone. I’ve been riding 30+ years and you actually just taught me several tips. I look forward to more videos. I am now a follower.
Bro said Wawa and I got fucking hungry
😆😀
...Ya gotta find a better place to eat, brotha 😂😊. Wawa is only a good spot to eat for aggravating one's ulcer 😂 (Im kidding of course 😂). The Wawa's here in Va Beach are also called "kickstand ally" too (...all of us sportbike riders, here in Hampton Roads VA, always meet at Wawa 🤷🏽🏍).
😂
Language..
Still hungry?
Dunlop tire company had done some fairly extensive tests on what causes speed wobbles, and while the factors are many the major culprit seems to be a flat or worn rear tire combined with a pointy front tire. To get out of a speed wobble neither accelerating nor braking nor staying at the same speed had much if any affect; the only thing that seemed to work was the rider dramatically lowering himself ie tucking in.
Things like steering dampeners didn't get rid of speed wobbles but only seemed to increase the speed upon which they occurred at. Loose steering head bearings also seemed to cause speed wobbles (and every single Suzuki I've ever owned needed to have their steering head tightened and the pinch bolts adjusted).
dunlop doing amazing work!
I remember a few years back I asked this rider how to come out of a death wobble and he said all you have to do is tuck in and it fixes itself
Exactly. Change the weight distribution, change the natural frequency.
Lane to lane asphalt pours or big parking lots where edges aren’t flattened out which creates a mini curb. Hit too many on an expressway in Florida decades ago. Figured out how to switch lanes in those areas if i changed lanes at all😂. Got real tired of that💩. Only ever happened in that one area too. In hundreds of miles over almost 2 decades
tuck in as in, hunch over, lower down and pull yourself in towards the bike, like a turtle retracting into its shell?
Never ridden a motorbike higher than 125cc before but here's me watching all the instruction video's anyway 😂
I wanna be fully prepared for when I'm driving ~650cc in a year or so
Very well done & this is an undereported issue that is devastating...... I don't ride but I am looking & IDKnow the reasons but I have
noticed more Gixxer's doing this than other bike brands? Perhaps more of them are videoed but I've noticed a disproportional
number of them happening to Suzuki bikes? Putting new bearings in the front wheel as well as weight/balancing is cheap to
do & as you said, add a dampener . This is the 1st video I've seen concerning this problem.... nicely explained. peace
On my MT09 I chop the throttle a lot. I heard bringing wheelies down hard might cause it but I didn't realize throttle chop + quick gear change could do it too. So used to riding sport bikes for 7 years, getting used to naked bikes. Also didn't realize leaning forward, no front brake, use of back instead all helps. Thanks for this!
Dude this is why I'm subscribed, super good advice as always.
Thank you for the info sir.
I'm a rookie driver, just got my license last month, bought a CB1000R. I was driving with a friend and he had a wobble. He felt down but is relatively okay.
I have experienced a really mild tank slapper. Launched my bike and felt how the front wheel *of course* lifted off the ground a bit, I simply overreacted by engaging the rear brake way too quickly instead of backing off the throttle, at that point the front end compressed and in the moment it rebounded it started wobbling like crazy. Let off the bars, leaned all forward and it stopped just by the edge of asphalt, any second later and I would have been in a ditch with it. It wasn't as scary as losing traction on asphalt with new rear tire, geez how hard is it to correct when rear end tries to go sideways and then gripping sharply, jolting whole bike and rider with it left and right several times.. I have only bailed two times on bike, first time hitting a curb while parking and second time when front tire slid off in banked turn, me sliding down the road with my left leg under the bike.
Ride safe!
If you have an adjustable steering dampener. Remember to adjust it riding out from the gas station as you start your ride.
I had it a few times, and if you still have enough power left due to not be going toooo fast, I always give more throttle so it lifts the front end a bit. That has helped till so far every time.
just bought a 2019 zx6r my step bro builds drag racing bikes and suggested a 636 and to run it in low power mode for a while until i can use the full power but this helped a lot with soothing my nerves so thank you
As a new rider this was a great video for me
Great 👍 points, amongst other factors considered 🏍
In the 90s , shaking of the heed stock was a normal way of the bike telling you to back off and ride bit smoother.
you got that wiggle from the handlebars and you thought "oh shit" and backed off a bit
How about just slow the f-- down!
@@knuckles-3386 we did 😛
Death grip is hard for people, cause they need to stay fit to get posture on the bike without resting their weight on the handles, they need to make their core strong
I noticed too when you get on the gas rather hard so that it wants to pull your front wheel off the pavement. If you decide to switch a lane or two, any uneven part will barely nick your tire and make it turn left or right some that got my attention quick. Highway roads are not good for those high speeds anyway.
how he used the weight of his body to avoid crashing into the back of that car last second and then also avoided falling after the tank slapper is amazing
Good info. Some things I hadn't considered.
Well done for saying damper instead of the recent Americanism of damp-en-er.
I agree with the tyre pressure point. Absolutely critical first part of the suspension system.
Steering dampers are not part of the suspension system, they're part of the steering system, and steering dampers should never be used as a crutch for not knowing how to ride.
My idea about bikes has always been that you ride/direct them
with your body, not with your hands or arms. The handlebar is there so just you can have somewhere to put your hands.
Good points all around , tire pressure is important ... I noticed some bike are worse than others though due to frame geometry I assume , my old 929 was rock solid with no steering damper , never a head shake ever ... The ninjas I have owned where suspect though , had to put a steering damper on those old girls ... Most of the new stuff they come oem
‘01 Gsxr will learn ya… I will put an aftermarket stabilizer on every bike, first thing, because of my ‘01… fool me once…
The grip is REALLY good advice but the best I have ever heard about grip was from Spite from SpitesCorner, formerly YammieNoob co-host. He brought it up during one of his Bottom Sprocket podcasts with Whitney and Josh and talked about the Yamaha Race School he took and the "Ice Cream grip" you want to hold your bars as if you were licking a dripping ice cream cone. So you want your hands to be closer to the bar ends as you showed but instead of being straight towards your levers you want your hands angling back towards your center tree ever so slightly. So the outside edge of your hand and palm closer to your bar ends with your fingers at a slight angle inwards. This provides the largest contact patch and closest lever reach while still maintaining a loose grip.
Learned a lot from your videos…Thanks man!👍
Of course! Glad to help
I've never wrecked a motorcycle in my past 55 years. I've never forgotten to check air pressure. I've never suffered from bad bearings. I've never had steering wobble. I've never allowed a steering damper to go bad. I've never allowed my shocks to get old enough to leak or lock up. I've never gone over 70 mph. I've never had a tire blow from road objects or dry rot. I've never owned a street bike.
five and a half minutes to get to the PRIMARY REASONS FOR DEATH WOBBLE
yup Mechanical errors can and occasionally do give death wobbles
OPERATOR ERROR is the number one reason for death wobbles on PAVEMENT gravel and dirt tends to be gully n washes
front wheel coming in contact with ground when not inline with direction of travel
This is the best comment and is totally correct. I analyzed my death wobble: I hit a bump at 90mph. My front wheel came a bit up and was not back straight on the tarmac. My rear wheel also hit the bump, and the bike was not in line anymore. I saved the day; I was just very lucky.
I suggest to you guys to have a stabilizer steering damper. Thats thing can save you from wobbling
Tank slappers are not caused by the lack of a steering damper.
Tank slappers are caused by gripping the bars too tightly.
Steering dampers should never be used as a crutch for a lack of riding skill.
I think I cheated death way too many times with my 2011 R6😅 nice video and here’s what mainly caused my speed wobbles is actually accelerating way too hard on bumpy roads, I noticed it basically never happens if I do less of that and also lean forward it actually makes a big difference I remember I n e day doing about 190 kmh and it’s it happened on the fairly good road and bro trust me I saw my self crashing it’s like I felt everything and decided not today 💯 I’m not crashing today not at this speed either 💯💯 just ease off the throttle and try to keep all your weight to the front ✅✅🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲
This is the BEST tutorial!
Great advice Erin !
Thanks for the tips. Good explanation
add throttle , it counter to reaction but some older bikes doit
@ 9:02 dude saved his own life by being smart. I'm making my daughter watch this later (Ninja 300) and myself since I got a Hayabusa for my first bike since I joined the military. Last time I rode was Afghanistan. Forgot all about speed wobble till I saw it happen in another video.
This is the first time I came across you and your channel. I am glad I saw this!!. Thank you😊😊
You are so welcome!
🏍 On the race track we used to make ourselves small and press our elbows against the tank, now there are steering dampers 🏍
Sheetz , on the east coast, also has free air pumps.
I experienced a tak slapper once in 10 years of riding. Grooved pavement caused it. Nearly crapped my pants.
In that case just slowing diwn corrected it.
Bike was too old for a steering damper - just like the current bike i have.
Thanks man! Super informative!
Took my bike out of winter hibernation last month and went straight to Wawa to air up my tires to specifications
Damper can make the wheel harder to turn if that’s how you want it. If you don’t want immediate feedback in a particular direction
I’m referring to a built in steering damper. They adjust on their on own, as u speed up it tightens up the steering. When ur not moving it should be smooth and easy to turn.
@@SpunkyBoyy A normal mechanical steering damper doesn't "adjust" in use at all, its just that a more violent input will produce more resistance. That's just how it is when the piston is trying to push oil through a fixed size orifice. Unless you have an electronically adjusted damper like Honda's HESD, where it's actually adjusting the damping relative to your speed, just like if you were to turn the adjuster nob on your mechanical damper.
Recently swapped out fluid in my gpr stabilizer, put heavyweight fluid in, now it gets real stiff if need be. 👌
amateur engineer/comp rider here. if your front tire doesnt have enough grip, it wont keep in smooth contact with the road (imagine what your front tire would do if you were riding on ice). in a wobble, when the bars are turned, tire friction increases because the tire is misaligned with the road, and the grip increases along with that. from what ive always understood, wobbles happen when the front tire only has enough grip to correct itself when the bars are turned under this circumstance, but not enough to maintain it as the front end returns to 0 degrees. theres way too much math behind this for me to explain in a youtube comment, so ill just leave the solutions i know of here and let you guys do what you want with them.
1. good front tire grip (do not overfill front tire and the tire will have more contact with the road)
2. steering stabilizer (lengthens the window of time where the front tire is near 0 deg in a wobble, hastening recovery from a wobble after one begins)
3. for my fellow adrenaline junkies, get your front tire hot before doing wheelies at speed (regaining stable front tire grip as you set it back down will be more likely with a hot tire)
i wish someone in r&d would study this and create some informative media testing these concepts, but alas, all we have to work with for now is theory. just remember that even with ideal tire pressure/temp, there are uncontrollable variables that can cause your front tire to lose grip such as the road surface/temp. nothing can truly "prevent" wobbles on many bikes, so get yourself a stabilizer so its there if you ever wish it was. id be decomposed confetti right now if i didnt have one. go at your own pace brothers. ✌
Thank you for this video, I needed this information
holy damn, there was a happy ending to some of those clips!
scary stuff
WOW YOU BROKE THAT DOWN better then anyone ever. That will save lives.
Nice buddy, very informative ✌️👍🏽
Insanely good clutchless shifting
It happened to me in the 80's at 115 mph on a Yamaha 1100 (no damper then), I hit the rear brake slowly and loaded up the front wheel by leaning o the gas tank, it stopped wobbling soon after. That was a tip from a friend that was racing motorcycles. It's not a nice feeling specially at that speed. The wobbles were not as intense as in your clip though. Lots of good tips there.
Another serious one im not sure how bad it is in the states but i see it all the time in canada, having something like a michiline front tire and a pirelli rear tire. Never mix your tires always keep a matching set. This can also cause the death wobbles as the two different tire types may be gaining different tractions as you turn, you ever notice how the wheel slightly moves back and forth in a turn kinda like a steering wheel. Thats whats happening the front tire is actually loosing traction and regaining traction due to the different treads may not seem like much but at 120km plus youll really notice it. It should be smooth. Next is long riding on tires and not contiually balancing them as the tire wears the weight changes and throws it off balance you ever notice you have a tire for 2 seasons although your changing your tires now you notice mainly on the front tire only a difference in tread wear thoughout the tire making look loke little hills instead of a smooth wear down, thats the reason for this and this can also cause the death wobbles.
Proper tire pressure, and rear tire alignment.
Good Video for beginner rider's well done.
My concourse 14 handles very noticeably different if tire pressure is off even a couple psi, turns into a pig. I had a death wobble on my suzuki wes cooley. Mismatched tires were the cause i think. Suspension settings might have had an impact. Came on slow about 105, full wobble 110. Repeatable. Dampner, new tires, rebuild forks. Amazing how terror motivates maintenance
Cool video and explanations mate! I appreciate these type of videos. I like that you said "wheelies are cool, but do them in parking lots because it is dangerous at high speeds/while on the interstate". You are not trying to be a drag by stating that, you are just stating a fact and most street riders should NOT be doing wheelies when others around them can also killed/harmed if something goes wrong. Good tips mate and Ill subscribe to your channel.
Funny,
How about just pulling the handlebars apart...clearly they wont come apart but using that lateral force stops the wobbles.
Older dukes were bad for it and this tip was passed to me and it really works😎👍
Having your elbows out wide really helps on dirt bikes and adventure bikes and I'm sure on racing bikes too. You will be riding and get tired and relax your elbows and wobbles will start. Than you point your elbows out again and the wobbles stop. This is connected to "death grip".
2003 R1 here without steering damper. I religiously check tire pressures AT LEAST every 2nd gas stop and always at the same stationary compressor (don´t use those mobile, carry around ones on many gas stations), but still it can happen sometimes, especially on bumpy streets.
Haven´t had one as bad as some shown here (like, JESUS CHRIST, what are you doing?!) but when it happens, immediately loosen the grip on my right hand to let the gas go always worked for me. Since the bike already rapidly slows down from just that, the weight of the bike and you on top will automatically transfer to the front and help self-stabilising the front tire.
I feel like I know the area you are riding in !!! nice video. maybe I will spot you out there.. the wobble is terrifying.
You can get free air at WaWa on the east cost as well. But best to have a tire pump that you can run off your bke. Costs $50-$60 bucks.
Tank slappers are way of life and occur regularly when you push a bike to its limits.
There easy to recover
For the some bikes like the first gen R1 it is a no brainer to buy a steering damper. In all other cases, you need a correct steering head bearing to prevent this.
You’re a blessing thank you.
So what is the proper tire pressure for sport bike? Love your video!
Your bike sounds beautiful dawg
Thanks! M4 with a eBay mid pipe lol
Thanks for these tips bro
You bet💯
I had one death wobble. It was on my 1990 yammy radian 600 at top speed. This man is correct 100%. I had a loose grip and that saved my damn life. Plus I had to buy a new pair of riding pants. 😬 ooops
0:55 wtf was that randomass pause for I'm confused😂
Thank you sir for the sharing of knowledge and the social message to every motorcyclist! (Less/more stupid)
One constant i noticed between all the examples you showed, was EVERY driver was going SIGNIFICANTLY faster than the speed limit/reckless driving (popping wheelies at high speeds) Seems to me, if you don't want speed wobble (what we call it in skateboarding) then quit driving like you dont care about life.