Harley wobble?

Coop

R.I.P. - 2022/10/6
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Harley admits the wobble exists!! Honda won't even admit to a thermostat problem.
 

wjbertrand

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I forget the year (2009 or 2010), but recently Harley redesigned it's touring bike frames (FLH series?) to both increase the strength and to bring the rear wheel into alignment with the front. Previous models had an offset of the rear wheel from center. We found out about this on an MCN touring bike comparo in Death Valley we did years ago when Lee Parks was still editor, the Harley would get down right scary anywhere near 75-80 MPH. Looking into it further Lee and Dave discovered the offset and that it was deliberate. I think Harley did that to accommodate the belt without making, what should have been, the needed changes to the decades old frame design at the time, originally designed for chain drive.

I remember the recent new redesigned frames Harley was bragging about a year or two ago and thinking it's about time.

The bike we were testing was bone stock.
 
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George
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I remember that whole article, Jeff. They tried to "align" the rear wheel using the standard equipment turn buckle and found out pretty quickly how that worked!! :rofl1: Interesting read.

I rode a Road King police model with the "experimental" (how can small increase in engine capacity be experimental?) 103 inch engine on the sport track for many, many laps. It was fun to chase the Buell XBs around there, grinding the floor boards to a razor's edge. Actually handled quite well when pushed to the limit. Fine balance between Lean and Lift (the rear wheel). :D
 

dduelin

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I have heard it referred to as the "FL Hula" and common to Harley's big-framed bikes for many years. The 2009 redesign supposedly reduced or eliminated it.
 
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I was witness to the Harley wobble live and in color this past weekend as the rider in front of me totaled his Road King full dresser; lost traction on the rear wheel in a turn and went off the road and down a 25 foot embankment. Came away with just a broken arm and some fractures in spurs of his lower three vertebrae. It could have been much worse.

I'll never own one after seeing that.
 
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