handlebar stabilizer !!!

JackGG

JackGG

Joined
Jun 2, 2019
Messages
5
Age
41
Location
Chicagoland
Hi. I bought st1300 2003 70k about year ago. Whats bother me is that handlebar is too loose I mean when go faster (80-90mph) it start shaking or if take my hands off handlebar at lower speed same thing happens. I know fork shack may be bad already but my question is is there any "stabilizator" or anything I can do to minimize shakes of handlebars? Btw check all screws and all are tied good. Does anyone else have similar problem?


I'm new here so maybe someone mention that already.
 
JackGG said:
Hi. I bought st1300 2003 70k about year ago. Whats bother me is that handlebar is too loose I mean when go faster (80-90mph) it start shaking or if take my hands off handlebar at lower speed same thing happens. I know fork shack may be bad already but my question is is there any "stabilizator" or anything I can do to minimize shakes of handlebars? Btw check all screws and all are tied good. Does anyone else have similar problem?


I'm new here so maybe someone mention that already.
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum.
 
Hi Jack:

Welcome to our forum community.

I don't know why the front steering is loose or why you are getting the shake that you report, however, for a serious problem such as this, I think it would be best if you found the root cause and corrected that problem, rather than trying to put a 'Band-Aid' on it with a steering damper or similar.

The problem might be something as simple as the handlebar end weights missing from the motorcycle (perhaps because someone installed aftermarket handgrips that "looked nicer"), or something as complex as a problem with the bearings in the steering head assembly.

We have a lot of folks here in the forum who are very knowledgeable about motorcycle maintenance, and we also have many years of history of discussions, articles, etc. specific to the ST 1300 that might help you identify and solve your problem. Start out by searching to see what they have said in the past.

In the upper right corner of this web-page (our forum web-page), you will see a 'Search' button. Press it, and enter the word 'headshake' and you will get about 10 pages of results to browse through. Here are links to a few to get you started:

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Steering damper on an 1100? (Discusses the ST 1100, but the concepts discussed carry over to the 1300)​
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Michael
 
Thanks for info that will help I'll research and try to figure out best. Thanks and Drive safe :thumb:
 
JackGG said:
Hi. I bought st1300 2003 70k about year ago. Whats bother me is that handlebar is too loose I mean when go faster (80-90mph) it start shaking or if take my hands off handlebar at lower speed same thing happens. I know fork shack may be bad already but my question is is there any "stabilizator" or anything I can do to minimize shakes of handlebars? Btw check all screws and all are tied good. Does anyone else have similar problem?


I'm new here so maybe someone mention that already.
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum from Cornwall UK! Check your tyre pressures and tread remaining as this seems to affect ST1300s in particular.
 
Hello World!! :O Didn't expect that all world is here. Good :)... so I live Arlington Hts. Like I said this is new bike for me and wobbling is last that I expect in sport tuning bike!!! My previous bikes was yamaha warrior and triumph rocket3 and this time I want to learn how to "use"sport/touring cause cruisers was not really comfortable for long runs! What I love in cruisers is when you hit 1st or 2nd gear and start running bike is "magnetize" to asphalt and it balance really good and handlebars are firmly with bike no way to turn by "accident" and here in Honda ST13 got feeling like is loose and one small mistake will cost you much (is that how it work??)!! In cruisers You accelerate and bike is really stabilize. Another (main) thing is headshake in (around) 45mph without hands on handlebar it is really scary and for me it look like it need stabilizer or something that will straighten gap on bars. I really don't know sports bikes but I saw few with handlebars stabilizers and that make me think about "WHY they use it". Well you can say just keep your hand on bars but that's not what I mean (safety 1st what if it start shaking in rain weather etc....)Anyway I just change front tire for Michelin Pilot Road 4 and still handlebar is wobbling. I don't think is tire. Since bike is pretty old it can be anything but don't really want to go to service they will replace everything and it will still be bad! Other than that bike is good (make me feel I can do another 70K on it):)).
 
Cruisers as a group handle differently than sport bikes or sport touring models. That said, I've never felt my ST was steering too quickly or was unstable. It is faster steering than my old Guzzi's, but it is still rock solid. True, after I 'fixed' the rear shock's preload and damping, it wobbled in the vortex of Semi trailers but turning the screw and knob back to where they had been before my meddling cured that issue.

Your bike is 16 years old so it is not surprising that some things might be out of adjustment, and one of the delights (I am serious here) of this bike is we get to figure out, correct and feel good about doing the service ourselves because there are few mechanics who know the bike as well as a lot of our members. Start reading, pick up a service manual and ask questions. There are probably a few ST owners near you who would be delighted to visit you and help troubleshoot your problem. You really lucked into a great bike and website.
 
Check your fork seals for leaks. I replaced mine at about your mileage.
also look at the condition of your rear tire too. Dial up your rear pre-load as others have mentioned.

Air pressure is key. Hard tires bounce, soft tires bounce less.

Hard tires you will feel every bump and crack in the road. This will amplify the vibrations you feel in the handle bars. You are riding on a small patch of rubber so cornering will feel crisp and it is what Canyoneers love.

Soft tires will make the bumps and cracks in the road disappear. This will dampen the vibrations you feel in the handle bars. Cornering will feel a bit sluggish but you will have more rubber on the road. This makes the bike ride like a Cadillac and is what long distance riders would prefer (if they only knew).

Many here ride with 40+ psi in their tires. I used 32 psi when I had round tires, but now that I have a flat tire in back, I run 26 psi on both. I am at 120k, she rides smooth as silk and what is this vibration you speak of ? I can let go of the handle bars at any speed (which I have tested at safe locations and conditions) and she tracks fine.

Friday, I will be burning 1,024 miles to Timberline lodge, Mt Hood, OR to attend a conference on Saturday, then Sunday I will have to return by a different route....2x IBA weekend, Yea.... Thanks to the ST1300 I will be no worse for the wear, but I will have a lot of bugs in my teeth......
 
"Many here ride with 40+ psi in their tires. I used 32 psi when I had round tires, but now that I have a flat tire in back, I run 26 psi on both. I am at 120k, she rides smooth as silk and what is this vibration you speak of ? I can let go of the handle bars at any speed (which I have tested at safe locations and conditions) and she tracks fine. "

I can't believe 26psi is a good thing for lots of reasons - but yes, it would be very comfortable...
 
Roger said:
I can't believe 26psi is a good thing for lots of reasons - but yes, it would be very comfortable...
Click to expand...
It seems experienced riders running car tires have found that running lower pressure in them give handling more closely approximating that of motorcycle tires with their higher pressures.
 
Roger. said:
I can't believe 26psi is a good thing for lots of reasons
Click to expand...

Reasons that you have real experience with, or something that you read or were told about by some expert.

Remember 42 psi is a recommended pressure. There are a lot more variables in the equation.
I also only dropped the MC tire down 10 psi to 32 psi. 26 psi is with a much stronger car tire (dark side).
 
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Well finally wobbling disappear. Front forks was ok, I low air in front tire from 45psi to 39 with help just a little(maybe not). Then i check rear tire with was 1 yr old and still in good shape, I change it for new one and balance. Time to test: set cruise control 40mph to speed slowly remove my hands on side street is clear no cars around 50 nothing 60 nothing 80 nothing 100mph still nothing that's all I need.Put my hands on and go up to 125mph a bit wobbling cause wind. LOL didn't expect rear tire will cause it, I though I'll feel rear tire on my seat or when turns on curves. Thanks all for help and yes I'll say when wobbling 1st check your tires really careful Both of them!!. BTW someone said this bike is "pretty old" well I see most of riders on this forum still use previous model ST1100 :ukp1:. Enjoy
 
JackGG said:
Well finally wobbling disappear. Front forks was ok, I low air in front tire from 45psi to 39 with help just a little(maybe not). Then i check rear tire with was 1 yr old and still in good shape, I change it for new one and balance. Time to test: set cruise control 40mph to speed slowly remove my hands on side street is clear no cars around 50 nothing 60 nothing 80 nothing 100mph still nothing that's all I need.Put my hands on and go up to 125mph a bit wobbling cause wind. LOL didn't expect rear tire will cause it, I though I'll feel rear tire on my seat or when turns on curves. Thanks all for help and yes I'll say when wobbling 1st check your tires really careful Both of them!!. BTW someone said this bike is "pretty old" well I see most of riders on this forum still use previous model ST1100 :ukp1:. Enjoy
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Congrats Jack. Glad you got the wobble sorted out.
 
I have found tires to be the main culprit when it come to wobble or head shake. Good on you for fixing rather than adding a stabilizer.
ToddC
 
That must be a huge relief. I had a bike that didn't wobble but seemed to drift crab-like constantly in the lane. I felt like I was at sea always making slight course corrections. It turned out to be the back tire which looked good but really was well past its Best By date.
 
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