wheel hop

[jd21029]

Just bought a 96 St, and in general I am very pleased with the bike.

One problem I have is that the rear wheel has a tendency to slide sideways with no notice when traveling at highway speeds. Most often it occurs either when passing a truck, or with high crosswinds. It feels almost like the beginning of a low side slide, in that the wheel slips sideways, but after an inch or so it gets traction again. However, its very unnerving, to say the least. For the most part, the front end feels stable, but I wouldn't call it rock solid as others have said. The rear wheel problem is much worse, though.

I have brand new Avon Storms on, so that's not it. The rear shock is set at the firmest setting. Do y'all think I need a new rear shock? And if so, how do I test that? Any other thoughts?

Thanks for any responses.

Jerry

 

[sennister]

How many miles on the bike? It is possible that you are due for a new rear shock. I wish it was rebuildable like the front forks. I read once that there was an aftermarked rear shock that was rebuildable but they are no longer available.

As for me the only time I really notice the rear wheel slipping like this when I have a dirty rear tire or if I am am transitioning from one type of surface to another. For instance there are days that I take a road where I pull out onto a cement highway. This highway has an asphalt area between the North and South lanes. I usually have to stop in the middle and wait for an opening and when I pull out other traffic on the road is going at least the posted 65MPH. So I tend to jump on it pretty hard. The cement highway doesn't seem to offer as much traction. Although that was with my old Dunlops. I haven't tried it since swiiching to Storms this spring.

It seems to me that the rear shock is typically replaced at about 50K miles.

 

[Highrider]

Check your sag and damping, that will indicate the condition of your rear shock and whether or not it is contributing to your issue.
You can search here for some articles on how to go about it.

 

[jd21029]

Its got a little over 48,000 miles. Sounds like it may be the shock, although I don't understand how the rear shock would cause the tire to slip sideways.

I'll see if I can find a thread on testing the shock. And on replacing it.

 

[Byron]

"One problem I have is that the rear wheel has a tendency to slide sideways with no notice when traveling at highway speeds."

I'll assume that you're talking about being in a turn when this occurs.

"The rear shock is set at the firmest setting."

In this setting it's possible that the rear wheel is loosing contact with the ground as you roll over something in the turn. Back off the setting and see if it still happens. It's either this or you're hitting sand or the like in the turn and just not seeing it.

 

[Blue STreak]

Just bought a 96 St, and in general I am very pleased with the bike.

The rear shock is set at the firmest setting.

Jerry

The shock, or spring preload, or both? If the spring is too stiff, the suspension isn't being allowed to do it's job soaking up bumps, which could well cause what you describe if the road is even a little bumpy.

Where do you have damping, preload set. How much do you weigh?

 

[sennister]

The shock, or spring preload, or both? If the spring is too stiff, the suspension isn't being allowed to do it's job soaking up bumps, which could well cause what you describe if the road is even a little bumpy.

Where do you have damping, preload set. How much do you weigh?

That is true. If not set up properly it could skip across bumps and loose contact with the road and cause this.

 

[Rossi]

I have brand new Avon Storms on, so that's not it. The rear shock is set at the firmest setting.

I wonder if new (i.e. slippery) tires along with a firm shock setting can cause what you're experiencing? New tires need to be broken in.

Ride carefully at least 50 - 100 miles, and report back.

 

[Blue STreak]

I wonder if new (i.e. slippery) tires along with a firm shock setting can cause what you're experiencing? New tires need to be broken in.

Ride carefully at least 50 - 100 miles, and report back.

That's a good point. I missed the "brand new" tire part. If it didn't do it on the old tires, you've probably hit the nail on the head.

 

[Mark]

Old shock gets my bet...
The shock is at the firmest setting and still will not hold the shock on the ground...
I replaced the rear shock on my '01 at 54k miles.
I went with a HyperPro non-adjustable (because I ride 1 up) and am very pleased.
I'd replace the front springs at the same time check out sonicsprings.com for those...

Mark

 

[Blue STreak]

The shock is probably shot, but firmest isn't necessarily the best. The spring / damping have to be soft enough to compress when hitting a bump. The spring has to be stiff enough to push the wheel back down into a dip, or after a bump. And if the damping is too firm, it can prevent the spring from compressing fast enough to properly absorb bumps.

Many seem to think that "firmer is better," but that is true (if at all) only on glass smooth roads.On anything else, the spring preload needs to be adjusted to reflect the weight of the rider, and damping adjusted to reflect preload and weight. Too much preload and damping can be as bad as too little.