Front end shimmy

[jsmenzel]

I have an '03 VTX1800R with 24K on it. The front tire has less that 4k on it and is inflated to the proper pressure. With in the last 500 miles or so it has developed a shimmy in the front end,it is prevelant at constan cruise and worse during deceleration. Does anyone else have this issue or heard of it? Thanks, Scott.

[Motorcycle Forum]

[Easy Rider]

it is prevelant at constan cruise and worse during deceleration. Does anyone else have this issue or heard of it? Thanks, Scott.

You need a thorough front end inspection. Since you have come here asking, that probably means a dealer visit.
Possilbe causes:
Tire going bad. Several different ways a tire can go bad.....including the wheel weithts falling off.
Wheel bearings
Steering head bearings
Front brake dragging due to warped rotor or sticky caliper

AND last but not least......a REAR tire going bad can cause a front end shake too.
Honest. It happens fairly often.

[BigJon]

Put the bike on a stand with the wheels off the ground. Pull up on the front wheel to see if there's any play in the neck bearings. If so, re-torque the nut. Check the rear shock bushings. If they are not centered on the bolt, replace them. Make sure they are both on the same setting. Spin the front tire to see if it runs true and has no bulges. If it does, it may have a broken belt. Check the trueness of the wheel also. Do you hear any unusual noises? Most of the bearings are pretty dry from the factory. It helped with handling and wobble when I put in a set of Progressive springs, serviced the head bearings and upped the tire pressure to 38-40. Cured the left side tire wear too.

[Y2K]

AND last but not least......a REAR tire going bad can cause a front end shake too.
Honest. It happens fairly often.

This was actually my first thought,it does indeed happen quite often.
With only 24K on the bike I would suspect a tire issue before anything mechanical,even that new front tire may have an issue.
I've had my share of bad new tires over the years,especially Dunlops for some reason.
I've been through about 35 rear tires and maybe a dozen or more front tires on my bike and had probably 3 or 4 tires that were crap right from the get go.

[fear_cartaidh]

Under inflated tires, bald tires, missing weights are all very likely scenarios. When I worked at a Honda dealer We saw many VTXs with the problem you describe. Most only complained about a wobble when riding hands off the bars. Honda insists there is no problem but in all likelyhood you need a set of AllBalls bearings put into the stem. They are cheaper and better than OEM and will fix your problem if it is not one of the previously mentioned issues.

NMc