handlebar wobble

Cupping can also be justrunning an underinflated tire.

 

This is with the OEM tires, which are still on the bike so cupping is ruled out because I got the bike with one mile on it. Head bearings are not loose either. For me, it's done this from the start and regardless of tire pressure and preload. :redface:

 

Tried the bike today without the topbox,bars still wobble,tyres are metzelers,I dropped the forks about 3/4" will try raising them again and see what happens.

 

Well the only thing left i can see is your front tyre needs to be balanced- This is not always done at the factory believe it or not! Had mine done recently was 80grams out!!!??? I had similar symptoms to yourself!

 

Tires are the issue. like it or not. it's an inherit thing that comes with the VFR, some tires make it worse than others, tire pressure also effects it, just know that it's ok. in it only happens with your hands off on a deceleration like coming off a freeway off ramp hands off she shook like crazy. but it bugged me enough to get a tire that doesn't let this happen. now all is good. FWIW I ran on Pirelie Corsas. even when worn these tires do not give me the shakes.

 

sounds like the tire brand ... can you guys list them.
my stock tires had slight wobble ( sorry forgot the brand ) but went away w/ metzler M-1's and now running M-3's with no issues.

Jim you might not be off between front height and rear since you put the lowering kit on it.
best bet is to play w/ the forks untill you find what works. I have installed a few lowering kits on a few bikes and it is best to measure both front and rear height first to make sure you have a referance to go by to geometry correct.
also ck to make sure the front tire is balanced as well first.

 

I have been riding 50 years, and in my experience most bikes will flap there bars a bit under 50mph, unless they have a steering dampner or slightly tight head races, it can make it worse with a loaded top box, you will find it only does it generally under 50mph. In the 60's there was big survey done on this very problem, when nemerous tests were carried out and it was gererally considered to be caused by the camber on the road and the amount of trail some bikes had, the answer is, keep you hands on the bars under 50mph, don't worry you won't come to any harm.

Plasma

 

Amen
I agree

 

Mine does it too right at 45mph. Other bikes don't. When the front tire is less than a couple thousand miles old its not as bad. You may not even be able to see the cupping on the tire, but its there. Sometimes I wonder if the SSS adds to this due to torsional flex. Who knows? I just hold on.

 

I had 3 of them, with a bit of a load on the rear end and around 40 mph they all wobbled no hands..lots of my bikes have been the same a certain speeds with certain loads....no big deal,,i just go faster now.

 

I have Michelin CT2 tyres... mine gives the head shimmy around 40-45 km/h when slowing.
With correct tyre pressure barely noticeable, doesn't happen all the time... but gets worse if pressure drops 5-6psi

 

Check the tires for cupping, suitable inflation, the bearing for slop then make a run with the luggage and another without.

Even with factory Krauser bags on a BMW, BMW recommends not riding above a certain speed. Hard luggage is not the most aerodynamic of things that can be fitted on a bike. In the case of the BMW, the cause of the high speed wobble was in the lack of aerodynamics. ie the bags were causing Kamm effect and L/D was causing reciprocal spilling. The faster the overall speed the greater the effects resulting in wobble.

 

+1 on the tire pressure - when my relatively worn front tire has less than 30 lbs of air in it, I get head shake/wheel wobble when I coast with my hands off the bars - it threatens to become severe if I do not grab the bars. I'm getting new tires later this week, FWIW. I also noticed a bit less wobble when I tightened the front end suspension at each fork adjust by 1/4 turn.