Steering wobble

Hi everyone,
Just getting used to my new (secondhand)Silverwing and I wondered if anyone has the following similar issue.
The front steering wobbles very slightly when turning corners at very low speed. Is this a problem or does the bike have this trait. It is particularly noticeable when turning sharply doing a u-turn.

Hi and welcome pyrmont25, why not spend a few moments and tell us about yourself and your 'Wing' into the Intro section.

I'm sure a resident expert will be along soon to offer some sound advice about your wobble.

Greetings pyrmont25. What is your tire inflation at? Many have found that the bike is more apt to feel unsteady at low speeds if it doesn't have enough air in the tires. Also, poor inflation over time leads to a condition known as "cupping" whereby the tire treads when seen from the side seem like a saw blade--sticking out in a serrated pattern. You will then notice a small wobble when either carefully coasting to a stop with hands off (please be careful when doing this) or when just walking (manually, un-powered) the bike forwards or backwards out of your driveway.
So go out to your bike, run your hand over the tread looking for bumps, check your inflation, and duck walk the bike back and forth and those tests should tell you if you have a tire worn in poorly, thus resulting in cupping. I'd hate to say it, but the only way I got rid of it was by buying a new tire. How much tread is left on yours?

Hi pyrmont25,

We need more information. What year is your scooter? How many miles on her? What type of front tire do you have on the scooter? How much air do you have in the tire? Have you ever had the front tire off the ground to spin the wheel or look at the brake rotor to see if it's running true?

DennisB wrote:

brake rotter?

I have a 'brake rotter' on my bike!!!!!!!

My spelling sucks. It's ROTOR.

DennisB wrote:

My spelling sucks. It's ROTOR.

lol, I thought you were typing at warp speed.

Waspie wrote:

DennisB wrote:

My spelling sucks. It's ROTOR.

lol, I thought you were typing at warp speed.

I only have one good typing finger and one good eye, they both fail to work 50 percent of the time. I should have eaten more vegies when I was young.



OK...I'm only kidding...except for eating more vegies.

Thanks for all the feedback.
I will have to come back to you DennisB with regard to the make of front tyre. Only had the bike two weeks and it was serviced by local Honda dealer so I am assuming the tyre pressure is right. My bike is a 2009 model with 3,800 miles on the clock.
On the straight she is fine but a little wobble on the sharp turns.
Nobody has said if they have this problem. Maybe I should return for a warranty repair?

pyrmont25 wrote:

T so I am assuming

Never but never assume!!!! The mother of all ****-ups!!!

I have a 2009 with 10,000 miles on it, and I have not noticed a wobble as you describe. If you know someone else with a SWing, you might swap bikes for a bit and see if the same thing happens on the other bike. If it does, it is then most likely an issue that will clear up as you get more experience riding the SWing. If the other bike is OK, then I suggest having the front end checked on yours.

I don't know what dealers are like in your part of the world, but out here, I would not count on them getting it right. I highly recommend checking it yourself with an accurate guage. Honda recommends 29psi, but I keep mine at 30 with no ill effects (IRC tires).

Sounds like a really nice scooter. Some time’s… what happens is a person holds the handlebars a little too tight because of not being familiar with how the scooter acts in tight turns, every bike is a little different. Always remember to keep your RPM's up when you make a tight turn. I once made that mistake and paid dearly for it in a parking lot. The clutch gave way and I went down with my right leg pinned under the bike. My right elbow still hurts once in a while.

My Silverwing shimmies at very slow speeds, even when I'm pushing it in and out of the garage - very smooth tiled floor.
It can only be the tyre.
It's fine to ride and feels perfectly safe - I had it up to 150KPH this week several times.

Mine has developed a light wobble or shimmy at slow speed. Most evident when making a tight left turn. I had popped a sharp speed bump pretty good a few months ago (not painted, dark). I likely damaged the tire in some way. I just had the front tire rebalanced but the wobble is there. Was not a problem at speed until this week when at highway speed, the bike had some unusual vibration, kind of like a rough road, but I was on smooth interstate pavement. Time to retire the front tire. Only 4k on it but not worth any risk.