Bad Head Wobble on my 06 ZX6R

I seem to suffer from tankslap more often then I would expect, basically last time down at EC I had it happen maybe 10 times during the day. I'm not talking about a little wobble either, more like Oh Fuck This IS Really Bad wobble. It seems to happen most coming out of Turn 12 after the change from 2nd to 3rd.

I have down the basics ie set the Tyre pressure to the suggested, set the suspension settings tot he recommended for a rider my size. I don't have a death grip on the bars either. I have a different front and rear tyre however both are relatively new. Is there any one thing in particular you guys have noticed that could cause this? Maybe I'm on the throttle to hard?

Thanks for your help.

There would be no harm done taking the bike toa tyre place and checking the wheel balance on front wheel. Used to have bad tank slap decelerating from 100-80 on the ZZR but then I binned it into the wall, new front wheel later and no probs Probably not the most recommended course of action though...

What revs are you pulling using 2nd coming off 12???

I am not a real believer in the mixmatched tyre theory. I mix em up all the time and have never had an issue. However, it can happen. I would suggest however, that it may either be a set up issue, or even a body position issue more than tyres.

Give me an idea of your lap times so I can get an idea of where you are at.

What revs are you pulling using 2nd coming off 12???

I am not a real believer in the mixmatched tyre theory. I mix em up all the time and have never had an issue. However, it can happen. I would suggest however, that it may either be a set up issue, or even a body position issue more than tyres.

Give me an idea of your lap times so I can get an idea of where you are at.

I think it's more of a question of how fast am I going through 12, and the answer is not very. I could also be mistaken, maybe it was a 3rd to 4th gear change? It was only my first time and I was averaging around 2.07's. Good times or shit for a first timer? Only been riding bikes for 7 months mind you.

As for body position, I'm trying to stay as far over the front as possible to keep it down, is this a good technique? I'm not used to the power of the 6 as I'm still on restrictions on the road so I'm stuck on a 250. Its' purely a track bike for the moment.

At 1'46"s around the Island with standard set up (ie as it came off the showfloor) my old 636 never put a foot wrong. Maybe it is a technique thing. At 2.07's it shouldn't be putting a foot wrong! try third next time!

At 1'46"s around the Island with standard set up (ie as it came off the showfloor) my old 636 never put a foot wrong. Maybe it is a technique thing. At 2.07's it shouldn't be putting a foot wrong! try third next time!

Are you serious? I thought the litres would be pushing 1.50 around there...

At 1'46"s around the Island with standard set up (ie as it came off the showfloor) my old 636 never put a foot wrong. Maybe it is a technique thing. At 2.07's it shouldn't be putting a foot wrong! try third next time!

Are you serious? I thought the litres would be pushing 1.50 around there...

Very! Don't sound so shocked!!! I have friends who can reel off as many 1.43's as you want on a standard litre bike around the Island. Jesus, My old ZX9 ran around the creek at 50's the first time I rode it there! The 600 Supersport bikes do High 30's around the island, the supers are in the mid 30's! So a 46 isn't fast. Madkaw does high 40's on his 1994 model 750cc bike around the creek FFS!!!! Honestly, it ain't fast!

But in all seriousness, anything under two minutes around the creek on a road bike is brisk! But, at 2.07's your bike should be like riding to the shops to get the milk. It shouldn't be slapping in any way. But 2nd gear sounds a little short for turn 12??? I havn't been there for a while, but I think from memory it was 3rd??? Someone who does heaps of laps there can probably be a little more clear on that one but.

T12 @ EC is 3rd on the C1H; unless held up behind someone off T11, then it is a airf excuse to prime 2nd gear for a wheelie onto the chute....

On the topic under discussion though - regardless of whatever times people can do on a C1 or C6 at whatever circuit, the handling will be quirky if not set up right - and this will freak out the less smooth and likely newer to things riders.

This is my day and night job BTW, and the design of the fork and shock will lend themselves to pretty fantastic waggles-generation at times - they are not really slaps, as I categorise those as when the fork is low in stroke and the wheel is not returning to terra firma rapidly enough - and the old bikes really gave some fantastic slaps eh!! (these are the opposite)

Although I now own a B1, I had loan of a C1 for almost a year and in my spare time I went through every perceivable alteration to fork, shock designs and geometry in that period - Our one does not waggle any longer! (ha ha)

Set sags right, and pay close attention to rear set up; but ultimately the race spring weights were where I ended up even though I only got the manual post-development - and those springs are a bit weightier than stock.

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Very! Don't sound so shocked!!! I have friends who can reel off as many 1.43's as you want on a standard litre bike around the Island. Jesus, My old ZX9 ran around the creek at 50's the first time I rode it there! The 600 Supersport bikes do High 30's around the island, the supers are in the mid 30's! So a 46 isn't fast. Madkaw does high 40's on his 1994 model 750cc bike around the creek FFS!!!! Honestly, it ain't fast!

Thanks for the mention...
Just a correction its a 93 model 750 and I have been known to do mid 40's...
(official timing was 1.46.1 but have been a little quicker.. )

But yep at 2:07's it shouldn't be a problem... perhaps some suspension tweaking is in order..

Thanks for the advice guys and the wakeup call that I'm a shit load slower than I thought.

Maybe I can grab some pointers on thursday from someone.

I've been tossing up doing some track days at the Creek, now I know what I should be aiming for!

Actually, for first time and seven months on bikes, I'd reckon 2'07" is probably not bad. Hard to get faster when your bike is trashed 'cos you went out to try and show how hardcore you are! It'd be nice to be fast first time out, but things probably don't work like that in the real world.

Anyway, back on topic (sort of), my -6 has a strong tendency to shake it's head under hard acceleration in 2nd and 3rd, but not to the point of feeling like I'm in danger of binning it. Tinkering with settings has lessened the tendency a bit, but not completely eliminated it.

Mate stop thinking about it and do it, honestly its the best fun you'll have on a bike. Of course you couldn't be there the same time as me having the same bike and all.

Mine was a handful so I got a steering damper which is superb (hyperpro from superbike supply on this site) which made such an improvement. Then I got new tyres and found it was mainly the old tyres. Even with the new tyres it has still saved my bacon more times than I care to remember.

maybe its just one of those head wobble bikes?? u kno..like the wobble head figurines u can get??

maybe its just one of those head wobble bikes?? u kno..like the wobble head figurines u can get??

I have a car.
Many people have the same car as me.
My car is boring but I am quirky and interesting.
I will decorate my car.
My car will be as individual as me.
I will buy a nodding dog.



However, there is a reason why things do things and why they happen - why bikes behave in certain ways; just remains for someone to research the whys and hows, then to cure...... Someone mentions a bike model, I think of why it does what it does - i.e. in knowing the recipe of the components and combining the geometry and how it carries weight, the reasons for problems will stand out like studded collars on short-haired dawgs dawgs.