Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

I ride a GPX250 and was just woundering if it is normal for your front wheel to wobble when you take you hands of the handle bars? Seems to do it more often down lower speed. (not that I have a habbit of taking them off at high speeds).
If not what are the probable causes?
Cheers
Glenn

Glenn various causes as it's certainly not normal. Most likely would be wheel balance, could also be head stem bearing, could even be as simple as tyre pressures.

Probably a few more causes and Smitty or Gos or someone a bit more techo will advise further

Nope my GPX250 doesn't wobble

the fact it is better/worse at different speeds makes me think it might be wheel balance.

in old cars ive had when the wheel balance is out the steering seems fine at most speeds but once you get to a particular speed it goes bad with the death wobbles.

i havent experienced anything like that on a bike though.

Lots of things I guess..

Nobody has mentioned tyre wear / pressures. I know that the dunlop on the 04 and 06 ZX10's will cause wobbles with wear?

Good luck

Havnt checked the tyre pressure for a while and a while ago I took out 1psi but I wouldnt off thought it would of made that much of a differance, but it might of.
Cheers

My old GPX used to get the wobbles like that whenever the tyre was getting a bit worn. A new one always seemed to fix it until it wore out again.

Only thing i ever got was i'd get front wheel "squirming" on heavy braking when my tire was on the way out. Usually at that point i drive it as little as possible apart from taking it back to the bike shop for a new hoop.

But i have been in a car which would get an imbalance happening at certain speeds and 10k/h either side of that speed it was perfectly fine. Very disturbing when it first happens to you though.

i've had the exact same problem on the zzr.
however, it's not bad. you just feel a wobble/vibration through the bars, if you let go of them however (would be a different story)

I can tell you so far, it's not a rim problem, tyre, tyre pressure, headstem or wheelbearing problem

so wheel balance may be the go (gotta get that done)

GlennB wrote:I ride a GPX250 and was just woundering if it is normal for your front wheel to wobble when you take you hands of the handle bars? Seems to do it more often down lower speed. (not that I have a habbit of taking them off at high speeds).
If not what are the probable causes?
Cheers
Glenn

hi Glenn

do the 3 way check-
whats loose?
front axle or handle bar (really!) or steering clamps
or brake disc or whatever
fairing/mini fairing?
then
next....
whats out of adjustment?
head stem bearings (too tight/loose)
tyre pressure (probably too low-try 35psi)
cables (clutch/accl cables and wiring should not interfere)
and
next....
whats worn?
front wheel bearings
headstem bearings
front forks (oil/seals?)
front tyre (check for scalloping especially)

one of the above will usually find the cause

hth

cheers

low fork oil / off fork oil? Mine used to do that quite badly and was getting progressively worse at it over the last couple of months. However i just replenished the fork oil last night (was a grotty murky brown yellow).the oil was at least 18000km old, as long as ive had the bike + whatever the previous owner racked up on it. Took the bike in to work today and it IS a lot more responsive, in a good way that is.

I think the new oil ought to help fix that handling quirk up, well i hope it does.

Whats even more scary is i FORGOT to tighten up one of the top left fork clamps on the triple tree. I'll be attacking it with a shifter i always carry in my backpack before riging home tonight. OOps!!!