Intermittent Front End Shaking

[Spyder Dawg]

I have a 2010 RT SE5 and I have experience the front end and handle bar shaking back a forth. This does not happen all the time. It has happened three times over last summer. The shaking starts between 41 to 43 mph. If I go lower than 41 mph or higher than 43 mph the shaking stops and when you drop back to 41 to 43 it does not shake. I have checked all connections and they seem to be all secured and no problems. I have talked to my service manager at the dealer and he didn't have an answer as he was puzzled by it. He's only suggestion was to rotate the front tires. Has anyone experience this or have an idea in want is causing the shaking?

[SpyderAnn01]

In my opinion rotating the tires is a waste of money, especially if you are having tire issues. You will just move the issue from one side to the other. Check your tires and see if they are cupping, the shaking you describe happens when the tires have started to cup. Time for a new set of tires.

[Y Rider]

I had the same issue with the original set of tires on my 2011 RTL. After about 4K miles on the front tires when moving between 40 and 45 mph the front end would start shaking. Turned out to be a bad set of out of round tires. A new set of OEM tires corrected the problem. That set was good for about 10K miles.

[Jeriatric]

I had the same issue with the original set of tires on my 2011 RTL. After about 4K miles on the front tires when moving between 40 and 45 mph the front end would start shaking. Turned out to be a bad set of out of round tires. A new set of OEM tires corrected the problem. That set was good for about 10K miles.

Set down facing a front wheel, grab the front and rear of the tire at 9 & 3 o'clock position. Gently push and pull on the tire. What you'll be looking for is any freee play 'any'. On both sides. If there is? See your dealer.

[2Paw]

I hate to be a downer but I had the same issue on my 2012 RTS and nothing seemed to fix it balancing, alignment, Lazar alignment, new set of tires (yet nothing seemed wrong with the old ones) made it better but did not fix. I have found that if I am diligent about keeping the proper inflation and the belt tightened everything seems to be much, much better. I am almost inclined to believe that the problem is the belt tightness (I really don't know why this would be the case). Someone much smarter than me would have to figure this out.

[BajaRon]

I hate to be a downer but I had the same issue on my 2012 RTS and nothing seemed to fix it balancing, alignment, Lazar alignment, new set of tires (yet nothing seemed wrong with the old ones) made it better but did not fix. I have found that if I am diligent about keeping the proper inflation and the belt tightened everything seems to be much, much better. I am almost inclined to believe that the problem is the belt tightness (I really don't know why this would be the case). Someone much smarter than me would have to figure this out.

Could be bad wheels, as long as your A-Arm bushings and tie-rod ends are good.

[Sarge707]

I had the same issue with the original set of tires on my 2011 RTL. After about 4K miles on the front tires when moving between 40 and 45 mph the front end would start shaking. Turned out to be a bad set of out of round tires. A new set of OEM tires corrected the problem. That set was good for about 10K miles.

Same thing with my 2012 RT after about 4,000 miles -One tire cupping or problem meant replacing BOTH tires and 13,000 miles later they are fine and balanced with little wear on either tire. Most of the time the 40-43 mph shake is TIRES?

[LLSailor]

Kansas has started milling it's concrete roads. Some sections end up with a pattern that has caused the original equipment tires to shimmy around 40 mph. Check the road.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I have a 2010 RT SE5 and I have experience the front end and handle bar shaking back a forth. This does not happen all the time. It has happened three times over last summer. The shaking starts between 41 to 43 mph. If I go lower than 41 mph or higher than 43 mph the shaking stops and when you drop back to 41 to 43 it does not shake. I have checked all connections and they seem to be all secured and no problems. I have talked to my service manager at the dealer and he didn't have an answer as he was puzzled by it. He's only suggestion was to rotate the front tires. Has anyone experience this or have an idea in want is causing the shaking?

If that's the best answer they can come up with find another dealer ASAP ..... did they even test it ???? or was this purely SWAG .............. Mike

[south GA Farm Boy]

I have a 2010 RT SE5 and I have experience the front end and handle bar shaking back a forth. This does not happen all the time. It has happened three times over last summer. The shaking starts between 41 to 43 mph. If I go lower than 41 mph or higher than 43 mph the shaking stops and when you drop back to 41 to 43 it does not shake. I have checked all connections and they seem to be all secured and no problems. I have talked to my service manager at the dealer and he didn't have an answer as he was puzzled by it. He's only suggestion was to rotate the front tires. Has anyone experience this or have an idea in want is causing the shaking?

I am very concerned about my front end shaking and pulling to the right! I have tried about everything and it is at the second dealer now getting a new right wheel bearing installed! Mine is a 2016 RT Limited with only about 1200 miles on it! If car dealers sold cars like this, they would be out of business very soon! Hope to get my spyder back today or tomorrow, will let you know if the wheel bearing helped! Looking for Federals tires at probably 20 locations, and everyone has them on backorder! Will get help from Joe if we are ever close enough to carry it to him! Yes it has been Rolo aligned twice, front tires has had 5 tires changed, and has had a set of rims and tires off a brand new spyder tested on it! Back wheel as been aligned, and proper belt tension set! Yes, I am running out of ideas!

[DGoebel]

I'm wondering if any of the folks having this shaking have tried the Centramatics Dynamic balancers, my RTL never did this to me, but since putting them on the front only, the last 800 miles do seem to have been smoother riding. Got mine from Lamonster in a matter of hours it seemed (like 2 days).

[Peter Aawen]

I am very concerned about my front end shaking and pulling to the right!.....

That sounds very much like you have 'cross caster' issues or poor toe or camber settings; & YES, these can be adjusted/corrected on your Spyder, but it needs to be done by someone who knows what they are doing with this type of suspension!! These issues can also be made worse or even created on vehicles with this type of suspension simply by adjusting the standard or set static ride height, & it's pretty much impossible to remedy completely once you've got the problem without correcting the caster, camber, & toe in/out at your specific static ride height!

[south GA Farm Boy]

If your tires are still real good with lots of thread left, have them trued! That is where a tire store cuts off the high places with a machine making your tires round again! You will have to hunt a dealer who has a machine to do it! Don't tell him it is a motorcycle tire, it is just like a car tire!

I have a 2010 RT SE5 and I have experience the front end and handle bar shaking back a forth. This does not happen all the time. It has happened three times over last summer. The shaking starts between 41 to 43 mph. If I go lower than 41 mph or higher than 43 mph the shaking stops and when you drop back to 41 to 43 it does not shake. I have checked all connections and they seem to be all secured and no problems. I have talked to my service manager at the dealer and he didn't have an answer as he was puzzled by it. He's only suggestion was to rotate the front tires. Has anyone experience this or have an idea in want is causing the shaking?

[ARtraveler]

The general consensus here is that tire rotation is a useless thing. The tires are directional and have to be removed from the rims for the process. Usually does not help with wear issues either.

[Texascanuk]

Our 2012 RT had the shake too at the same speed range, 41-43. Not on either side of it. The dealer had us change a brake rotor that he measured as warped but that did not fix it. I had the laser alignment performed and the shake went away. I suspect is was some feedback in the powersteering trying to correct itself. Part of the laser alignment is to tell the computer where center is. I don't know about these electronic things so it's just my theory?

[Lew L]

Our 2014 RT-S was delivered with a tire shimmy/shake at about 40-45 mph. I brought it back to the dealer and they removed the tires and wheels and replaced them with some from a floor model. Also the tire pressure was way off when delivered. Correcting the pressure and replacing the rims/tires fixed the problem.

Older 's may have worn suspension bits ( tie rod ends, bearings ) but bad tires and rims are probably the culprits.

Lew L

[Thedragsman]

I spent a lot of time and money trying to find a soluiton to this shake. Numerous dealers looked at the problem and found the bike would shake and then they would replace something (rotor, tie-rod ends, A-arm bushings, etc) and it would be ok for a mile and then it would come back. Can Am even paid to replace the Power Steering unit; thanks Can Am, but that wasn’t the problem.

Finally I found a dealer who their repairman said that there was a known issue with the Toe and shaking with the 2011 RT models. He said that the spec was wrong and adjusted the Toe to be slightly in, reprogramed the Power Steering Sensor, and the shake was gone.

I have put on over a 1,000 shake free miles since and with no issue. The bike does drive differntly and that took some getting used to. With it being slightly Toe’d in, I would expetct some waves to form on the tires but they have not. (Sorry, I am not a mechanic and do not know the official terms, but understand the concepts)

Thanks all that have posted.

[Revalden]

Maybe replace SAS (steering angle sensor)