Shaking tire - Let's play "Guess the Shake"

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I thought I would engage us in a pastime we love to do on this forum - speculating! :thumbup: This afternoon, all of a sudden after a hard left turn from a stop sign, a front tire started shaking. I think it's the right one but I can't say for certain. Here's what I've determined so far after doing some investigation and a test ride.

At around 50 to 55 it really shakes, enough that the handlebar shakes.

Tire pressures were about 16 psi. I raised them to 18 for the test ride.

No wheel weights are missing, at least there is no adhesive residue or clean spot showing where one may have fallen off.

I jacked up each tire and spun them by hand. There is no visible bulge in any sidewall or in either tread area nor could I feel any. There is no wow in the tread. These indicates there is no obvious tread or ply separation, but that's not to say that may not be the problem.

I did not see any nail, screw, bolt, or anything of the sort that may have punctured the tire and caused an imbalance.

There is no wobble in either tire.

Lug nuts are all tight.

Sway bar heim links are not broken that I can see.

I have to go out of town for the weekend so I won't be able to take the tires to a tire shop or the dealer until Tuesday. This gives you all 5 days to play "Guess the Shake". So what do you think is the cause of the problem? Hopefully on Tuesday I'll be able to find out and we'll see who the most prescient member is! :bowdown:

 

[Pampurrs]

opcorn:

 

[Mazo EMS2]

"Toe-in" got screwed up? Broken band in tire? Tie rod end or bushing screwed up?

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

"Toe-in" got screwed up? Broken band in tire? Tie rod end or bushing screwed up?

I forgot to include no apparent looseness in ball joints or tie rod ends.

 

[Ex-Rocket]

Rear tire is flat.

 

[Chupaca]

Tough one..!!

nothing inside the tire...?? ( slime, fix a flat, ride on, beads etc ) And you checked quite a bit. :thumbup: What about the shocks..?? Did you hit any potholes, curbs or pedestrians..?? opcorn:opcorn:

 

[BajaRon]

It is your imagination. Nothing is wrong with the tire....

 

[Pampurrs]

I know I may be reaching here...... when was the last time you changed the air in your tires? :dontknow:

:shemademe_smilie: Pam

 

[Bensonoid]

It's the nut that holds the handlebars.

 

[Peter Aawen]

It's the nut that holds the handlebars.

What?!? He's a bit loose?! :shocked: :yikes:



If it's not a dud wheel bearing or ball joint, then I'd guess that the shake has something to do with wheel alignment; not toe in/out, more like insufficient positive caster angle...

 

[finless]

While you had it jacked up, did you check the wheel bearing for any lateral play? e.g. grab the tire front and back and try to wiggle it side to side which would indicate a loose or worn front wheel bearing?

Jerbear had this similar issue and it was his wheel bearings.

Bob

 

[spydaman60]

:agree: wheel bearings!!!

 

[jcasey]

opcorn:

Can I have a bite! :clap:

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

While you had it jacked up, did you check the wheel bearing for any lateral play? e.g. grab the tire front and back and try to wiggle it side to side which would indicate a loose or worn front wheel bearing?

Jerbear had this similar issue and it was his wheel bearings.

Bob

The only movement was when I held the front and back sides of the tire and wiggled it. There is a very tiny bit which is the same as I feel in the steering. There is ever so slight play in the steering. Holding the tire top and bottom I could feel no movement at all.

That's why I posted this. I've run out of ideas as to what it might be, other than maybe something internal in the tire like a belt separation that's not visible.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

What?!? He's a bit loose?! :shocked: :yikes:

You're not the first to suggest that! :roflblack:

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I know I may be reaching here...... when was the last time you changed the air in your tires? :dontknow:

:shemademe_smilie: Pam

I think you may be onto something! Maybe the air has gotten old and sticky and coagulated in one spot! :roflblack::roflblack:

 

[garb55]

I know I may be reaching here...... when was the last time you changed the air in your tires? :dontknow:

:shemademe_smilie: Pam

That must be it Pampurrs
He went out and purchased cheap air and it has flat spots :roflblack::roflblack:
There is no "HE made me do it" :roflblack:
By the way I like your license plate

 

[Highwayman2013]

I had this happen on our 2012 at 14,000 miles, it was bad tires. We tried balancing but they shook worse, belt separation was the determination as one tire was no longer round.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

New info

I think I may have encountered the same issue as Highwayman did. A couple of things I didn't mention earlier. My tires have 21,500 miles on them with a fair amount of tread left. The right mirror vibrates pretty badly, the left just a little, so that makes me think it must be the right tire or wheel.

I decided to do some trouble shooting before I leave town in case I need to order a new set of front tires. I went to the local tire shop and had the right tire spin balanced. He took 4 weights off (they're 1/4 oz each) and put on 8 weights, 4 each in two spots, one group near to where the original ones were. A recheck showed the tire to be in perfect balance.

The bike shakes as much or more now than it did before. My next step is to swap the left and right tires and see if the shake moves to the left. If it does, then that's a strong indicator the tire is the culprit. If the shake stays on the right then it's got to be something like the wheel bearing.

I'm off to do the swap!

The tire dealer found that there are 35 Federal EVOs available somewhere in the US. His charge would be about $100 ea., mounted and balanced? How does that compare to what some of you guys have paid? I don't time at the moment to search the forum.

 

[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

I see balance imperfections all the time but no weights are flipped off, i always tell my customers to have it checked with
road force to verify rim/tire is good & then have it balanced.