Front wheel vibration

[er-minio]

Fairly convinced this is the cause of the vibration as it's not a gentle wave of a buckle, it swerves a fair bit at one area only. I think it explains why it only comes in at high speeds. Either way it needs sorting.

I had exactly the same issue you faced, including discovering the problem while traveling to Italy.

I had the rim fixed via Motoscot at the time, but I don't remember who the supplier was.
Have a similar issue with another set of spoked wheels for my GS, but everyone I phone refuses to touch BMW wheels.

PS. I am running another set of wheels with road tyres nowadays, but there is still a tiny bit of cyclical vibration on the bike. Bearings are ok. My guess is that it is induced by transmission.

 

[Pukmeister]

The only other thing I can suggest is perhaps using a hydraulic press along with a dial test indicator to press the rim in the direction to correct its runout by a few hundredths of a millimetre at a time?

Perhaps its possible to weld up a home made frame/jig to hold the wheel spindle securely and use a car bottle jack or similar with a wooden spreader in place to do the pushing at the rim edge ??

 

[Slipperyeel]

The only other thing I can suggest is perhaps using a hydraulic press along with a dial test indicator to press the rim in the direction to correct its runout by a few hundredths of a millimetre at a time?

Perhaps its possible to weld up a home made frame/jig to hold the wheel spindle securely and use a car bottle jack or similar with a wooden spreader in place to do the pushing at the rim edge ??

Hello Puckmeister. Thanks for all your thoughts and comments. Interested you picked up on the ProTyre fitting story. I can guarantee the treat bent spoke was fine by them, but I can't be sure the front was their doing. But you'll have to forgive me making the connection!

I've had s looney look at it today and from different views - so far my attention has been in the rim itself, but if I look at the tyre, it actually has radial run out quite a bit (haven't measured, but but visually it's 2.5mm plus, which would definitely account for vibration, but on the guage it might be more (I know they're no weight in the wheel, so it's not really the place to be looking).

Your thinking is similar to mine. I will have to get into myself. I had contact with Doug Richsrdson, who very kindly sent me a text in response to my voice message. He's no longer working on the wheels - any wheels from my interpretation, but maybe just these!

I've decided to print a centring jig that I'll attach to the balancer - the aim is just to make sure my messaging doesn't get too wayward!
I'll then see if some simple re-tensioning has any positive results. If that doesn't work, then I'll get bills and loosen the whole lot and start again. This might be a long story .

I'm not yet daunted by it. But ask me again in a week or so

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[Slipperyeel]

I had exactly the same issue you faced, including discovering the problem while traveling to Italy.

I had the rim fixed via Motoscot at the time, but I don't remember who the supplier was.
Have a similar issue with another set of spoked wheels for my GS, but everyone I phone refuses to touch BMW wheels.

PS. I am running another set of wheels with road tyres nowadays, but there is still a tiny bit of cyclical vibration on the bike. Bearings are ok. My guess is that it is induced by transmission.

Maybe we got the same pot hole

Another set of wheels is a developing idea... Not because of this issue, but more about having a different set of tyres... Had the idea to leave another set in Italy. Maybe....

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[Slipperyeel]

I believe the spec is 1mm of total runout at the rim.

If that figure I quoted is correct, having 2.8-3.0 mm must have it shaking like a shitting dog ??

After today's second inspection, I think it's in that range of measurement and there's also radial run out, which I kind of missed on my first check

The vibration is unmistakable, but it only comes out at 127kmh...

The suspension was refurbished by Denzoa little while back. I think that's helping alleviate the worst of it!

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[Pukmeister]

if I look at the tyre, it actually has radial run out quite a bit (haven't measured, but but visually it's 2.5mm plus, which would definitely account for vibration, but on the guage it might be more (I know they're no weight in the wheel, so it's not really the place to be looking).

Do you think the wheel rim could be acceptable and the tyre at fault ??

It might be as simple as getting the tyre taken off and refitted, perhaps the seating of the tyre bead on the rim is not even (as in the tyre circle doesn't match the wheel circle. I've had this with a mountain bike where I had to refit a tubeless tyre three times and spin/observe the tyre rotating to get it concentric with the rim.

It could also be a tyre that cooled unevenly as it was removed from the mould during manufacture and went out of shape ?

Maybe it is worth speaking to Protyre again with a view to returning the tyre for another under warranty, or for them to have an experienced fitter examine the rim/tyre and see if they can improve the fitting and balancing?

FWIW our local Protyre agent are not the dealers they once were, it seems the business has grown massively and is very profit and cash-generating focused (corporate) rather than customer focused. Our local Protyre branch no longer do bike tyres, the Portsmouth branch do a few but balance them by hand and not machine with some rudimentary kit.

I bought a car tyre on Black Circles including fitting and balancing for my Wife's Mazda CX3 (a car with lane assist etc) to be done at my local Fareham branch of Protyre. I then had to take it over to Portsmouth for balancing as Fareham Protyre said they didn't have the kit, Portsmouth then said the camera/lane system would need calibrating at an added cost of £140 with a laptop.... I told them to shove it.

I am no longer a fan or a customer of Protyre, IMHO the once good business (under Micheldever Tyres) has gone the way of Kwikfit and Halfords.

 

[Slipperyeel]

Do you think the wheel rim could be acceptable and the tyre at fault ??

It might be as simple as getting the tyre taken off and refitted, perhaps the seating of the tyre bead on the rim is not even (as in the tyre circle doesn't match the wheel circle. I've had this with a mountain bike where I had to refit a tubeless tyre three times and spin/observe the tyre rotating to get it concentric with the rim.

It could also be a tyre that cooled unevenly as it was removed from the mould during manufacture and went out of shape ?

Maybe it is worth speaking to Protyre again with a view to returning the tyre for another under warranty, or for them to have an experienced fitter examine the rim/tyre and see if they can improve the fitting and balancing?

FWIW our local Protyre agent are not the dealers they once were, it seems the business has grown massively and is very profit and cash-generating focused (corporate) rather than customer focused. Our local Protyre branch no longer do bike tyres, the Portsmouth branch do a few but balance them by hand and not machine with some rudimentary kit.

I bought a car tyre on Black Circles including fitting and balancing for my Wife's Mazda CX3 (a car with lane assist etc) to be done at my local Fareham branch of Protyre. I then had to take it over to Portsmouth for balancing as Fareham Protyre said they didn't have the kit, Portsmouth then said the camera/lane system would need calibrating at an added cost of £140 with a laptop.... I told them to shove it.

I am no longer a fan or a customer of Protyre, IMHO the once good business (under Micheldever Tyres) has gone the way of Kwikfit and Halfords.

We are mostly on the same page. But I'm on a new front tyre now (fitted in Italy last December). I was living in hope it was all down to the that 'duff ' original tyre. But to my dismay, as I got onto the autostrada, the vibration was back, back as it was from the start

So I spent much of the ride home pondering what the hell it was. But I had at this point narrowed it down to the front wheel or front end at least since it all changed back with the tyre change.

As for ProTyre. Very interesting. The guy who used to work at my local branch I always rated him highly (which is why I really wonder how a spoke got bent), was apparently sacked the day after he did my tyres - I went back in person to complain about the spoke so was told this directly. I'm wondering if that was the beginning of big changes in ProTyre

I bought the gear to change my own tyres now. I don't know why I waited so long. I saw a video of a guy in the states who had mounted his ConStand changer onto the wall. That idea sold it to me!



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[Slipperyeel]

I will soon be getting into this front wheel - tyre off and gauges out.

But I another idea is forming... LC wheels seem much cheaper secondhand - I'm guessing more of them? And it seems they are almost a direct fit - the front needs minimal modifications.

So I'm wondering if the slightly wider wheels will have a negative impact -

• On handling? The tyres are wider and they are shorter in height so even some gearing changes too. But would either matter?
• On the FD? Would the wider wheel load the FD unfavourably?


Curious about what others think of this.

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[fraserwaters]

Resurrecting this thread. I’m on a trip to Norway and before I left last week I fitted 2 brand new Pirelli scorpion rally str tyres to my R1200GS and had them balanced. The first 3 days were mostly motorway and all seemed great apart from tyre buzz from the 50/50 tread. BUT in Denmark the speed limit is lower and at 35-45 mph the bike pogoes like a mad thing with a constant “wump wump wump” noise. I’ve checked the tyres for distortion or delamination but can’t see anything, the rims are a bit old and well used and I changed my tyres with levers but they appear true to eye. The bike is loaded up with me at 75kg and 15kg of luggage so I’ve got the ESA in helmet and bag mode, and I’ve tried the other modes but it makes no odds. Anyone got any ideas?

 

[Slipperyeel]

Resurrecting this thread. I’m on a trip to Norway and before I left last week I fitted 2 brand new Pirelli scorpion rally str tyres to my R1200GS and had them balanced. The first 3 days were mostly motorway and all seemed great apart from tyre buzz from the 50/50 tread. BUT in Denmark the speed limit is lower and at 35-45 mph the bike pogoes like a mad thing with a constant “wump wump wump” noise. I’ve checked the tyres for distortion or delamination but can’t see anything, the rims are a bit old and well used and I changed my tyres with levers but they appear true to eye. The bike is loaded up with me at 75kg and 15kg of luggage so I’ve got the ESA in helmet and bag mode, and I’ve tried the other modes but it makes no odds. Anyone got any ideas?

It's just a thought. But do the wheel weights appear to be all stuck on? Could any have come off?

For what you describe, if it really is the front wheel, the you'll want to be looking for radial run-out (as opposed to lateral). If this is out. It can have quite an effect - mine was out a good 2mm, maybe a tad more, but it didn't count in until about 127kpmh...

But the fact it has suddenly come on is why I thought off weights coming off

 

[fraserwaters]

It's just a thought. But do the wheel weights appear to be all stuck on? Could any have come off?

For what you describe, if it really is the front wheel, the you'll want to be looking for radial run-out (as opposed to lateral). If this is out. It can have quite an effect - mine was out a good 2mm, maybe a tad more, but it didn't count in until about 127kpmh...

But the fact it has suddenly come on is why I thought off weights coming off

Thanks.

I had the same thought as you but the weights are all there.

But I gave the front a closer inspection and spotted a 3” section that wasn’t fully on the bead so a quick deflation some hand sanitizer gell and 5 bar of pressure from a forecourt air pump and it’s sorted.

Thanks for your help.

Cheers

 

[Slipperyeel]

Thanks.

I had the same thought as you but the weights are all there.

But I gave the front a closer inspection and spotted a 3” section that wasn’t fully on the bead so a quick deflation some hand sanitizer gell and 5 bar of pressure from a forecourt air pump and it’s sorted.

Thanks for your help.

Cheers

Yay! Result! And a simple fix (good improvisation )

 

[Santa-2512]

I think the branch Puk & I have used no longer does tyres after I complained about the appalling v service i received.

The bike bay was being used as a storage/ dumping area for old cars/ machines, it was dirty, the windows had inches of dead flies on the sills !!

The bike lift didn't work, and they could only balance the rear on the machine, they didn't have a boss for the front, so that was done on the axle stand / spindle method

It wasn't the fitters fault. He was a very good. Just let down by the premises & lack of equipment

Never been back since

 

[Slipperyeel]

I think the branch Puk & I have used no longer does tyres after I complained about the appalling v service i received.

The bike bay was being used as a storage/ dumping area for old cars/ machines, it was dirty, the windows had inches of dead flies on the sills !!

The bike lift didn't work, and they could only balance the rear on the machine, they didn't have a boss for the front, so that was done on the axle stand / spindle method

It wasn't the fitters fault. He was a very good. Just let down by the premises & lack of equipment

Never been back since

I had a bad experience at ProTyre here in N London.
As a consequence, I change my own now (got much better at it compared with the start!).
Last set I spent a while balancing them and along with having trued them both, it's a really smooth ride now (for a boxer that is!).

 

[botus]

If its the chain protyre linked with Micheldever station - they have BOTH given up doing bike tyres....

protyre have nothing to do with bikes anymore
micheldever will still order in a tyre and fit it to a lose wheel - but now pretend bike tyres aren't something they do