New front metzeler tourance wobble problem

DaveGSCymro

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R1150GS 2003

Just fitted a new front Tourance after seeing and buying them for sale on this thread. Fitted and balanced it last Wednesday at my brother's motorcycle shop.

Was up early on Thursday morning to marshal on the Three Castles trial and then go camping for the night. Immediately thought the front felt a bit "weird" put it down to the extra load. As I rode more and more there was a definite wobble through the bars at 25mph, disappeared above 30mph.

Took the wheel off and back to the bike shop to check the balance and for runout. Balance was spot on, slight runout but not considerable, so put the old tyre back on and fitted it to the bike and the wobble has gone.

Emailed Busters Accessories tonight to see what they recommend. Will let you know what happens.
 
Had an Avon Azaro that did this. They said it was 'lateral force variation' and a construction fault. They swapped it without question. Unfortunately I first felt it on the way to Hull and thought it would wear off. When I got home after 2500 miles through Yerp it was still doing it.
 
Had an Avon Azaro that did this. They said it was 'lateral force variation' and a construction fault. They swapped it without question. Unfortunately I first felt it on the way to Hull and thought it would wear off. When I got home after 2500 miles through Yerp it was still doing it.


Yes but Tourance fronts are renowend for doing it, untill they get a few miles on :augie
 
The first Front Tourance I had when I first got the Adv did this. It never went away through the life of the tyre - particularly decelerating through 50 mph or so the bike used to shake its head as if it had loose head bearings.

The BMW dealer blamed the construction of the tyre (there was some known concern at the time with them being assembled slightly "off") and said it would bed in. It never did but didn't give too much of a problem.

So it may go away, but I'd guess that if it's out of balance now it'll be a problem with the tyre construction and won't go away.
 
By "out of balance" I meant that the tyre must be out of balance laterally (side to side) otherwise your wheel balancing would have fixed this.
 
R1150GS 2003

Just fitted a new front Tourance after seeing and buying them for sale on this thread. Fitted and balanced it last Wednesday at my brother's motorcycle shop.

Was up early on Thursday morning to marshal on the Three Castles trial and then go camping for the night. Immediately thought the front felt a bit "weird" put it down to the extra load. As I rode more and more there was a definite wobble through the bars at 25mph, disappeared above 30mph.

Took the wheel off and back to the bike shop to check the balance and for runout. Balance was spot on, slight runout but not considerable, so put the old tyre back on and fitted it to the bike and the wobble has gone.

Emailed Busters Accessories tonight to see what they recommend. Will let you know what happens.


It'll be those panniers you've got on your bike...I did try and tell you..:D

On a serious note I had this with the original front tyre on my GS. It never went away and my local Nottingham dealer refused to change it saying it was fine. Put a set of Dunlops on and all was perfect..I'd put up with it for 6K miles which was rather annoying. Suggest you register this with busters as you seem to have done and if it doesn't go away ask for anew tyre.
 
fronts can do this untill they get a few miles on, mine did it, but are ok now, took about 600 miles :thumb2


that has never been my experience.

why would anyone put up with that sort of performance? contact metzeler.
 
On my 5th or 6th set of Tourance on my 2003 R1150GS and have never encountered this although there were a lot of theads about a rogue batch a couple of years ago. I have a new set on now with only a few hundred miles but no instability whatsoever.

First point of call for rectification is the tyre supplier, they have the legal responsibility under the sale of goods act (I think that's the correct name).

It's because of the possibility of issues like this that I always use one company to supply, fit, balance etc. as there is only one point of liability then. In your situation you will need to convince the supplier that the tyre has been fitted and balanced correctly without causing any damage.
 
It'll be those panniers you've got on your bike...I did try and tell you..:D

On a serious note I had this with the original front tyre on my GS. It never went away and my local Nottingham dealer refused to change it saying it was fine. Put a set of Dunlops on and all was perfect..I'd put up with it for 6K miles which was rather annoying. Suggest you register this with busters as you seem to have done and if it doesn't go away ask for anew tyre.

Thanks for that with the panniers, as soon as I am fed up with them I will PM you:D

that has never been my experience.

why would anyone put up with that sort of performance? contact metzeler.

Exactly what I've done


On my 5th or 6th set of Tourance on my 2003 R1150GS and have never encountered this although there were a lot of theads about a rogue batch a couple of years ago. I have a new set on now with only a few hundred miles but no instability whatsoever.

First point of call for rectification is the tyre supplier, they have the legal responsibility under the sale of goods act (I think that's the correct name).

It's because of the possibility of issues like this that I always use one company to supply, fit, balance etc. as there is only one point of liability then. In your situation you will need to convince the supplier that the tyre has been fitted and balanced correctly without causing any damage.

Spoke to both Metzeler and Busters today, both very helpful and the tyre is being collected tomorrow and returned via Busters for testing and investigation so sit tight and wait to hear.
 
I have the same issue on my Tenere. Was fine to start with but at approx 2500 miles I get a low speed wobble. Going to give it a few hundred miles to see it wears off then change the tyre

Stumpy
 
R1150GS 2003

Just fitted a new front Tourance after seeing and buying them for sale on this thread. Fitted and balanced it last Wednesday at my brother's motorcycle shop.

Was up early on Thursday morning to marshal on the Three Castles trial and then go camping for the night. Immediately thought the front felt a bit "weird" put it down to the extra load. As I rode more and more there was a definite wobble through the bars at 25mph, disappeared above 30mph.

Took the wheel off and back to the bike shop to check the balance and for runout. Balance was spot on, slight runout but not considerable, so put the old tyre back on and fitted it to the bike and the wobble has gone.

Emailed Busters Accessories tonight to see what they recommend. Will let you know what happens.

Were you fully loaded with Wilbers fitted front and rear?
 
IIRC, there was an issue with a batch or two of Tourances that produced a wobble or lateral instability about 4 years ago. I think it was due to construction, but I don't think there was a recall.
 
IIRC, there was an issue with a batch or two of Tourances that produced a wobble or lateral instability about 4 years ago. I think it was due to construction, but I don't think there was a recall.

The tyre in question was produced in week 28 2008 so wouldn't fall in to that time span, but thanks for the information:thumb
 


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