Rear End Weave !!!

[steve brazier]

Guys,

I need help, I am new to the RT world just got a 2005 RED RT 20,000 miles any way the long and short of it is I put a new Conti Road Attack on the rear ( same as front) after about 100 miles suddenly its as if I have a puncture at any spread over about 65mph, I've checked pressure, and no play in the wheel. Someone has suggested it's the tyre !!,

Help please any suggestions

Cheers

Steve

 

[peterh]

Was the wheel balanced?

Or have the balance weights fallen off?

Is the tyre out of round?

 

[Martyn H]

When you say you've checked the pressures, what pressures are you running ? I have used Conti RA's for many miles, at a speeds higher than that (!) without problems.

 

[JJH]

I would suggest that it's caused by a bearing and not a tyre. If you want to check out the tyre put the bike on centre stand and start it go up tru gears and look for run out but I'd say its a bearing JJH

 

[Neil W]

I had a faulty trail attack last year, it couldn't be balanced properly , on the front it caused a horrendous shimmy and weave

 

[steve brazier]

Rear wheel weave

Yes I've had the wheel balanced, pressure is 42' I can't seek to find any wheel play, it's really starting to affect my confidence. I ve only done 200 / 300 miles , it was fine but just suddenly felt like a puncture, same thing happened on my GS 800 and that was a bearing failure !!,

Steve

 

[steadysteve]

weave

Yes I've had the wheel balanced, pressure is 42' I can't seek to find any wheel play, it's really starting to affect my confidence. I ve only done 200 / 300 miles , it was fine but just suddenly felt like a puncture, same thing happened on my GS 800 and that was a bearing failure !!,

Steve

Not sure how much difference tyre pressures make, but seem to think the manual recommends 2.5 bar in the rear for solo riding i.e. 2.5 bar/36 psi.
2.9 bar/42 psi is the 2-up or solo plus luggage setting methinks.

 

[busy builder]

Take it back to tyre fitter.

Please describe what you mean by 'weave'

Have you put bike up on stand and checked the rear wheel for play in bearings, loose bolts etc ?

 

[Martyn H]

Not sure how much difference tyre pressures make, but seem to think the manual recommends 2.5 bar in the rear for solo riding i.e. 2.5 bar/36 psi.
2.9 bar/42 psi is the 2-up or solo plus luggage setting methinks.

That's not what Conti recommends - 36/42.
I've always taken the view to ask the relevant tyre manufacturer, be it Michelin, Dunlop etc etc.

 

[Neil W]

Remove the wheel, take it back to the dealer and get them to run it up on a tyre balancer with the guard up . Pound to a piece of s**t the tyre will either be kinked, oval or unbalanceable due to a manufacturing fault.

With the one on mine we were chasing the balance point around the rim for ten minutes with absolutely no joy

 

[steve brazier]

Weave

Guys

Thanks for your replies, re what sort of weave I can only describe it as thinking I have a puncture !!!, the wheel has been balanced by BMW Brighton !!,

The pressures I have in is for 2 up with luggage

Do you think I should take the tyre back to Watling tyes where I purchased it from, they didn't fit it my mate did ( very experienced )


Steve

 

[stever1]

Take the rear wheel off and clean the mating surfaces thoroughly. Then refit the wheel, tightening the bolts gradually, and when tightening them do opposite ones, just as you would on a car.
Only after getting all bolts hand tight, use a torque wrench and tighten all to the correct value (60nm on a 2012 RT). What you describe could easily be caused by a wheel which is not seated correctly on the hub. Which has been put on and tightened in the wrong sequence.

 

[steve brazier]

Weave

Steve,

Cheers thanks for that, I will do it tomorrow, I know my mate who put the tyre / wheel on did use the correct torque setting but at this moment I will try anything as it is really starting to affect my confidence !!!

Steve

 

[MikeO]

Have a good look at the rear shock. I had a similar squirrely rear wheel problem on my 1150GS back in 2004. I was convinced it was a puncture or collapsed spokes or FD bearing, but they were all good.

It turned out to be an internal failure in the rear shock, resulting in it providing no damping. In my case there was no external indication (no oil leak or anything) on the shock, but it would produce the symptoms you describe.

Mike

 

[Paul Wakefield]

Things may have changed since I had my RT but there used to be two Road Attacks (and not many fitters seemed to know that). One had a stiffer sidewall and was the one recommended for RTs and other heavier bikes. I hated the handling with the "softer" Road Attacks but loved the proper ones. But I sold my RT 5 years ago so times have probably moved on. I've been trying to remember the suffix in the tyre designation but age is a terrible thing and it's gone.

 

[JJH]

Things may have changed since I had my RT but there used to be two Road Attacks (and not many fitters seemed to know that). One had a stiffer sidewall and was the one recommended for RTs and other heavier bikes. I hated the handling with the "softer" Road Attacks but loved the proper ones. But I sold my RT 5 years ago so times have probably moved on. I've been trying to remember the suffix in the tyre designation but age is a terrible thing and it's gone.

Usually gt

 

[steve brazier]

Mike, Paul, jjf,

Mike I was thinking that too, Brian Giles in Pembury has it at the moment doing a service so will check when I have it back

Paul,

I went for the attack 1 which was on it when I purchased

Cheers for all your help really useful stuff

Steve

 

[Paul Wakefield]

Found an old email - the Road Attack designation was "C".

This was from Continental:

"The "C" spec has a redesigned carcass to give more durability without the loss of "feel" on heavier, more powerful bikes. The R1200 is sort of on the cusp of this category...............

The tyres are differentiated by the "C" written after "Road Attack" logo on the tyre wall."

It may have been on the cusp but I found a tremendous difference.

 

[Our Gee]

I have run Road Attacks on our RT for a few years. (Great Tyre) At last year's tyre change I tried a new local bike shop. Big mistake. When picking up my wheels I noticed that the rear didn't have any balance weights on. I queried this whilst paying and the guy confidently tried to tell me that "you don't balance shaft drive rears" !!!. I insisted that the wheel was balanced so he took it around the back to return a few minutes later, again with no balance weights "Spot on, didn't need any". I left with my wheels and went straight to my BMW Dealer which is a 90 mile round trip. He checked the wheel on his machine. It required a good handfull of lead to get the balance right. I,m not saying that your problem is down to balance but with such a variation in tyre fitter skill and knowledge it may well be. Incidently I run the Standard Road Attack 2 C Front with the Road Attack 2 GT Rear so I still have the lovely compliant front end "feel" of the standard tyre with the stiffer sidewall GT rear for a fully loaded RT.

 

[Our Gee]

I have run Road Attacks on our RT for a few years. (Great Tyre) At last year's tyre change I tried a new local bike shop. Big mistake. When picking up my wheels I noticed that the rear didn't have any balance weights on. I queried this whilst paying and the guy confidently tried to tell me that "you don't balance shaft drive rears" !!!. I insisted that the wheel was balanced so he took it around the back to return a few minutes later, again with no balance weights "Spot on, didn't need any". I left with my wheels and went straight to my BMW Dealer which is a 90 mile round trip. He checked the wheel on his machine. It required a good handfull of lead to get the balance right. I,m not saying that your problem is down to balance but with such a variation in tyre fitter skill and knowledge it may well be. Incidently I run the Standard Road Attack 2 C Front with the Road Attack 2 GT Rear so I still have the lovely compliant front end "feel" of the standard tyre with the stiffer sidewall GT rear for a fully loaded RT.