Wibble Wobble

[Seamaster]

I have a wobble, which I can't decide where it is coming from.
The bike is a 2007 X country with just over 1000 miles on it, it was serviced September 2012 by CW Motorcycles.
The front wheel has balance weights and the rear does not, but there is no evidence that it ever had balance weights. ( no sticky marks where weights used to be)
There are no bar end weights on this bike, the previous owner took them off to put touratech hand guards on.
Over 80mph there is a weave or wobble and it increases as the speed goes up, putting input into the bars increases the wobble.
Any suggestions on where I should look, the most obvious would be:

Check wheels and tyres are true ( bike has only done 200 miles a year)
Get wheels balanced
Reinstate bar ends
Check fork brace bolts are tight and wheel clamps

Over to you

 

[Losttheplot]

I have a wobble, which I can't decide where it is coming from.
The bike is a 2007 X country with just over 1000 miles on it, it was serviced September 2012 by CW Motorcycles.
The front wheel has balance weights and the rear does not, but there is no evidence that it ever had balance weights. ( no sticky marks where weights used to be)
There are no bar end weights on this bike, the previous owner took them off to put touratech hand guards on.
Over 80mph there is a weave or wobble and it increases as the speed goes up, putting input into the bars increases the wobble.
Any suggestions on where I should look, the most obvious would be:

Check wheels and tyres are true ( bike has only done 200 miles a year)
Get wheels balanced
Reinstate bar ends
Check fork brace bolts are tight and wheel clamps

Over to you

Are they the original tyres? If it's still on the original rubber, and has just been sat doing nothing, maybe the tyres have gone slightly out of shape?

Something that might not show up on a balance test, but a change in the structure of the tyre?

 

[mhsnowy]

On a 690 KTM I have had it where the hand guards have caused a wobble at speed.

 

[Seamaster]

Yes they are the original tyres, in lovely condition, but regrettably, you could be right.
As regard the hand guards, it would only take mins to take them off and try without, they are the touratech guards with added spoilers so they have a large frontal area and somehow I don't think touratech put them through a wind tunnel during development.

 

[Seamaster]

Well, I've appeared to have got rid of the wobble, but I'm not sure how,
I have increased the front tyre air pressure by 6psi, i have attempted to reseat the tyres, removed the hand guards, fabricated some bar end weights out of lead, as a temporary measure and removed the soft panniers.
The result is no wobble at any speed so all I need to do is build the bike up again a bit at a time until I experience the wobble again.

 

[Cook1e]

Check your steering head bearings. No idea why they should be too tight on a 1,000 mile bike, but the symptoms you describe are explained by just that.

How come a 5-year-old bike's only done 200 miles a year anyway?

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Well, I've appeared to have got rid of the wobble, but I'm not sure how,
I have increased the front tyre air pressure by 6psi, i have attempted to reseat the tyres, removed the hand guards, fabricated some bar end weights out of lead, as a temporary measure and removed the soft panniers.
The result is no wobble at any speed so all I need to do is build the bike up again a bit at a time until I experience the wobble again.

I would use the BMW OEM handguards, complete with bar weights - might be the cause

With a 21" wheel (different to yours) and longer suspension and when I had Dirtbagz and racks, mine was fine - all the way up to 100mph

 

[Seamaster]

Thanks for the advice Johnny and Cook1e,
While looking for my X Country I came across three sub 1200 mile X Country's, one at CW motorcycles, another in Norfolk and the one I purchased was in Scotland. (At different times over a six month period)
According to the registration plate, none had been ORS bikes, just failed procrastinating dreams.
People took there CBT and big bike test but the reality of bike riding did not match the dream, so low mileage bikes languished in there garage until a decision was made to sell.

My bike had 864 miles on it when I bought it, and once I get fully fit I will put some proper mileage on it.