Front end wobbles and can't figure out why

Hi, so as the title says my front end startyed wobbling a little bit and I can't figure out why. First thought was maybe loose axle so I checked that and it was fine. Next I lifted the front of the bike and had my brother spin the tire and see if it wobbled and he said it looked like it was fine. It only does it from like the 40-60 mph range and isn't really noticeable at higher speeds. I also thought maybe the tire could be out of balance but it just started doing it recently so I don't know. Any input or help is appreciated thanks.

I'm no expert but similar problem with my cage was explained as a tire or rim balancing issue.

Tire is most likely cupped - feel around the front tire for noticeable indentations especially where the sipes are. However you may have lost a wheel weight, they are known to fly off sometimes.

I've been through that twice and both times a new front tire cured the problem. Both of the problem tires also happened to be Dunlops. Now I'm much happier with Bridgestone BT-023s.

If not any off the above I would check if the preload adjusters are set equally in the unlikely event someone messed with them.
Other than that maybe the head bearings.

On a (not too bumpy) flat surface I can let go of my steering without a single wobble at the way down to almost zero (when I grab it of course). So 4th Gens steering can be solid......

also check - wheel bearings, Steering bearings, fork oil levels

Alright I'll have to check some of those, but could it also be a warped front rotor? I thought of that this morning and I can feel it in my front brake lever like a pulsing almost if you want to call it down when I'm coming to a stop at like a light or stop sign, and a guy from work also thought that could be it.

I agree that a warped rotor can cause an imbalance sensation. I've never been able to get a smooth balance from my Speed Triple's front wheel and as you described I can feel one or both rotors are warped enough that I can feel the pulsation in my fingertips when braking. The sensation is especially noticeable as the wheel makes the last few revolutions before stopping completely as I'm slowing down.

I've made several attempts to re-balance the front wheel w/o success and have also checked the wheel and steering head bearings for signs of play or wear w/o discovering any.

Of course, it's also possible I could just have received a faulty Dunlop as some have suggested. However, the original front tire that came on my S3 also behaved as if it was out of balance, and the brake rotor(s) were also warped when I bought it.

Man, that thing does have a strong front brake though. Not long after I purchased it I discovered that the pressure provided by two of my (admittedly not-so-strong) fingers are sufficient to lock the front tire.

Triumph saw fit to install braided steel brake and clutch lines at the factory. It's too bad more manufacturers don't do the same.

If the wobble is under braking then yes a warped rotor, if there not braking, No.
Sounds like a simple out of balance to me. :rolleyes:

BR

I hope it's just out of balance then it won't really cost anyhting. I'll take the wheel off and have it checked but can a wheel just randomly come unbalanced I've been on these tires since march (michelin pilot powers) and haven't had any problems. The rotors looked fine so hopefully just needs rebalance otherwise I'll have to start going through everything posted above.

I hope it's just out of balance then it won't really cost anyhting. I'll take the wheel off and have it checked but can a wheel just randomly come unbalanced I've been on these tires since march (michelin pilot powers) and haven't had any problems. The rotors looked fine so hopefully just needs rebalance otherwise I'll have to start going through everything posted above.

If one of the weights used to balance the tire comes off the wheel (they are basically just lead stickers) then it could easily cause a wobble as you are describing. And it would be an instant thing... One minute it would be fine, the next it would wobble.

Alright I'll have to check some of those, but could it also be a warped front rotor? I thought of that this morning and I can feel it in my front brake lever like a pulsing almost if you want to call it down when I'm coming to a stop at like a light or stop sign, and a guy from work also thought that could be it.

a wrapped rotor will give a jumpy / stop go feeling. as it is dragging the wheel at some intervals...

sounds like wheel bearings to me, just take the wheel off and spin them with your fingers

At the mention of warped rotors I was reminded of advice I got about my cage's rotors. When braking hard to a stop, the pads and rotors get pretty hot. If you sit still, say at a stop light, with a foot/hand on the brake, the heat is trapped under the pad and the rotor can't cool off very fast. Eventual result: warped rotor.
The solution is to release the brake when you stop and move forward a few inches to allow the hot spot on the rotor to move out from under the pad. That can add significant life to the brakes.

If you're rolling off the gas and letting go of the bars this may
produce a front end trail wobble and it's normal... many bikes wobble
decelerating through the 45 mph range... keeping your hands on the
bars cures the front end wobble... some bikes wobble more than others
and it's no big deal with your hands on the bars in the critical speed
range... your bike should be immune at speeds above 45 mph...

The wobble is essentially a steering oscillation of the front forks that
doesn't involve the rear frame is any significant way... Typical 4 Hz for heavy
bikes and 9 Hz for lighter bikes... The frequency increases as the trail
increases and as front weight decreases... it depends essentially on the side
grip of the front tire... Manufactures work hand in hand with tire designers to
produce a bike and tire combination that quills the nature frequency of the
front to wobble... Haven't you noticed on some new model bikes they call for a
specific tire??? As that tire wears down and needs replacing the owner can go
with the known stock tire or venture into the unknown choosing a different
manufactures tire... he may get lucky and find a tire with the ability to quill
the natural frequency of the front wobble... or get unlucky a find a tire that
aggravates the front wobble... some tires dampened the wobble better than
others...

A wobble is chiefly the product of non OEM or a worn tires... it ain't
the product of tire cupping... but low pressure or loose steering head
bearings defeat the tire's corrective efforts... because every bike
has this instability... it is held in check by damping forces created
mainly by the tire's self-correcting force...

I had a wobble at speed when I took my hands off the bars. I asked my Honda service manager what he thought about. The first time I asked he told me that it was normal and most bikes did that. Like BLS explained. Then a year or two I mentioned it again. It may have gotten more severe, I cannot remember why I asked. At that time he took hold of the bars and turned the wheel back and forth. He said he detected a notchy, detent-like feeling, had me try it and I could feel it to. That, he suggested, could be worn head bearings. So I asked to have roller bearing installed, as someone suggested, and when that was done all signs of hands-off steering wobble were gone.

Is this wobble only there with hands off the bars? Or there with hands on but more pronounced with hands off? Apart from tyres and wheel balance the hands-off 40-50mph bar wobble was frequently noted some years back, usually found to be a combination of tyre type (Dunlop 207s were the worst) and poorly set-up or shagged suspension. The worst was usually worn rear tyre plus shot rear shock.

I had a wobble with the hands off ...New steering head bearings - it is gone.

+1 for hands-off wobble experience. Cheap fix - keep hands on bars. Better fix - new front tyre.

I had a recent bad hands-off wobble in the usual speed range, which was solved with a new front tyre (Dunlop Sportsmart).