Hello all. I have an 07 lt. Recently I felt a little vibration up and eased my grip on the grips and the front of the bike would wobble and shake. I did it at various speeds and it only happens at 40-45 mph. Thought maybe it was the tire. Had a new me888 put on left the shop tried again. Wobble still there. Any ideas ? This isn't my first lt I've also had an 2000 and 2002 and never noticed it on those. Sold both with over a 110000mi on them. The 07 has 36000mi. Thanks
Front end wobble
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I had the same problem.
Checked the stanchions, brakes, etc.
in the end was the front tire. The camber of the road will wear the left side more and the bike will do that under 80 kph.
My research showed that BMW changed the angle is the steering (rake?) so that the bike is more responsive (2 degrees) but causes that problem on the LT update of '04.
You can induce the wobble even with new tires by hitting the handlebars a bit and the wobble starts.
There's nothing you can do to fix it. Just minimize it with new tires.
As BMW said in a service bulletin on the issue "keep both hands on the handlebars at all times and the problem will not occur".
The solution (in my opinion) is to replace the bracket where the shock pivot rests on the stanchions. That'll change the rake angle.
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Checked the stanchions, brakes, etc.
in the end was the front tire. The camber of the road will wear the left side more and the bike will do that under 80 kph.
My research showed that BMW changed the angle is the steering (rake?) so that the bike is more responsive (2 degrees) but causes that problem on the LT update of '04.
You can induce the wobble even with new tires by hitting the handlebars a bit and the wobble starts.
There's nothing you can do to fix it. Just minimize it with new tires.
As BMW said in a service bulletin on the issue "keep both hands on the handlebars at all times and the problem will not occur".
The solution (in my opinion) is to replace the bracket where the shock pivot rests on the stanchions. That'll change the rake angle.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
FWIW I have owned my 05 LT for 13 years and 103 K. The wobble always has been related to tire balance. It shows up part way through the tire wear cycle and will go away if you rebalance your tires. New tire is not the solution if it is not properly balanced. But then I have only gone through 9 fronts and 13 rears so what do I know?
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Too late you've already started it :laugh:
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Do you dynamically balance your wheels? I can see how a lateral/axial imbalance could cause front wheel wobble, but not radial imbalance which is the only kind a static balance can address.
No just static. The one time was half way through the tire and I removed it to install a smartire sensor and re mounted the used tire. The I static balanced it and was surprised that the wobble I had was now gone. It always goes away with new tires (static balance on those too).
Hi all,
I have 92,000 on my '05 and the wobble has been there pretty much since new. It started with 35-40 mph, only while decelerating. Over the last few years it is typical at those slower speeds while steady or decelerating. Recently installed my first ME888 on the front and experienced typical ride but then blistering (delamination) at about 4,000 miles. Dealer replaced and the wobble is terrible, the most severe since owning the bike. This points to the only thing that changed, the tire. I will be taking it back to be re-balanced. Separate but related: Anyone else experience quality problems with the ME888's? I've been happy with Metzler for many years now, but...
Steve
I have 92,000 on my '05 and the wobble has been there pretty much since new. It started with 35-40 mph, only while decelerating. Over the last few years it is typical at those slower speeds while steady or decelerating. Recently installed my first ME888 on the front and experienced typical ride but then blistering (delamination) at about 4,000 miles. Dealer replaced and the wobble is terrible, the most severe since owning the bike. This points to the only thing that changed, the tire. I will be taking it back to be re-balanced. Separate but related: Anyone else experience quality problems with the ME888's? I've been happy with Metzler for many years now, but...
Steve
I have heard of this before. When slowing, in the speed range 40 to 35 mph there can be a front end wobble.
My local dealer borrowed my bike once because they had a customer with this problem and wanted to compare the bikes/swap wheels around and see if they could find the cause.
It turned out that my bike had the same problem - but I never knew it. Until I took both hands off the bars at about 40 and let the bike slow down.
From what I can find out, it seems that most K1200LT have this to some extent but it is simply "solved" by the weight of ones hands and arms on the bars and thus the owner never knows about until they take both hands off the bars at about 40 and slow down.
What makes it worse ( and thus noticeable when both hands are on the bars) I cannot begin to guess. It has defeated better minds than mine. But I think I had Metzler tyres on the at that time.
My local dealer borrowed my bike once because they had a customer with this problem and wanted to compare the bikes/swap wheels around and see if they could find the cause.
It turned out that my bike had the same problem - but I never knew it. Until I took both hands off the bars at about 40 and let the bike slow down.
From what I can find out, it seems that most K1200LT have this to some extent but it is simply "solved" by the weight of ones hands and arms on the bars and thus the owner never knows about until they take both hands off the bars at about 40 and slow down.
What makes it worse ( and thus noticeable when both hands are on the bars) I cannot begin to guess. It has defeated better minds than mine. But I think I had Metzler tyres on the at that time.
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7 Posts
I have the same problem as mentioned on an 08 k1200lt I just bought.. I still have my 99 K1200lt though. Will the bracket you mentioned switch from my 99 to my 08? ...I will switch them if that's the case. If it's not too major surgery!
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I have the same problem as mentioned on an 08 k1200lt I just bought.. I still have my 99 K1200lt though. Will the bracket you mentioned switch from my 99 to my 08? ...I will switch them if that's the case. If it's not too major surgery!
I looked into it. Seems that can be done. But the parts were too expensive on eBay at the time.
I don't think it's too hard, but requires removing the stanchions and the shock from the bridge.
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Thank you!.. I will take a look when I get a chance and see what is involved.... Would be nice to solve the issue! Seems lots of people have it as I read the forums. I have not been on here in a few years as my 99 never hiccups...
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Why do you want to ride with both hands off the bars?
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