BMW Luxury Touring Community banner

Gold Wing riders are better...

3K views 28 replies 24 participants last post by  bjr7742 
#1 ·
...organized than we are.

My October MCN issue(pg 6) talks about a class action lawsuit against Honda for the same "wobble" that we experience on our LT's. Riders got fed up with Honda replying to customer concerns, stating that the wobble was a characteristic and not a defect of the GL. Another response was, "Keep both hands on the handlebars, two handlebars -- use two hands."

Interesting read. I thought I'd pass it along. We must have some lawyer-types on this board ;)
 
#3 ·
niobium said:
Or we could go here and sign up with these guys...but the question is: Does the wobble represent an undesirable characteristic of motorcycles or lawyers?

http://www.harleywobble.com/
Unfortunately, if the Wingers win, it's gonna impact every two-wheel manufacturer on the planet. Not too smart of their lawyer group, to keep the lawsuit isolated to one model of one brand, when wobbling is not model specific in occurence. Wish someone smarter than me would organize a library/inventory of wobbling occurences tied to model/brand - it's just not a unique thang to Gold Wings. Makes ya wonder why someone hasn't gone after the bikes that have had full-on tank slappers - those can result in some hairy outcomes and from what I've seen, doesn't make any difference whether you have both hands on the grips or not! Manufacturer's fault - I don't think so.

I think wobbling is the result of the physics of two-wheel conveyances - bicycles do it; Big Wheels do it; Razer scooters do it; and unless I'm not understanding the causative basis of the Wingers' lawsuit, Toad has done it --- oncet.

However, not wishing to start a war here - just my opinion that in a courtroom scenario, this one is lost before the jury is seated, or the judge is robed.
 
#4 ·
Must be a Honda thing. Both my 1000 Hurricanes would be as stable as can be, but just let go of those handles, and it would shake it's head like a horse on steriods. I guess it was a good thing, because it cured me of those "look Ma, no hands (or look Pa, no teeth)" behaviour.
 
#7 ·
Grab Them Bars.....quick!!!

Wow...what a scare! My wife and I are riding and I simply turned loose of the bars for 2-4 seconds to scratch an itch on my back and WOW...TANK SLAPPER!!! (Almost pooped my pants!) :eek:

Just like everyone is reporting...about 40-45 miles an hour and it went into a crazy tank slapper. I grabbed those bars so quick!!! My wife was terrified and I wasn't much better. I have ridden for many years and NEVER experienced anything like that.

I have the 020's on and about 4k on the front tire. It is beginning to cup fairly well...but, MY GOSH that was scary. I think I'll replace the tire just to make sure. I know...I know...don't turn loose of the handlebars, but this sort of thing isn't normal. But, I'll betcha one thing...you couldn't pay me to turn loose of those bars now!! :(
 
#8 ·
Goldwing riders are better

Uzirider said:
...organized -------
In their whining perhaps.
If the were organized in their approach they would go after the frame problem with a class action safety oriented suit. Something specific to the wing THAT HAS CAUSED INJURIES.
 
#11 ·
BecketMa said:
<"wobble" that we experience on our LT's>

"Speak for yourself pale face."

No wobble here.

Bob
Me either. 120,000 miles on two LTs, even tried to make one wobble once as an experiment, could not get it to.

There is something a little different on a SMALL percentage of LTs which will allow the wobble to start, but not on the great majority of them.
 
#12 ·
cccpastorjack said:
Wow...what a scare! My wife and I are riding and I simply turned loose of the bars for 2-4 seconds to scratch an itch on my back and WOW...TANK SLAPPER!!! (Almost pooped my pants!) :eek:

Just like everyone is reporting...about 40-45 miles an hour and it went into a crazy tank slapper. I grabbed those bars so quick!!! My wife was terrified and I wasn't much better. I have ridden for many years and NEVER experienced anything like that.
It's a "wobble" . . . or a "frontend shake". But it sure the heck is NOT a "TANK SLAPPER". Tank Slappers are not recoverable by merely placing a hand on one of the grips.

Oh I'm not saying you didn't get scared. But now that you know it can happen, stopping it will not be that big of a deal.

FWIW, my '02 did it one time, and one time ONLY. I replaced the rear tire and it never happened again.
 
#13 ·
Straight and true

Greetings all.

My '99 LT has impecable road manners and has never shown any signs of a desire to wobble at any speed inspite of my quite worn front BT020. Perhaps it really is a problem with a small minority of some later model LT's.

Still, it shouldn't be tolerated in this day and age of R&D and the money spent on development.

Could you imagine the outcry if any model car made in the 21st century had this problem? There would be a public lynching.

Kindest regards to all
Paul Harrington
AU.
 
#14 ·
I haven't experienced a wobble yet on the LT, but it's a known fact in the Concours World that head shake during deceleration is a good indication of loose steering head bearings. Once tightened correctly, the Concours is extremely stable at all speeds. I don't know if the LT is like this or not.
 
#15 ·
I tried many times to see if my '99 would do it and for a long time I couldn't get it to happen. I finally got it going recently with both tires extremely worn. Even with it shaking it felt stable, nothing like when my Triumph Speed Triple did a full blown, bucking bronco, tank slapper on a busy freeway with no warning or obvious cause. I will try again after I replace the rear tire (just did the front). In any case I'm not worried, it took a lot of effort to get it to shake and it remained controllable.
 
#18 ·
harrowbmw said:
Greetings all.

My '99 LT has impecable road manners and has never shown any signs of a desire to wobble at any speed inspite of my quite worn front BT020. Perhaps it really is a problem with a small minority of some later model LT's.

Still, it shouldn't be tolerated in this day and age of R&D and the money spent on development.

Could you imagine the outcry if any model car made in the 21st century had this problem? There would be a public lynching.

Kindest regards to all
Paul Harrington
AU.
I guess it's only a "problem" if you define owner stupidity as a manufacturer defect. Bikes aren't meant to be ridden no-handed, neither are cars.

When I worked as a tech for Chevy, I had to look at a custom van that had been involved in a crash. Owner claimed the cruise control malfunctioned, causing the accident. I couldn't find a thing wrong with the system, and was called into court to testify. When asked on the stand to describe how the accident occurred, the owner stated that he had set the cruise control, and then went to the back of the van to get a cold drink from the cooler. That's when the van hit the other cars. We all had a good laugh for about a minute, and then the judge threw the case out, stating that the manufacturer had no control over the stupidity of the driver.
 
#19 ·
mjordans2000 said:
I tried many times to see if my '99 would do it and for a long time I couldn't get it to happen.
Before I bought my '99 I tested an '06 at Americade this past June. Comming off the expressway back to Roaring Brook Ranch, I let go of the bars and she started to wobble. I told the BMW Reps about it and they said that it must have been the road conditions. (I did the same thing with a Wing that I test drove in the same location and nothing happened.)

However, I too have tried many times to make my '99 wobble. Just won't do it. Instead, I get o2 sensor and clutch failures! :histerica But it's still the best ride I've ever owned!
 
#21 ·
Dick said:
Unfortunately, if the Wingers win, it's gonna impact every two-wheel manufacturer on the planet. Not too smart of their lawyer group, to keep the lawsuit isolated to one model of one brand, when wobbling is not model specific in occurence. Wish someone smarter than me would organize a library/inventory of wobbling occurences tied to model/brand - it's just not a unique thang to Gold Wings. Makes ya wonder why someone hasn't gone after the bikes that have had full-on tank slappers - those can result in some hairy outcomes and from what I've seen, doesn't make any difference whether you have both hands on the grips or not! Manufacturer's fault - I don't think so.

They did go after HD, but there were injuries a reason for lawyers to go after hem, you must have injury to win.

They settled with a nondisclosure statement or some crap like that.
with HD it was the manufactures fault.
 
#22 ·
messenger13 said:
It's a "wobble" . . . or a "frontend shake". But it sure the heck is NOT a "TANK SLAPPER". Tank Slappers are not recoverable by merely placing a hand on one of the grips.

man you are NOT kidding there, recovering from a TANK slapper is almost a miracle from god in itself, and bet could not be done without him on a LT it is just way to heavy to get the front end up and stop the osscilation.

I caught one one time on my '65 and did not go down, how - I have no idea. I hit the throttle as hard as it would go (which on a stock 65 wasn't much)

I was in the left lane passing a motorhome at the time, I leaned full right to head for the side of the highway cause I knew for sure I was going down. I was hoping to make it off the interstate before I actually hit the pavement!

but about the time I hit the shoulder it just stopped! then damn near wrecked the bike trying to get it back on the highway before I actually did hit the grass! man I pulled over shaking my arse off!
The only thing I can figure is I hit the diffference in height of the shoulder and highway at full throttle at a angle and something stopped it, maybe the front tire was light enough at that point? seriously though! god reached down and stopped it! well heck he rides a Panhead!

It was not skill for sure, all I could do was lean nothing I did to the handle bars made one bit of difference!

Tom
 
#23 ·
Rest in Peace, Indian Larry

No wobbler here, either.

Under power with cruise on, I get no head shake at any speed. The bike is rock solid.

Still, my policy is as at least one hand on the bars at all times (I haven't written it down, but that is it).

I mean, Hey! We aren't riding in a circus out there...it may be a madhouse, but not a circus.

Indian Larry rode the highways like he was in a circus. Rest in Peace.

Wing riders in my neck of the woods are nuts with hands-free riding stories. One owner told me he rode all the way from Melbourne to Titusville, FL (about 40 miles) on US1 without ever touching the handlebars.

"Wow, all 500 traffic lights were green! How lucky is that?" I asked.
"Well, you know what I mean," he said.
He forgot to start his story with "and this is no chit".

My front end will go unstable when decelerating somewhere around 35 mph if I take my hands off of the bars. I tried it once on an I-95 off ramp just to see what other owners were talking about, otherwise I never would have. The shake started slow but quickly accelerated. I have no doubt that it would have led to a crash if I had let it.

BTW, this isn't a defect, just a fact of life.
 
#24 ·
Big Hairy Wobble

messenger13 said:
It's a "wobble" . . . or a "frontend shake". But it sure the heck is NOT a "TANK SLAPPER". Tank Slappers are not recoverable by merely placing a hand on one of the grips.

Oh I'm not saying you didn't get scared. But now that you know it can happen, stopping it will not be that big of a deal.

FWIW, my '02 did it one time, and one time ONLY. I replaced the rear tire and it never happened again.
with the Excedras and front pressure at 36.
Right after I 1st got the bike.
As close to a slapper on this heavy beast as I wish to see.
low miles on the bike when I got it.
So I don't think a worn dampener played a role.
It will wobble with the Avon @ 42 though not as aggressively nor as quickly.
Worse on my bike @ about 45 in 5th slowly decelerating.
Seems to be not as bad with more rapid deceleration, as in 4th or 3rd.
 
#25 ·
Since I changed my worn down 020 front and replaced it with a new 880 no more wobble with hands off as before .........

SO that tells me it was the worn tire...........
 
#26 ·
Gold Wing...Wobble

My 05 has the wobble, decelerating through the mid 40's with hands off the bars. I discovered it accidentally around 6-7000 miles into the original tires when I tried to zip up a jacket. I replaced the original 880's with another set at 11.6K, and the new set does it too. Just don't ride hands-off.

When I was around 12 or 13 an uncle gave me an old Murray bicycle (1960's vintage) that was big, heavy, and had a real springer front end like a Harley. If you were going too fast, such as a long downhill and hit a bump, it would sometimes go into a tank-slapper that would literally toss you off the bicycle. After I got knocked cold one time, my father made it disappear and bought me one of them Schwinn Sting Ray customs.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top