Question-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
I am riding a 2001 kawaski Ninja 250. I noticed a while back that when I loosened my grip on the handle bars the front tire would wobble/shake from side to side. This occurs mostly at speeds of 40 and above or when decreasing speed. At first I thought it was a balance problem, so I balanced the tire and when that did not work I had it balanced. I have had no accidents nor dropped the bike, it just started happening. I check for play in the front bearings and everything seems tight, no slippage or play. The bars turn easily with minor resistance. I checked the rear tire everything seems to be aligned and balance properly.
Answer -
Hi Dale,
Loosening the grips will not affect the front end.
The usual cause of this complaint is tire tread wear.
Respectfully,
Mark Shively
Mark,
Thank you for the quick response, I really appreciate this service you provide. I was just wondering, when I say I loosened my grip I was referring to my hand pressure on the handle bars, would tire tread wear still be the probable source of my problem. The tire has about 10k miles on it with a little less than half it's life remaining. Thanks again for the support.
AnswerLOL
Sorry Dale, that's English language at work. Multiple definitions for the same words.
Depending upon your riding habits, road conditions and surfaces, and other variables and elements, the life of the tires and how they wear will vary. Cupping of the tire is common and may cause wobble. Out of balance wheels, disc brake rotor, worn steering head bearings, worn wheel bearings, and worn wheel bushings/spacers and axles all come to mind as possible causes. I suspect tire wear.
A steering dampener will improve handling, but not the cure of the problem.
I can send you tire information via email. It's way too much for me to reproduce by typing. Send me an email as requested. I return several tech files.
Respectfully,
Mark Shively
