Death wobble??

[norcalkid]

So I pulled my scooter outa storage. Bike sits about 6 months a year on the center stand. Been 7 weeks since I rode it. Bike rides fine after topping up tires. But I am noticing a death wobble if I take my hands off the bars. Bike rides fine W just the weight of my hands resting on the bars, totally unnoticable. But the second I take my hands off the bard they violently jerk from side to side? Tire appears fine, just had it on center stand and can't find anything visually wrong W tire, rim, etc.

Is there anything else obvious I should be looking at before just replacing a tire that appears fine. Has 10k km on it (6200mi). Any ideas??

Bike is a 2017 Honda Click 125. Only change I have made to the bike before noticing this is I put a plastic trunk box on the bike. But it's light and empty. Don't see how that could cause the wobble?

Thanks

 

[norcalkid]

Never mind, every reply on FB scooter group had the same thing happen after installing a top box. Guess I'll just have to keep my hands on the bars.

 

[auntiebling]

it isn't the weight of the box it's the aerodynamics, buffeting, i'd guess.

 

[Busy Little Shop]

Not death... you have experienced a deceleration shimmy and it's normal...
some bikes may shimmy decelerating through the 45 mph range... keeping
your hands on the bars should arrest most of the front end shimmy...
some bikes shimmy 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...

Deceleration shimmy 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
tendencies...

 

[Aware]

Lots of different things might cause that. The cheapest cure has always been to not take your hands off the bars.

 

[ST Guy]

Not death... you have experienced a deceleration shimmy and it's normal...
some bikes may shimmy decelerating through the 45 mph range... keeping
your hands on the bars should arrest most of the front end shimmy...
some bikes shimmy 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...

Deceleration shimmy 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
tendencies...

Yep. It's not uncommon on many bikes. Different front tires can affect it one way or the other. And as a front tire wears and the contact patch becomes wider, the effect often becomes more pronounced. Often the switch to tapered roller bearings with the right amount of preload can eliminate it. But the phenomenon is inherent to the design of a motorcycle front suspension.

If the shimmy disappears entirely with your hands on the bars, it's not a problem. Ride happy! :ride

 

[norcalkid]

Think I may try to find some bar end weights.