Topic: weebles wobble

[750K]

Good to see you remembered to drink between steps, hydration is key lol.

One possible cause addressed, on to the next...

[Stev-o]

Doesnt sound like you drank enough, hence the issue. I use ATF in the forks.

[BobbyR]

Ass end of the bike is now tight (no pun intended), but the wobble is back. Also, I popped my 4 day old front tire. Grr.

Any way, the front fork has begun leaking. I guess we can all guess where I'm going next. I wish they made a kit with dust caps, fork seals, and fork oil in a box. Any recommendations on oil weight?

Losing a front tire is no joke. You are lucky you did not wreck.

[scottly]

Also, I popped my 4 day old front tire. Grr.

Just how did you "pop" your 4 day old front tire??

[Sticky Gerbil]

I came outa work after a bad morning to find the #$%*er flat with a sliver of metal through it. I limped it home and plugged it until I can afford another one. It was a bad day- I drove my antique van back to work and was subsequently towed. Mistakenly. As in, they admitted they were wrong, but the way that it works in Knoxville you still hafta pay for the tow.

[Deltarider]

I drove my antique van back to work and was subsequently towed. Mistakenly. As in, they admitted they were wrong, but the way that it works in Knoxville you still hafta pay for the tow.

Reminds me of that great episode in Tom Wolfe's A Man in Full.

[Sticky Gerbil]

It reminds me of my life. You know, where I wanna punch the world in the throat.

[Stev-o]

It reminds me of my life. You know, where I wanna punch the world in the throat.

Bad attitude. It's all karma, ya know?

[RJ CB450]

I will say this.  "wobble is normal"

NO
NO
NO

There are rare situations which can death wobble, but should be rare and never caused by a bike.  I have had it happen at high speeds hitting odd road surface, but that is it.

You said it is on decel.  That could mean couple things and I have a suspect but will list all.

First, stethescope.  Can hear before feel.  Put on stand and feel for play in tree.  Then listen while moving for grinding or clacking.

Second, rear swing arm for play.  Repeat with listening.

Third.  Spin them tires.  Once more, feel for play and listen.

Now back to the rear.  Verify alignment.

Finish with what I suspect.  Your chain.  Engine braking reverses chain tension because wheel drives the engine.  Inspect chain tension and sprockets for signs of binding.  Saw a guy highside it from engine brake on a quite new bike because chain put him into wobble and it bucked him.

[Sticky Gerbil]

Fair enough, but you must have not read the thread. Will check the chain, but read above before suggesting things, please.

And I don't have a baditude. I have an awesome attitude. Everyone wants to punch the world at some point. Don't get all Irish and bottle it up man...

[750K]

It reminds me of my life. You know, where I wanna punch the world in the throat.

#$%*, I hear that. Some days you can't win, no matter how hard you try and karma has nothing to do with it. Sometimes you gotta run with that anger, PMA is a load of bull#$%* the way I look at it. Most of the people I know that are all about their PMA are the most downer biter #$%*ers around, I bet they would be happier if they embraced the #$%*ty days and used it to fuel the fire to keep running.

End of rant, carry on lol

[RJ CB450]

Fair enough, but you must have not read the thread. Will check the chain, but read above before suggesting things, please.

And I don't have a baditude. I have an awesome attitude. Everyone wants to punch the world at some point. Don't get all Irish and bottle it up man...

Read the thread.  I repeated some suggestions before it went onto motorvatin'.  If there was more in there besides the wobble and some suggestions to check, got lost in the off topic.

[Sticky Gerbil]

750- ya seriously. I use anger as fuel for success.

Gonna see about a new chain- mine is nasty as hell anyway. Calling Honda today- so far their prices are competitive with internet- and I don't hafta pay for shipping. Hopefully tomorrow will have new chain and fork seals in.

[Lostboy Steve]

Replaced the swing arm bushings with OEM bushings from local honda dealer. Took me ~2 hours, excluding the grinding off of unnecessary tabs and painting of the arm with Rustoleum that I found in the attic when I moved in two years ago. That job is waaaaay easier than control arm bushings on a car.

Steps:
1. drink.
2. freeze bushings
3. remove arm.
4. drink
5. ruin a billion rags getting the nasty ass grease off of the inside of the arm.
6. pressure wash arm.
7. sand and then carb clean arm.
8. drink.
9. paint arm.
10. decide that the paint is really awesome and touch up bike frame with paint. Get carried away and paint everything else that can be thought of.
11. drink more and shout at episodes of House.
12. wake up the next morning, smash bushings in with hammer.
13. reinstall arm.
14. take arm off because you didn't run the chain the right way.
15. reinstall arm.
16. ride the crap outa that joker.

Ass end of the bike is now tight (no pun intended), but the wobble is back. Also, I popped my 4 day old front tire. Grr.

Any way, the front fork has begun leaking. I guess we can all guess where I'm going next. I wish they made a kit with dust caps, fork seals, and fork oil in a box. Any recommendations on oil weight?

This is the best explanation I've ever heard. Just make sure the "drink" is Bourbon on the rocks.

[Sticky Gerbil]

Replaced fork seals- about a two hour job with a deep clean of the bits inside. I bought jen-you-wine Honda seals, dust covers, and retaining dealies from Honda for about 50 bucks out the door. Pulled forks off and disassembled them- the retainers had become one with the tubes and the rest of them was in the bottom of the forks deep in some nasty sludge. I deep cleaned everything and put those bad boys back together, then filled with fresh ATF. Bike drives a lot better, but the damn wobble is still there when decelerating with no hands at 40mph.

Goddamnit.

I am bound and determined to fix this, so like House we shall brainstorm and fix this damn wobble. Hopefully the bike doesn't have sarcoidosis.

Should I put a new chain next?

[Sticky Gerbil]

So...

[Sticky Gerbil]

Ok. I will check these things. I didn't think to check cracks in the frame. I will check the sprockets, chain is old looking. I don't think the triple tree is broken but I can certainly check that too. Will get back to the thread after checking.

[Sticky Gerbil]

The brakes are fine, and the issue does not happen while braking so arguably the trueness of a rotor would not cause this issue. To me the forks don't look bent.

[RJ CB450]

Just saw the "No hands" bit.

Wonder if it could be something as simple as asymetric drag.

Does it only happen at high speed, or even if in first gear at same rpm it will do it?

If it was something mechanical, you would feel the pulsing in your hands.  Does that happen?

If only at the higher speed, do you have any addons such as fairing, windscreen or hand guards?  It could be something as simple as a tilted signal light as well.  Though only deceleration which does throw this theory off.  Start with your chain to check for binding in the pins and adjustment.  Check the sprockets for play for the switch from drive tensioned to wheel tensioned.  This is fairly easy to do.  Just give slight movement to both sprockets and see if the sprocket rocks inside the chain excessively in addition to the normal signs of wear.  If that checks out, just look anything that might be throwing the front end out.  Possibly the weight transfer is enough for it to have an effect.

[Sticky Gerbil]

calj737: No prob, I should've been more clear. I checked the upper triple tree thingie (brushed aluminum, or aluminium depending on where you're from) and the lower triple tree thingie (painted steel. No cracks. Have yet to check the frame.

 RJ CB450: This problem happens only when decelerating (letting off the throttle completely, but not braking) from 40ish mph, and both hands have to be off of the handlebars. No other time, and I don't feel it unless I release the bars, in which case my hands are off of them anyway. If I do the same thing with my hands on the handlebars, nothing happens.

Now I know what you are thinking. Don't take your hands off of the handlebars. But I ask you, how else will I shake my martini when decelerating from  40ish?

I have no add-ons- it's a "bobber". The only things I've added are teeny-weeny turn signals that I made myself out of tiny copper elbows and LEDs. They weigh nothing. I did add horns, too, but none of those things has corresponded time-wise with this irritating wobble.

[RJ CB450]

Now I know what you are thinking. Don't take your hands off of the handlebars. But I ask you, how else will I shake my martini when decelerating from  40ish?

Heh heh, If I thought that, woulda said so!  Everybody has to stretch at some point!

I am getting a sneaking suspicion that it is going to be something small and minor.  Does gearing play any part in it either?  Say decel from 40 in 5th vs in say 3rd?  While the chain is still moving the same speed, resistance from engine braking will change.  A chain issue I suspect would be more noticable the more engine braking force applied?

[Sticky Gerbil]

Interesting. I like the gear idea, and as I ride the bike every day anyway, I will check tomorrow morning.

[Chachi]

I'm casually following this so forgive me if I ask a question that's already been asked, but... I had the same 'issue' on my 72 500/4 - decel around 40mph with hands off would mildly shake handlebar side-to-side. I had one local Honda mechanic reply with "well, don't take your hands off." I never did track down the source of my issue, but it was mostly like due to aged spokes and the need to properly true a wheel or both. Or possibly worn swing arm bushings or head bearings or any combination thereof. I was also somewhat convinced it was the nature of the beast, meaning it was not that odd or rare that a 70s Honda CB presented this symptom. I further clarified this by hopping on a few other vintage CBs and they all did it. I'm not saying it should be happening and I hope you find the source, but if it's not too bad and dangerous (only you can decide that) maybe just don't take your hands off @ 40mph on decel? Most likely all four bikes I tested it on were in need of the same maintenance (spokes, true, balance, bushings, bearings), but they all did it. Some were worse than others, but it was like the bikes unifying theme. I'm going to keep following this to see if you track yours down. Are you able to ride any other bikes to compare? Or have someone who knows CBs real well (not saying you don't) give you their take on your shake?

[Sticky Gerbil]

Tried decel from 3, 4, and 5. Same results. Rear sprocket teeth fit well in chain.


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[Sticky Gerbil]

Only guy I know who "knows" CBs is a mechanic. He charges $, and since I'm a mechanic, it is sacrilegious to take something I own to a repairman.


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