Tank slapper

[Filthy Phil]

I don't normally do this but I took both hands off the bars to adjust my helmet whilst doing 70kph & the handlebars started wobbling from side to side gradually getting more violent.
I tried it at a few different speeds & it only seems to do it below 75kph. It's fine at 100kph.

The bike is a 2015 Rocket X running a Bridgestone Exedra Max on the rear & Avon Cobra on the front.
I took it to the dealer & they checked tyre pressures, wheel balance, steering head bearings & couldn't find anything wrong.
They've booked it in again next week to have another look.

I did notice that the bike steers slightly to the left when I let go of the bars on a flat road surface.

Is there anything else I could get the dealer to check?

 

[TriumPhil]

Could be a defective front tire.

 

[cadconversions]

Do you have any crash bars installed? If they get them a little off - it will cause the bike to steer slightly left - from memory...

 

[Bedifferent]

I'm sure others will chime in but I'll be the first to say never go slower than 75kph and you're good. My opinion is sometimes it's just a bad tire as it looks like you checked everything else. I had a Harley that did that...I was good as long as I never let go of the handlebars. I never noticed a thing the rest of the time. I think a different front tire fixed the problem.

On another note...Interesting name. My roommates all had nicknames in college that didn't necessarily reflect our personality. I was Filthy Phil, and then there was Rotten Roger, Dirty Don, and Paul...well I can't say it here. Sorry....I digress from the topic.

 

[2012cliff]

I have had this happen several times on different bikes. A new front tire solved the problem everytime. I found metzlers especially bad. If the tire had lots of tread left I dealt with it till it was time to replace. If you can stop the shaking just by taking a firm grip of the bars dont give anymore money to the dealership[except if you are replacing the tire]

 

[2012cliff]

I really like the dunlop Elite3 for the front

 

[scot in exile]

Have you added anything that can upset the geometry of a bike like windshield, bags,floorboards, added on stuff to the crashbars or even crashbars? if all else fails keep your hands on the handlebar.

 

[Boony]

I'm sure others will chime in but I'll be the first to say never go slower than 75kph and you're good. My opinion is sometimes it's just a bad tire as it looks like you checked everything else. I had a Harley that did that...I was good as long as I never let go of the handlebars. I never noticed a thing the rest of the time. I think a different front tire fixed the problem.

On another note...Interesting name. My roommates all had nicknames in college that didn't necessarily reflect our personality. I was Filthy Phil, and then there was Rotten Roger, Dirty Don, and Paul...well I can't say it here. Sorry....I digress from the topic.

I used to know two girls who where called Rhonda and Glenda. They came to be known as Rhonda Rottenbox and Glenda Gluepot. I can't remember why.

 

[mr hunt]

The 140 cubes reciprocating under the tank will account for the pull off centre

 

[cusso ken]

When I was a young bloke sometimes when I had a girl pillion and a tee shirt to tee shirt contact took place under intentional heavy breaking I experienced a tank slapper with both hands on the bars