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the feel of a cruiser
Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:14 pm
by tommyj27
I was riding the gf's bike yesterday, trying to figure out the stuttering she has been complaining about (about 1/4 throttle it stumbles, carb problem i'm thinking). While I was riding, I noticed that everything on the road seems the grab the bike and yank the front end around. Cracks, small potholes, tar snakes, general unevenness in the road; I was constantly looking for the next thing that was going to grab the handlebars. By comparison, this is stuff that would make for a bumpy ride on a sport bike, but wouldn't pull me around.
Is this normal behavior for a cruiser, or might there be some mechanical answer?
Re: the feel of a cruiser
Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:54 pm
by Fartblood
What sort of cruiser? They're generally fairly stable because of the relaxed geometry, although many Harleys negate this by being appallingly sprung and wobble about the place like a one legged cat burying a turd on a frozen pond.
Check the obvious stuff, like tyre pressures and headset bearings, then dig deeper and check for clamps are tight and everythings in line. If all seems fine then you can try a different brand of front tyre, but you may end up having to just live with it.
Re: the feel of a cruiser
Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:57 pm
by tommyj27
forgot to mention that, she's got an '02 Shadow Spirit 750
Re: the feel of a cruiser
Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:58 pm
by tommyj27
Fartblood wrote:many Harleys negate this by being appallingly sprung and wobble about the place like a one legged cat burying a turd on a frozen pond.
great visual FB!
Re: the feel of a cruiser
Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 6:46 pm
by 95FZR600
Thats normal for a cruiser.
Re: the feel of a cruiser
Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 4:04 am
by Fartblood
tommyj27 wrote:forgot to mention that, she's got an '02 Shadow Spirit 750
Aha! a fellow sergeant has one of those, though i think it's a 700. Yeah, it does squirm about a little bit, but not that bad, but then i'm a big bloater with plenty of mass to damp things down and a bit of heft to make the bike go where its told.
I'd still check the obvous stuff though, and maybe a different front tyre when the old one wears out as certain tyres allow the tread to move about too much and can create that nervous squirmy feeling.
Re: the feel of a cruiser
Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:50 am
by tommyj27
We'll have to try a different tyre; it's going to need a new one soon anyhoo. I'll check bolts and the steering head when I get a chance too.