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Need Help Experiencing Handlebar Wobble.

Dont misunderstand me, I'm not saying your bike should do it, or that there's nothing you can do about it, I'm just saying it a pretty common problem that is apparently very difficult to diagnose and fix. That the manufacturers themselves don't have a definitive answer for it, hence their instructions not to take both hands off the bars, because even one hand on the bars dampens those occilations.

I admit I take both hands off the bars occassionally. Just today, I removed my gloves while riding, I'd speed up, let go of the bars, remove one glove using both hands, stick that glove in a jacket pocket, grab the bars, speed up, let go of the bars, remove the other glove using both hands and stick it in my other jacket pocket and then take control of the bars again. Sometimes going down a big hill, I'll let go and spread my arms like wings, like we did as kids on our bicycles. Sometimes it's just fun. Fortunately my (this) bike doesn't have the shimmy issue, at least at this point in time. There are no guarantees that it won't at some point. I certainly hope not though.

I sincerely hope you find a solution and cure for yours.
 
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MrNCRider said:
For those who don't experience the wobble, do you have the manual version?
Click to expand...
Yes.

I don’t think the transmission type would matter. In gear, either one is going to slow the same with engine braking when the throttle is released.
 
The fact that the handlebars turn to the right when the front end is off the ground is not, in isolation, what causes the headshake. The fact that lots of NCXs do _not_ have a noticeable headshake, but _do_ have their bars fall right when the front end is off the ground should make that clear.

The bars falling right when the bike is lifted off the ground is due to mass asymmetry around the steering axis (because the brake parts are only on one side of the wheel), combined with gravity. On the road, that asymmetry is effectively not in play. On the road, the forces on the wheel, and therefore the forks and steering head, from the large rearward force created by the bike simply moving forward down the road, combined with rake and trail, are what matters. Those forces swamp any small mass asymmetry from the brake hardware.

Lots of motorcycles, both on- and off-road, shake their heads under lots of circumstances. Most current sport bikes come with steering dampers from the factory, and without them they'll shake their heads a bunch. Happily, can recall no reports of an NCX shaking all the time. It's always or nearly always in a fairly narrow speed range, while decelerating. It's easy to stop it, and it doesn't cause crashes (rider panic and overreaction are a different thing, but I've not seen a report here of a crash from the headshake).

Changing tires has been the most effective single thing I've seen anyone here report that reduces or (nearly) eliminates the headshake, but other factors previously listed also make a material difference.

If it's annoying, I think you should try the various things listed here and in the other threads on the topic. If they don't eliminate the condition to your satisfaction, your choices seem to me to be to either buy a steering damper and fab up a way to mount it, or trade bikes. You could always _very_ carefully measure frame geometry among several bikes, some with the headshake and some without. I know you'd find manufacturing variation, and _maybe_ you'd find something that plausibly points to a geometric cause. That wouldn't be worthwhile to me, but it might be to others.

<shrug>

Best of luck!
 
the Ferret said:
Dont misunderstand me, I'm not saying your bike should do it, or that there's nothing you can do about it, I'm just saying it a pretty common problem that is apparently very difficult to diagnose and fix. That the manufacturers themselves don't have a definitive answer for it, hence their instructions not to take both hands off the bars, because even one hand on the bars dampens those occilations.

I admit I take both hands off the bars occassionally. Just today, I removed my gloves while riding, I'd speed up, let go of the bars, remove one glove using both hands, stick that glove in a jacket pocket, grab the bars, speed up, let go of the bars, remove the other glove using both hands and stick it in my other jacket pocket and then take control of the bars again. Sometimes going down a big hill, I'll let go and spread my arms like wings, like we did as kids on our bicycles. Sometimes it's just fun. Fortunately my (this) bike doesn't have the shimmy issue, at least at this point in time. There are no guarantees that it won't at some point. I certainly hope not though.

I sincerely hope you find a solution and cure for yours.
Click to expand...
I didn't take it the wrong way at all and understand exactly what you indicated. My Bike is the rare Manual not a DCT but that is exactly how i realized the problem. I'm very mechanically inclined but not to educated on bearings, wondering if its possible to replace the stock bearing with with radial bearings like all my other bikes had.
 
MZ5 said:
The fact that the handlebars turn to the right when the front end is off the ground is not, in isolation, what causes the headshake. The fact that lots of NCXs do _not_ have a noticeable headshake, but _do_ have their bars fall right when the front end is off the ground should make that clear.

The bars falling right when the bike is lifted off the ground is due to mass asymmetry around the steering axis (because the brake parts are only on one side of the wheel), combined with gravity. On the road, that asymmetry is effectively not in play. On the road, the forces on the wheel, and therefore the forks and steering head, from the large rearward force created by the bike simply moving forward down the road, combined with rake and trail, are what matters. Those forces swamp any small mass asymmetry from the brake hardware.

Lots of motorcycles, both on- and off-road, shake their heads under lots of circumstances. Most current sport bikes come with steering dampers from the factory, and without them they'll shake their heads a bunch. Happily, can recall no reports of an NCX shaking all the time. It's always or nearly always in a fairly narrow speed range, while decelerating. It's easy to stop it, and it doesn't cause crashes (rider panic and overreaction are a different thing, but I've not seen a report here of a crash from the headshake).

Changing tires has been the most effective single thing I've seen anyone here report that reduces or (nearly) eliminates the headshake, but other factors previously listed also make a material difference.

If it's annoying, I think you should try the various things listed here and in the other threads on the topic. If they don't eliminate the condition to your satisfaction, your choices seem to me to be to either buy a steering damper and fab up a way to mount it, or trade bikes. You could always _very_ carefully measure frame geometry among several bikes, some with the headshake and some without. I know you'd find manufacturing variation, and _maybe_ you'd find something that plausibly points to a geometric cause. That wouldn't be worthwhile to me, but it might be to others.

<shrug>

Best of luck!
Click to expand...
Just to clarify when I'm holding onto the bars you do not feel any vibration, I don't make it a habit of letting go of the bars but on occasion you need to stretch the digits.
 
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I'm going to look into finding a steering damper the fits the bike properly. This is one amazing machine and am finding out the more you push it the more she delivers.
 
InfernoST said:
I didn't take it the wrong way at all and understand exactly what you indicated. My Bike is the rare Manual not a DCT but that is exactly how i realized the problem. I'm very mechanically inclined but not to educated on bearings, wondering if its possible to replace the stock bearing with with radial bearings like all my other bikes had.
Click to expand...
www.allballsracing.com

PWSSK-H11-000

Pivot Works PW-Steering Stem Bearing Kit - No. PWSSK-H11-000
www.allballsracing.com www.allballsracing.com

It’s common to replace the original ball bearings with tapered roller bearings like these.
 
The original post makes it seem like this a problem that he has lived with for awhile and is not original to the bike when it was purchased. I would suggest that he think back about what was the last thing he added to the bike, did to enhance the bike, or otherwise improve the bike before the wobbles appeared. Then undo whatever it was and see if it helps.

I've not had the wobbles on a motorcycle but I have had it on bicycles and it is scary. Usually it was caused by how the bike bags were loaded and secured to the bike. The wobbles would begin to appear above 30 mph.
 
Last edited:
Lee_0123 said:
The original post makes it seem like this a problem that he has lived with for awhile and is not original to the bike when it was purchased. I would suggest that he think back about what was the last thing he added to the bike, did to enhance the bike, or otherwise improve the bike before the wobbles appeared. Then undo whatever it was and see if it helps.

I've not had the wobbles on a motorcycle but I have had it on bicycles and it is scary. Usually it was caused by how the bike bags were loaded and secured to the bike. The wobbles would begin to appear above 30 mph.
Click to expand...
I've not had it with nc750 but did with Yamaha fjr. It seems to be a tire issue.
 
InfernoST said:
Hi Gang
I've been experiencing handlebar wobble for quite a while now, I originally chalked it up to the OEM supplied front tire had become scalloped. I recently replaced the front and rear tires with a different set of new dunlops at about 9000 miles and am still experiencing this front end wobble everytime I take my hands off the bars, the front wheel has new tire new bearings, seals, is balanced and not bent (checked with a dial indicator) and runs true. I check the service manual and the information supplied doesn't specifically state how tight the neck bearings spanner nuts should be, I know it has to easy but when the bike is on the center stand and I put my weight on the back of the bike to raise the front wheel off of the ground with wheel facing straight ahead the bars flop to the right side rather quickly which I find very odd. I was concidering of adjusting the spanner nuts just enough to keep the bars from flopping to the right like that. My Bike info is as follows, 2020 NC750X fully manual transmission. Does anyone have any suggestions? FYI I have tried letting go of the bars with the topcase and side boxes removed, either way it's a pretty violent wobble.
Click to expand...
Check your rear wheel bearings. I had the front end wobble on my 2018 NC750 at 28k miles. My brake side rear wheel bearing was shot. The wheel will move side to side if you have this. I replaced the rear wheel bearings and the wobble went away.
 
jcarpino said:
Check your rear wheel bearings. I had the front end wobble on my 2018 NC750 at 28k miles. My brake side rear wheel bearing was shot. The wheel will move side to side if you have this. I replaced the rear wheel bearings and the wobble went away.
Click to expand...
I will check it out, thanks.
 
I have had such a head shake on my 1984 VF-1100S, upon deceleration, if I relaxed my grip on the handlebars. A new front tire always makes that head shake go away. So far with my 2022 NC-750 DCT I have not noticed any head shake upon deceleration,though my NC is completely stock with no aftermarket accessories on it. Head shake, of course, is different than a high speed wobble, aka tank slappers. Honda found with their ST-1300 if the center of gravity is above a certain distance above the ground, what came to be called "Pan Weave" could happen. Obviously, on those bikes that have the head shake, the first manifestation of the shake is always there upon deceleration but the riders hands on the bars dampen out what ever is exciting the head shake. The head shakes I have experienced take a few seconds to reach full shake, and it is easily dampened out by grabbing the handlebars. I hope to try to loosen my grip on the handlebars on my NC-750 DCT today, during a deceleration, as if coming up to a traffic light, and also on the VF-1100S to see if either of them exhibit the head shake phenomenon. The VF has brand new tires, and brand new wheel bearings though.
 
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