Feels lime I'm going over bumpy road all the time

[DanR217]

I've posted a couple of paranoid concerns in the past but this time I have a real one:

I was riding home the other night and it felt like I was going over some bumpy road. No big deal, I figured it would smooth out eventually. Five miles later and it didn't stop and it hasn't stopped...

I checked my tires to make sure nothing was stuck in them and nothing is. I spun the front wheel to listen to the bearings and they sound fine, but I do hear the brake dragging a bit. Rear wheel bearings sound fine. I noticed there was no weight on the rear wheel and took it in to get it balanced. The guy put a 1oz weight on it but said that wouldn't be enough to make it feel strange. I just rode it and it still feels the same. I'm 85% sure the bumpy feeling is coming from the front. What else can I check myself before taking it to the Honda shop? There's a little over 6k miles on the bike.

 

[Grey1one]

Check to see if your chain has developed any "tight" spots, probably not it but easy to check.

 

[Gibsito]

Do the bumps sound random or at a regular interval, as in associated with the rpm of the wheels?

 

[eastbayandy]

I know this is a long shot , but are your tires over inflated? maybe your gauge is off?

 

[DanR217]

Do the bumps sound random or at a regular interval, as in associated with the rpm of the wheels?

Yes it is at regular intervals. I spoke with a friend of mine and he said if I hear the brake dragging it could be the rotor. Sure enough I hear the front brake dragging. Is there a DIY way to check the rotor to see if it's true? The bike only has 6k miles on it, what could cause the rotor to warp in such a short amount of time? I've been hearing a strange buzzing noise from the front brake for quite some time...

I checked the chain and the tire pressure, both seem normal.

 

[peergum]

If it's the tires or the wheels, the bump will have to be synchronized with the rotation of the wheel. Probably hard to detect at low speed, but if you can then you can determine which wheel is the issue - experimenting and making marks on the road when the bump seem to occur (if possible), then turning one of the wheel 1/4 and experimenting again: one of the marks should still match, that's the wheel with an issue.

If it's not the tires/wheels, then maybe it's the shocks...?

Note I'm no mechanical engineer, so this is pure intuition

 

[VE258]

if it's a rotor-vibration should increase when you are apply brakes. once upon a time i had a very smooth tires on the car. they were nice and quiet. but! during the winter they are literally became squared,if you leave vehicle outside overnight and it would take at least couple miles for them to warm up and start acting normally. but at the beginning-whole car was shaking,as you are driving on bumpy road

 

[Gibsito]

You could try putting the bike up on the center stand (if you have one), turn the handlebars to full left lock (just so it doesn't move) and spinning the wheel with something stationary right up near the rotor to use as a reference point to see if it is warped. Maybe use something like a straw or something attached to a tripod.

 

[670cc]

Vibration caused by rotor warpage would increase greatly when you apply the brakes hard. If the vibration is not impacted by brake use, the cause is likely elsewhere.

You might carefully double check the front tire. There could be a blister, tread separation, or a twisted carcass that is making the tire bump.

 

[bvogel7475]

If you have 6,000 miles on your front tire, it's probably time to replace it anyway. I'm not saying mine was bouncing all over the place. However, my front tire was down to the wearbars at 3,500 miles. So, I replaced it with a Continental Trail Attack 2 and put balancing beads (no weights) in the tire. It seems a lot smoother and it definitely handled better. If I were a betting man I would say it's your front tire that's causing this problem.

 

[Deleted member 5383]

I've got 9800 miles on my stock tires now: Bridgestone BT023 and they still ride decent especially on dry pavement {but look worse;} -- so I guess it depends which stock tire ya got in the first place.

 

[bvogel7475]

I've got 9800 miles on my stock tires now: Bridgestone BT023 and they still ride decent especially on dry pavement {but look worse;} -- so I guess it depends which stock tire ya got in the first place.

I had the Dunlop Trailmax on my 2015 DCT. Just replaced the rear tire (down to the wearbars) last weekend with a Continental Trail Attack 2. No more Dunlop Tires for me.

 

[DanR217]

If you have 6,000 miles on your front tire, it's probably time to replace it anyway. I'm not saying mine was bouncing all over the place. However, my front tire was down to the wearbars at 3,500 miles. So, I replaced it with a Continental Trail Attack 2 and put balancing beads (no weights) in the tire. It seems a lot smoother and it definitely handled better. If I were a betting man I would say it's your front tire that's causing this problem.

Changed my tires about 1k miles ago

 

[DanR217]

Took it to the Honda dealer, they looked it over briefly and didn't see anything obvious.

One thing I've been dong is revving the engine as low as I can to try and conserve gas. Can "lugging" the engine damage it?

 

[jdr#ten]

Might want to check the steering head bearings. Need special tool but the spec is pretty high about 17ft lbs. for the 2012 model. Mine were loose after about 1800 miles and gave a front brake shudder under light to medium braking.

 

[Ackme]

jdr, i don't know how helpful your advice is on it's merits but it is almost 2 years after the symptoms were reported. Hopefully, Dan solved his problem by now. This looks like it is your first post after 6 years on the site - admirable restraint!

But seriously, thanks for jumping in and trying to help.

 

[Whiteknuckle]

old thread but i had a similar issue on my former 2016 NC750X. At slow speed a steady thump-thump-thump. Like you are going over road ruts or grooves. Put it down to the bridge i was going across.
Closer to home i stopped and had a quick look at the bike. Did not see anything.

Next morning. Did "preflight" check over. It was then i noticed to reason for the thump. A large bolt head sticking out of the tire. (see picture)
It was a slow leak so i pumped it up and road to dealer. When they took off the tire. It was a 2inch long bolt. Like a screw but with the bolt head. I figure i picked it up shortly before i noticed the thumping.
I had gone over a set of trein tracks.