November 15, 2010
Welcome to the November edition of the ST-1100 News.
In this issue:
Autumn is upon us
The causes of Weave and Wobble
Keep your bike in good repair: motorcycle boots are not comfortable for walking. - Unknown
November in the northern Hemisphere means autumn is here. The days are getting shorter, and the countryside changes colour to reds and browns.
Of course this beautiful scene changes again very shortly, when the lovely red and brown leaves fall off the trees. They've got to go somewhere - and especially on the back roads they can accumulate to form a carpet. Be careful when riding through this. Compressed leaves can be very slippery.
There's nothing more disconcerting than suddenly experiencing a front-end wobble at highway speeds. You start wondering about what could possibly have gone wrong and what you're going to need to do to get it fixed. There are a few possible causes: a problem with the motorcycle, the rider, or the road conditions.
In my previous life as an IT Consultant, a logical approach has certainly assisted me in troubleshooting when things go wrong. The first question to ask is, "What's changed?"
Other causes, although unlikely, could be:
The motorcycle rider and how they handle road conditions are also major issues with shaky steering of motorcycles. The rider may not know how to keep the bike steady in all conditions and this will cause shaky steering on any motorcycle. The traffic and road conditions provide you with multiple variables to consider while riding your motorcycle. You have to know your bike's strengths and weaknesses as well as your own. You have to know how to properly handle your bike and to adapt to situations beyond your controls. If you know that you or your bike can't handle the vibrations of a sharp turn, then don't take try to take a curve at 80 mph. Riding a motorcycle can be an exercise in itself if you don't know what you're doing. Controlling the motorcycle can be tiring for some riders and they may be too fatigued to control the bike and keep it aligned to stop the shaking.
November Tip:
Just because the weather's getting colder doesn't mean you get to skimp on washing the motorcycle! Keeping your bike clean is the most important maintenance you can do. It prevents corrosion and lets you spot any obvious problems.
Keep the shiny side up.
Rob
In the next issue: Tools and Toolkits - what tools do you really need to carry?