Possible solution to death wobble with Dunlap 908 RR

I say possible in the subject line because I don't have enough ride time yet to know for certain if this is the cure all or just makes things better.

While reading endlessly about tire recommendations, I ran across a recommendation a poster made for wobble at speed or similar characteristics. He recommended using the product named Ride On. http://www.ride-on.com/motorcycle-formula-mot.html. He even said he completely removed the wheel weights. I left the weights on my wheel since I didn't know what to expect for results and the product will work with them.

Works with tubes and radial tires. For a 90/90/21 front you need about 6 ounces of product according to their installation table.

I put the product in and ran the bike for 12 miles near the house on some surface streets and freeway. As the directions say, it took a few miles to seat properly around the tire. After that, things felt so much better. Before installing this I didn't dare take the bike over 85 mph, and the wobble was there from about 75 mph and especially with any deviation in pavement surface.

After install I was able to confidently take the bike up to 95 mph, but I stopped there as I didn't want an insane speeding ticket or to chance the knobby tires with tubes much faster. I made several aggressive lane changes above 75 mph without any incident or sign of the wobble. The bars still feel light at those speeds, but not scary.

Only time will tell for sure if this turns out to be a winner, but so far so good.

This could also solve the need to balance the wheels after installing new rubber and I might even be able to reuse the tube with the product if it is in good condition.

Update:
Rode the bike to work yesterday. About 70 miles round trip, mostly freeway. While I can say that running the product in the front tire has most certainly helped to improve the systems, it hasn't eliminated them entirely. Crossing the paint dividing the lane, cracks in the pavement, etc., make the bike wobble at speed. It isn't nearly as scary was before, but still there. Maybe it is just a characteristic of this type of bike that I need to adapt to, we'll see. Like everyone recommends, I'll be trying a new front tire eventually and hope that it resolves the issue.

Second Update:

Mounted up a new Michelin T63 to the front this morning and then rode for 60 miles. Just to recap, I'm still running with the Ride On product in the inner tube. With the new tire, I also removed the wheel balance weights. The road conditions were a mix of surface streets, freeway, hwy, asphalt and grooved concrete.

It probably comes as no surprise to many of you, but changing the front tire was the cure for my wobble issues. Rode steady and stable on any and all road conditions at any speed. Make me a heck of a lot happier with the new bike.

The T63 isn't an aggressive knobby tire, but still has enough there to make it good probably most conditions, but I'm guessing not great off road. For now, I'm happy with that. It will be a long while before I start single-tracking this beast, and most dirt it will see will probably be fire roads for the time being. And when it does see dirt I'm expecting to be loaded down and not trying to set any time/speed records off road. I have my CRF450R for that kind of riding.

ben

I use it as well. I've used in in my previous bike and I think it takes care of balancing without the need for weights. It also gives me a little bit of comfort as far as enhanced puncture protection.

I did not use it for the 908s because I never really thought about it. But when I changed tires the wheels were definitely out of balance (rough at slow speed) so I put it in and removed the weights. I think it works and will continue to use it.

Why would anybody run the 908's at speeds over 75 mph? 95 mph?

I think the 908 gets squirrely because it is so tall and jacks up the ride height in the rear, When I ran them I slid the fork tubes all the way down in the clamps to raise the front and it helped a lot

Because we take the bike on the highway and sometimes pass people.

I've seen this answer before. Please forgive my noob question: how do you slide the fork tubes down? Or can you point me to a thread that describes it?

Many times the forks are as far down as they can go in the clamps already. Put bike on center stand. May need to remove front wheel, especially if it's heavy. Loosen clamps. Move the forks where you want them. Keep in mind there are limits to how far you can move them. Be careful tightening up the clamps also. Pretty easy but know the limits, know the tightening sequence of your clamp bolts and know the torque specs.

Ride under 70.

Scotts Steering Stabilizer & don't try to break sound barrier with knobbies!

Unless you are on dirt

Come on guys, you are getting off topic. It isn't about trying to break the sound barrier, but for those that have experienced the wobble, you know it isn't exactly confidence inspiring. And in parts of the U.S. going 80-85 on the freeway is keeping up, not even passing people.

ben

set your suspension....sag correct and there won't be any wobble....none....

115mph....908/606....stable...

It isn't the rear tire that causes it. It is the front tire. Lots of people who received their bike with the 908 front report this issue. And for the record I did setup my suspension, short of changing the front springs which I know I should do.

ben

Update:
Rode the bike to work yesterday. About 70 miles round trip, mostly freeway. While I can say that running the product in the front tire has most certainly helped to improve the systems, it hasn't eliminated them entirely. Crossing the paint dividing the lane, cracks in the pavement, etc., make the bike wobble at speed. It isn't nearly as scary was before, but still there. Maybe it is just a characteristic of this type of bike that I need to adapt to, we'll see. Like everyone recommends, I'll be trying a new front tire eventually and hope that it resolves the issue.

For me, it was definitely the tire, no question. When I had the KBBs installed the wobble disappeared. Even at 85/90 it is stable. But I do miss the 908 off road, it is awesome, especially the front in thick sand.

I have worn out quite few sets of 908RRs and the front cant be a little vague and wobble a bit at highway speeds when new but after a few hundred miles it goes away. If by death wobble you mean losing control of the bike and nearly crashing? I've never had anything like that happen and no steering stabilizer on the bike. They are by far my favorite tires for the 990 but I wouldn't recommend them for pavement commuters as there are better choices for that.

Nothing so dramatic has happened that I would relate to almost losing control or anything like that. No tank slappers. The death wobble title was just for fun and to get peoples attention.

ben

Scientology ?

Well, it happened to me this summer.
Riding on the expressway, my tire took a glancing blow off of a chunk of pavement & sent the bike into a very bad 85mph tank slapper. I fought it for a few seconds & could not recover. I did manage to get it to the shoulder before it highsided me at 60mph or so. The black mark is from my bike fishtailing.:eek1









I repaired the bike & she now sports a beautiful new black Emig Racing damper & black triple clamps.

glad you are ok.....

now wait for someone to post up that dampers are not needed and they are only band-aids for a poor suspension set up....