NO!!! It is NOT normal. There's a number of things to check:

- nuts and bolts; like top and bottom fork clamps, front wheel mounting.

- steering stem nut torque.

- front tire condition and air pressure

- fork tube height and condition

The list goes on but know this: it is NOT normal, it is an indication that something is wrong, loose, broken, etc. Do NOT allow them to blow smoke up your butt, your bike is NOT right. Especially on a relatively brand spankin' new one.

Whew!! That was furious and it's a hint as to why I have the signature that I do.

For me the front tire wear caused a little front end hands-free wobble. New tire and the wobble was gone. Until this past summer when it wouldn't go away. I found I needed new steering bearings. Did it myself, straight-forward job. Good luck in your quest, let us know how it turns out.

 

steering wobble

Thanks, I thought so!

Bike booked in next Tuesday at the dealers.

Just, been out on her 45mph with cruise on , took hands of bars & she started to wobble, defiantly not right.

Will keep you posted

Love the bike tho. Not had a 4 cylinder for many years. Just swapped from a burgman 650. The FJR is smoother on the throttle!!

 

You're correct, it is not normal but mine has done the same thing since new. I've loosened everything and re-torqued everything but to no avail. Mine is a '12 and I think my next step is roller steering head bearings. By the way mine only does it on de-cel at between 50 and 45 mph and if I keep my hands on the bars it is imperceptible so I'm not too concerned. I know of at least 2 others with genII bikes that do the same thing at the exact same speed.

 

My 2015 ES does the exact same thing between 40-45mph. I only have 4000 miles. It can't be felt if I keep my hands on the bars. Also tried it a 70 mph and she is rock solid no hands? I will mention it at my next service.

 

Let us know what they say. It sounds like a lot of the FJR's do it along with mine. 08, and I just replaced the front tire and it didn't help. From other forums for other bikes that I've read, it is almost always the steering head bearings. Maybe Yamaha has the torque spec right at the edge of causing this issue on so many. I haven't looked into the cause yet because I was hoping it was just a tire so now I'll have to dig deeper. Really, no bike should do it.

 

I have them on my ebay watch list to be purchased

http://www.ebay.com/itm/351013788836?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

Guys on the Kawasaki bagger forums have cured the steering wobble using the AllBalls bearings.

 

Yeah, not normal. I've gone several miles without touching the bars on a straight section just to see if I could (it wasn't that hard). The FJR should be very stable.

 

It's only on deceleration. If throttle is locked it's stable all day long.(or until I hit something) Still,it shouldn't do it.

 

I have to disagree...In my case, deceleration or acceleration, when I hit the speed range between 45 to 60 mph, even at a constant speed within this range, and I take my hands out of the handlebar...shanking goes from slow to extreme in just a couple of seconds...

Out of this range, everything is smooth...

 

I ride no at and many different speeds so this is not normal. I get bored out in the desert. The bike does have a lot of head shake when your are on the power hard and slap off a fast power shift. A lot more than my FZ8. I just figured its the combination of the weight and power.

 

My gen 1 did it at low speeds when decelerating, new set of tyre cured it

 

I just wanted to chime in and say that mine did the same from 40-50mph. I didn't see it as an issue considering that riding no-hands is usually frowned upon. It never exhibited headshake if there was as much as one finger on the bars.

 

I read somewhere that it is typical for the FJR to lean a bit left (maybe that is where the shaft torque went?).

When I got mine, I tried a couple miles no handed on the freeway in cruise (65 MPH). Sure enough, the bike nodded a bit left as I let go, but I was able to correct and lean it any direction around sweeping curves. It still had a tendency to lean a bit left though.

No wobble at all.

One of my older bikes had a terrible head shake and the cause was the front tire.

Now I'm curious to see what happens in the 40+ MPH speed range.

 

Low tire pressure --mostly on the on the front end-- is notorious for giving some bikes the tank slappies. Or with some bikes, too great of a pressure difference between front and back will at times do it.

In other words, sometimes a bike likes a difference of 4 pound pressure between front and rear and if you increase that difference by two pound more to 6 pounds, the front end starts slapping.

In the 80's, the original FZ750 was notorious for this situation. Dial the tire pressure in at exactly 32 front and 36 rear after getting your suspension dialed in properly and the handling of the bike was stellar. But if the front tire pressure went off just two pounds, the handlebars would violently shake right out of your hands on quick acceleration and deceleration, on irregular road surfaces.

Also, if the spring rate is adjusted improperly versus the dampening, the same result had been known to happen on some bikes.

Just a dumb blond guy worthless thought...

But it might pay to have different people that have the problem, and others that don't, post both the tire pressures they are running, as well as their adjustment settings on the front end's suspension.

While it is true that there is a good chance that doing so may end up being absolutely no help at all... There is a small chance that we may see a pattern develop that shows certain tire pressure and/or front end adjustments, where the front end shake is more likely to occur...

Oh look... FRENCH FRIES... Woooo whooooo!

 

My case

Suspension is at factory settings front and back, checked every week along with tire pressure. Pressure 38 front/42 rear. Using OEM tires (Metzeler Z8).

And yes, it also leans left a bit. At 65 Mph, it doesn't shake at all

 

Have the steering head bearings retourqued. Mine had the same problem. Dealer fixed it.

 

On my VMax I couldn't take my hands off when decelerating without getting a wobble, used this guys method and problem solved. Just wouldn't want to damage the bearings by over-tightening. Hope this helps....

 

Never had any of it. Gone long distances free hand here too.... solid as a rock.

 

30-40 mph and it's a potential tank slapper

Just bought a 2013 FJR and the bike has a set of the Bridgetone GT touring tires and they appear to be worn evenly and have about 3k miles on them. There is plenty of meat left and while I know they are not the best and will be replaced with something else I do not understand why this bike has an insane head shake when the hands are light at 30-40 mph. NOT on deceleration. I could be in neutral coasting and if I take my hands off for a second, the bars squirm and if I let it go it would be over. I do not think it's the steering bearing/torgue but I guess I will have to take it to the dealer to find out. Should not have to. Bought his bike so I did not have to have it in the shop but once every 26k miles. Not good. And if it's a tire issue then Yamaha should stop offering that brand . Really not happy with this..

 

Just bought a 2013 FJR and the bike has a set of the Bridgetone GT touring tires and they appear to be worn evenly and have about 3k miles on them. There is plenty of meat left and while I know they are not the best and will be replaced with something else I do not understand why this bike has an insane head shake when the hands are light at 30-40 mph. NOT on deceleration. I could be in neutral coasting and if I take my hands off for a second, the bars squirm and if I let it go it would be over. I do not think it's the steering bearing/torgue but I guess I will have to take it to the dealer to find out. Should not have to. Bought his bike so I did not have to have it in the shop but once every 26k miles. Not good. And if it's a tire issue then Yamaha should stop offering that brand . Really not happy with this..

I take it that you must do some maintenance yourself since it sounds like you plan to take to a dealer only for the valves. If I'm correct in my inference and you plan to do things like oil, final drive, plugs and TB synch, then torquing the steering head bearing is a simple job. You will need a 36mm socket, torque wrench and a Yamaha specific claw wrench. You can get the wrench on eBay or since I'm right down the road you can borrow mine (assuming you're still up here in MT). PM me if you want to use it and we'll figure something out.

 

My 2014 had the shakes from new.
Rode the bike home from the dealers, 500kms and torqued up the head bearings.
Did improve for awhile, but gradually worsened as the front Angle GT tyre wore funny.

Watched the bike being assembled at the dealer and they do not check the head stock bearings.

Swapped out to tapered rollers and now not even a hint of a problem.
Can ride no hands not a prob, no deceleration wobbles.

 

Yep, what Ken said. My '07 always got the shakes as the front tire wore until last summer when it would not go away. New roller bearings did the trick.

Re-torquing the bearings is a simple job, give it a try. What you got to lose? The frustration that comes through your post is understandable but take comfort- you are certainly not alone. This problem has been addressed and solved many, many times over.

 

So glad i logged on to see this post.

My 14 AE did it from new at 40mph. Still does it today after 3 services and 16,000 miles on the clock. I never thought to mention it to the Stealer.


Will give them a call.

 

The head bearings are "supposed" to be re-torqued at the first service.
Suggest try another dealer or better still do it yourself.

Yamaha just went cheap and stopped using tapered roller bearings a long time ago.
For $45.00, it's the best money you can spend on the bike.
Go online and look at some engineering sites, look at the various bearing applications.
What Yamaha installs is a joke, not fit for purpose.

 

$30.95 http://www.bikebandit.com/aftermark...teering-stems-bearings/all-balls-motorcycle-steering-stem-bearing-kits?m=145141

$33.56 http://www.allballsracing.com/ymmsearch/index/searchfromhome/

$30.99 http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/21652/i/all-balls-steering-stem-bearing-kit?WT.ac=SLIsearchand https://www.jakewilson.com/p/1828/5...86/All-Balls-Steering-Stem-Bearing-Kit?term=all balls steering stem bearing kit

You get the idea. Well worth the cost. I was surprised by the "cheapness" of the OEM bearings when I loosened my steering stem and balls from the bearings hit the floor. Literally. Plink times six. Very disheartening.

 

I just need to find an equivalent supply in the UK

 

ebay.co.uk http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALL-BALLS...HA-YZF-R1-1998-2006-/121422288960?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item1c45551840

 

I had a wobble just like it on my '99 Concours. Tightening the steering head fixed it permanently.

I had a "clunk" but no wobble on my '10 Honda NT700V. Put the "All-Balls" bearings in at about 50,000 miles, no issues since.

 

I had a wobble just like it on my '99 Concours. Tightening the steering head fixed it permanently.

I had a "clunk" but no wobble on my '10 Honda NT700V. Put the "All-Balls" bearings in at about 50,000 miles, no issues since.

Phil, Surprised to see you over here. did you get a FJR?

 

Just ordered a bearing set for my 2014A. It looks like a PITA to install, probably wait until the rainy season to tear it apart.

Dan

 

Just ordered a bearing set for my 2014A. It looks like a PITA to install, probably wait until the rainy season to tear it apart.

Dan

They can be a pain. But I went into the job thinking of taking my time and doing it right. No pounding races in, no pounding bearings on (leads to breaking them), no half-azzed installation. Everything was done by hand- sanding, polishing, measuring. Everything. Yes, it took longer than some who have done it but I know it's done right.
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My FJR is the only bike I've ever owned that had/s this front end wobble. That's at least a dozen bikes- Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki included- since 1976. As mentioned earlier, a new front tire would make it go away for a little while but it always came back.

Riddle me this Batman: what if "hands on bars" only stops the bars from shaking? What if the wheel/tire/fork assy still wants to shimmy-sham down the road? What's that do to the fork seals/internals? Maybe that's why Mammy Yammy rebuilt my forks TWICE on their dime to get the leaks to finally stop, eh? Yes, no, maybe; h3ll I dunno. But I do know this- a front end wobble is not any more normal on a bike than it is in a car or truck. I understand if you are willing to accept it as such. I am not. For $22 (bearing set) and a few hrs of my time (it's winter, I ain't riding anyway) my wobble and leaking forks are gone.