SSR XF250 handle bar shake

SirKng · 07-03-2020, 12:24 PM

Hey guys it's me again. The new guy with the SSR.

My bike is currently down due to a broken throttle tube but I'm gonna try do do some research about my handle bar shake. It feels like a up and down shake and not side to side. It feels like the tire is either out of balance or out of round or I'm riding over a really uneven road. It just feels excessively bouncy. I tried rebound adjustment but found that they are were one click from all the way out. I'm wondering if the tire is bad or if I have bad forks. Is there any good way of narrowing it down?

Its_not_a_honda · 07-03-2020, 12:59 PM

Raise the bike up so the front tire is off the ground. Spin the tire. If it wobbles side to side or up and down, there is your problem. If it looks good, you have a fork problem. Check oil levels. Make sure they are the same (and enough). Without actually riding the bike myself that is the best I can do.

SirKng · 07-03-2020, 01:32 PM

Low fork oil can cause this too? I didn't think of that. I keep learning new stuff about motorcycles everyday! I'll check that stuff as soon as I can. Thanks!

BigEd · 07-03-2020, 01:51 PM

Sounds almost like an out of round wheel or a way out of balance wheel.

**JerryHawk250** · 07-03-2020, 01:55 PM

Check to make sure the tire is beaded evenly on the rim.

SirKng · 07-03-2020, 08:39 PM

I finally got home and checked my wheels and tires. The front wheel has a very slight bend in it (haven't checked spokes yet though) and the rear tire isn't completely smooth. It has a visible dip in the tread like a bad belt or something similar when you spin it. Can the bad rear tire cause the shake? I was doing some reading on the internet earlier and have heard that a bad rear tire can cause a bouncy feel in the front too.

And from my automotive experience, a bent front wheel can be balanced and be fine or it can cause a shake too. I'm more inclined to try new tires before getting a front wheel for this...

SirKng · 07-11-2020, 07:35 AM

Can anybody with experience answer my question about the rear tire causing a hopping feel in the front? Is it possible?

dh · 07-12-2020, 12:55 AM

My guess is no. My SSR bars get a side to side wobble between 20-35 mph and I go through front tires faster than back tires. It's not super noticeable unless I let go of the bars, and it goes crazy. I've had some crashes so there could be other issues, but I think my issue is the front wheel out of true or balance. When I was out riding early this AM I noticed the 3 foot long shadow of the front tire on the ground next to me looked a bit wobbly and maybe a tiny bit egg shaped.

I like starting with the cheap fixes first, so in my case I'm going to go have the shop true/balance the front wheel and see what happens.

SirKng · 07-14-2020, 07:44 AM

Ok. So after riding my bike for a bit yesterday and watching my shadow it looks like it's the tire bouncing up and down with the entire front of the bike. My rebound adjustment is all the way out and it still feels pretty stiff. I think I'm gonna start with replacing the fork oil to see if it helps. I have a feeling the fork oil might be low quality and is causing issues. I need to buy a stand and tools to do this so it might be a while until I can get to it... If this doesn't fix it, I'll get new tires and get my wheels checked for trueness.

2LZ · 07-14-2020, 11:26 AM

What are the tire pressures????

Also, try a total deflate and reinflate to spec, with the tires off the ground. You could have a twisted tube. That will make the bike ride super-funny.

Merlin · 07-14-2020, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2LZ

What are the tire pressures????

Also, try a total deflate and reinflate to spec, with the tires off the ground. You could have a twisted tube. That will make the bike ride super-funny.

What he said.

SirKng · 07-15-2020, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2LZ

What are the tire pressures????

Also, try a total deflate and reinflate to spec, with the tires off the ground. You could have a twisted tube. That will make the bike ride super-funny.

32 PSI front and rear as per owners manual. I have the supermoto version of the XF250 so I have 17's and street tires. Should I run different pressures?

I'll have to try to deflate and reinflate with the tires off the ground tonight to see if that helps. Thanks for the tip.

2LZ · 07-15-2020, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirKng

32 PSI front and rear as per owners manual. I have the supermoto version of the XF250 so I have 17's and street tires. Should I run different pressures?

I'll have to try to deflate and reinflate with the tires off the ground tonight to see if that helps. Thanks for the tip.

I run 28-30 lbs on the street on Q. (21" front/18" rear). More cushy, less jarring on our horrid country roads.

SirKng · 07-15-2020, 01:31 PM

I had mine at 30 PSI before I put Ride-On tire sealant in my tubes. Didn't seem to do anything but I'll give 28 PSI a try...

2LZ · 07-15-2020, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirKng

I had mine at 30 PSI before I put Ride-On tire sealant in my tubes. Didn't seem to do anything but I'll give 28 PSI a try...

Was it riding weird prior to the tire sealant?????? I wonder if you have a wad of it in one section of the tube???? Seen that happen.....

07-03-2020, 12:24 PM	#1
SirKng Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Eau Claire, WI Posts: 117	SSR XF250 handle bar shake Hey guys it's me again. The new guy with the SSR. My bike is currently down due to a broken throttle tube but I'm gonna try do do some research about my handle bar shake. It feels like a up and down shake and not side to side. It feels like the tire is either out of balance or out of round or I'm riding over a really uneven road. It just feels excessively bouncy. I tried rebound adjustment but found that they are were one click from all the way out. I'm wondering if the tire is bad or if I have bad forks. Is there any good way of narrowing it down? __________________ 2018 SSR Motorsports XF250
	0

07-03-2020, 12:59 PM	#2
Its_not_a_honda Join Date: Jan 2018 Posts: 410	Raise the bike up so the front tire is off the ground. Spin the tire. If it wobbles side to side or up and down, there is your problem. If it looks good, you have a fork problem. Check oil levels. Make sure they are the same (and enough). Without actually riding the bike myself that is the best I can do. __________________ 2020 Kawasaki KLX300R, 2018 Yamaha TW200 If you want more of something, tax it less. If you want less of something, tax it more.
	3

07-03-2020, 01:32 PM	#3
SirKng Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Eau Claire, WI Posts: 117	Low fork oil can cause this too? I didn't think of that. I keep learning new stuff about motorcycles everyday! I'll check that stuff as soon as I can. Thanks! __________________ 2018 SSR Motorsports XF250
	0

07-03-2020, 01:55 PM	#5
JerryHawk250 Moderator Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 11,707	Check to make sure the tire is beaded evenly on the rim. __________________ 2024 Linhai 300 ATV 4x4 2023 Lifan Lycan 250 Chopper 2023 Venom Evader 2022 Lifan KPX250 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan S (Sold) 2004 Honda ST 1300 2016 Black Hawk 250 (sold) Keihin PE30 carb,125 main,38 slow.Pod filter,ported & decked head 10:1 CR,Direct Ignition Coil,15/40Sprockets,NGK DPR8EIX-9,De-Cat,Dual Oil Cooler,Digital Cluster 2016 Cazador180 XL 2014 Coolster150 JerryHawk250.com My YouTube Channel
	2

07-03-2020, 08:39 PM	#6
SirKng Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Eau Claire, WI Posts: 117	I finally got home and checked my wheels and tires. The front wheel has a very slight bend in it (haven't checked spokes yet though) and the rear tire isn't completely smooth. It has a visible dip in the tread like a bad belt or something similar when you spin it. Can the bad rear tire cause the shake? I was doing some reading on the internet earlier and have heard that a bad rear tire can cause a bouncy feel in the front too. And from my automotive experience, a bent front wheel can be balanced and be fine or it can cause a shake too. I'm more inclined to try new tires before getting a front wheel for this... __________________ 2018 SSR Motorsports XF250 Last edited by SirKng; 07-03-2020 at 09:30 PM.
	1

07-03-2020, 01:51 PM	#4
BigEd Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Colorado Posts: 21	Sounds almost like an out of round wheel or a way out of balance wheel.
	1

07-11-2020, 07:35 AM	#7
SirKng Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Eau Claire, WI Posts: 117	Can anybody with experience answer my question about the rear tire causing a hopping feel in the front? Is it possible? __________________ 2018 SSR Motorsports XF250
	0

07-12-2020, 12:55 AM	#8
dh Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: NW Arkansas Posts: 454	My guess is no. My SSR bars get a side to side wobble between 20-35 mph and I go through front tires faster than back tires. It's not super noticeable unless I let go of the bars, and it goes crazy. I've had some crashes so there could be other issues, but I think my issue is the front wheel out of true or balance. When I was out riding early this AM I noticed the 3 foot long shadow of the front tire on the ground next to me looked a bit wobbly and maybe a tiny bit egg shaped. I like starting with the cheap fixes first, so in my case I'm going to go have the shop true/balance the front wheel and see what happens. __________________ 2013 SSR XF-250
	1

07-14-2020, 07:44 AM	#9
SirKng Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Eau Claire, WI Posts: 117	Ok. So after riding my bike for a bit yesterday and watching my shadow it looks like it's the tire bouncing up and down with the entire front of the bike. My rebound adjustment is all the way out and it still feels pretty stiff. I think I'm gonna start with replacing the fork oil to see if it helps. I have a feeling the fork oil might be low quality and is causing issues. I need to buy a stand and tools to do this so it might be a while until I can get to it... If this doesn't fix it, I'll get new tires and get my wheels checked for trueness. __________________ 2018 SSR Motorsports XF250
	0

07-14-2020, 11:26 AM	#10
2LZ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Volcano, Ca Posts: 7,112	What are the tire pressures???? Also, try a total deflate and reinflate to spec, with the tires off the ground. You could have a twisted tube. That will make the bike ride super-funny. __________________ "Light a fire for a man, and you heat him for a day. Light a man on fire, and you heat him for the rest of his life." 2007 Suzuki DRZ400S (SM convert) 2009 Q Link XP 200 1967 BSA B25 250cc Starfire 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411 1948 Royal Enfield Model G 350
	3

07-15-2020, 01:31 PM	#14
SirKng Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Eau Claire, WI Posts: 117	I had mine at 30 PSI before I put Ride-On tire sealant in my tubes. Didn't seem to do anything but I'll give 28 PSI a try... __________________ 2018 SSR Motorsports XF250
	0