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Happened to me today.
Knew my front tyre was leaking slightly - no visible puncture, and I recently had a new front wheel under warranty i.e. in effect a tyre change..
Used my compressor to get it back to 36 psi. Steady (no loss) overnight, so I made a booking to have this sorted and rode the 45 miles to the dealer.
All fine at reasonable speed. Then about 6 miles from destination the steering started to feel a bit stiff. Reduced to 50 mph, kept an eye on it: still not right but....Then suddenly, front wobbling like fury. Impossible to steer without making it far far worse: like being in tramlines. Braking, front or back, even decelerating, made it far worse. Juddering and shaking. Managed to keep feet on the pegs and coast, with increasing side to side, to a final standstill.
Very glad to be in one piece.
As reported elsewhere, the tyre had worn asymmetrically, more on the right than the left. No contest now: new front tyre (at 10, 700 miles).
All done. Rocky is MUCH happier with a new, symmetrical front tyre (I must have gotten used to the effect of the abnormal wear)., and ride home very good.
I thank my lucky stars that it finally "went" only at 50, and not higher speeds.
If this ever happens to you:
i) try and keep the wobble down (feet on pegs, not in the air)
ii) do not touch the front brake at any price. Braking using the rear will in any event put weight on the front, but the one tiny moment I touched the front brake it was nearly curtains.
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