Triumphrat

tobyone · 09-20-2007

I am getting a decel shimmy at about 40mph on a '02 triumph 17k with fairly new avon azaro..balanced ok,air ok....just got this bike about 3 weeks ago and seemed ok on my first outing of about 2 hrs, then last weekend i did a 4 day trip in the mtns and notice this shimmy when i did a hands off decel. I did adjust the chain before i left on the trip, my first chain adjustment since my dirt bike days( coming off of 3 shaft drive bikes).....any thoughts

brgsprint · 09-20-2007

Don't take your hands off the bars.

ervdrvr1 · 09-21-2007

tobyone,
Mine does the same thing from appx 35-45mph. I tightened up the steering head bearings a bit, and this helped some. I think it has more to do with the top heavyness and aerodynamics of the bike. Doesn't do it at all 2-up. A steering damper may solve the problem all together, but havn't tried one yet. I just keep my hands on the bars.

Erv
Deep in the Heart of Texas!

Doublenikkel · 09-21-2007

I had the same exact problem,tightened the steering head bearings helped.But did not totally eliminate the shimmy.Now it does it only on occasion ,did the steering head a second time and other issues popped up so I`m waitng to get the repairs made to try it again!!!
Have heard from A Canadian Touring company that all their old trophy`s did this.May be something we just will have to live with!?!?

Netmaker · 09-21-2007

Simple solution is to start using Dyna Beads for balancing the tires and the problem just goes away. FACT.

tobyone · 09-22-2007

Dyna beads are a type of wheel weight? I do have a slight ding in my front wheel but i had the wheel balanced. My last 3 bikes had the BMW telelever front so its a bit of different feel. Are stab bars/braces put on trophy's alot

tobyone · 09-22-2007

From Dyna Beads web site:

My vehicle has a [shimmy, shake, wobble]. Will your beads fix this?
No. There are three terms commonly used to describe lateral (back and forth) movement of the steering wheel, wobble, shimmy and shake. Two of these are a result of lateral imbalance of the tire/wheel assembly.

Wobble - this is more a function of mechanical suspension components than anything else, but can also be a result of bent or damaged rims.
Mechanical Imbalance - This is lateral movement caused from tire or wheel non-uniformity or improper bead seating. Corrected by measuring the amount of tire and wheel runout and replacing the defective component.
Weight-related Imbalance - This is lateral movement at normal driving speeds commonly characterized as "shimmy" or "shake" resulting from unequal weight on both sides of the tire and wheel circumferential centerline. The wider the tire, the lower the aspect ratio, the more likely this is to occur.

Netmaker · 09-22-2007

I think they are referring to a vehicle in that explanation but my fact is that I have removed the shimmy from 2 bikes, the Trophy and a Honda ST1100, with use of their balance beads and know of a third rider in this area who has removed a shimmy on a BMW GT1200. I suspect tires were the main cause of the shimmey on these 3 bikes as they were all well looked after and low mileage units and on removel of normal stick on weights and installation of the beads the problem just went away. I understand that centrifical force throws the beads to the outer / inner surface of the tire and their weight holds the tire steady whenever a unbalance situation tries to take place.

Trophy1298 · 09-26-2007

Possible remedies:

Different front tire pressure
Tighten steering head
Tighten fork brackets
Tighten front axle retention bolts
Remove topbox
Check that front forks are correct distance from top of triple tree

I am sure there are others, but those are the ones I have gone through. Mine was steeringhead.

tobyone · 09-27-2007

I had the front head bearings etc checked....I am getting the front wheel straighted it has a ding in it. I hit a pot hole on my trip and hopefully this will fix the problem.Not sure if the ding was there already though..thanks for the help