Triumphrat

NorthernThrux

Yah kidding ? It's become a bedtime story for me and the wife every evening. The "Trials and Tribulations of a Teetering Triumph" she calls it. And she doesn't even like bikes !

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2008 Thrux. Racetech springs and emulators front, Ohlins rear, FCR39 carbs @ R&D remote fuel screws, Zard Exhaust, Pretech 6 pot front caliper, custom tail, BC airbox removal and AI removed. Real HID replacement bulb hi/low, LSL Frame sliders.

jamboa2003

There is a certain drop coming off a bridge that when I get on the throttle real hard the front will give some headshake.
Jamboa

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2001 Kawasaki ZRX 1224 Big Bore Street Fighter

2004 Bonnie Big Bore 904cc w/larger valves
2005 Suzuki DR 650 Dual Sport Modded(soon to be a DR 700cc Kit)

joeswamp

I'm not 100% sure but I think it's because if the axle is bent it can induce lateral forces in the fork legs causing them to bind slightly. Another possibility is that it loads the wheel bearings causing a little bit of extra friction with every revolution. As someone mentioned previously, it's often looseness and/or binding in some part of the suspension that causes a wobble.

I do recall reading somewhere that bent axles are supposed to cause wobbles (they're right up there with loose head bearings and worn swingarm bushings). When you reinstall a front axle I believe you're supposed to rotate it in the fork legs and ensure there's no binding before you tighten up the pinch bolt.

Baltobonneville

All that aggravation for a $25 part that could be replaced in a few minutes! That's amazing. I'd say that Triumph owes you something for all the aggravation. Maybe they'd be willing to extend the warranty for the period of time that it took to find the problem.

Now enjoy that new bike!

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Marty
2005 Bonneville Blue 790cc, AI removed, Staintunes, Unifilter, no snorkel, 120/40/Thrux needle/1 shim/3 turns, fly screen, tacho, D9 gauge panel, center stand, Ikon 7610s, Hagon fork springs, gaiters, Pirelli Sport Demons, 3 seats.

nick_t

Wow. All that for a bent axle?

I hate to say it, but even the Haynes manual for us n00bs recommends doing a quick roll check of the axle every time you change the wheel. Did the shop just miss this every single time, or is it a more difficult test than just rolling the axle on a flat surface to check for warpage?

Let us know how it goes, Dangermouse!!

good luck!
nick

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"Each day is a journey, and the journey itself home."
-- Matsuo Basho

06 Bonneville T100 (AI removed, snorkel IN, stock otherwise)

Dangermouse

You're reading my mind! It took 27 days to rule out something that easy? Oy friggin' vey.

So I'm leaving the office at 3 today so I can drive down and (hopefully) pick it up. My stomach is knots -- I worried that it isn't really fixed.

If it is, though, I'm going RIDING.

**fingers crossed**

propforward

Positive waves man.

It's a beautiful bike, and it's gonna be fixed.

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If you ever drop your keys in molten lava, forget about them, because man, they're gone.

NorthernThrux

Page 6-20 of the Haynes manual, para 13. Check the axle for straight by rolling it on a flat surface such as a piece of plate glass (first wipe off old grease and remove any corrosion using wire wool). If axle is bent, replace it with a new one.

I actually prefer to regrease it before rolling. This shows if there is uneven contact anywhere. It is easy to bend the axle when taking off the wheel unless the wheel is properly supported while pushing the axle out. There's a lot of torque if one side of the axle pops out of the fork and the wheel is not supported.

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2008 Thrux. Racetech springs and emulators front, Ohlins rear, FCR39 carbs @ R&D remote fuel screws, Zard Exhaust, Pretech 6 pot front caliper, custom tail, BC airbox removal and AI removed. Real HID replacement bulb hi/low, LSL Frame sliders.

billstokes

I've been reading your posts and have felt your pain. Hope that all is well in Mudville now. good luck. You'll love your "new" bike.

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Hard work may pay off some day, but laziness always pays off right now.

Bill

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dmay

Don't be too hard on the Tech's who have to work on the bikes,wobble is just not a common symptom of a bent axle,usually you get a mushy brake lever,uneven brake wear,or just have trouble getting the axle out or in.I've had several bikes with bent axles in my life and have never had one exhibit headshake or vibration due to the axle.I've had wasted front wheel bearings that allowed 1 inch of side to side wobble of the wheel on a stand but no shimmy on the road.It sounds like they did all the common things that would cause the problem trying to fix it,to me at that time it actually should fall to Triumph to come up with a solution,Once the tech has exhausted all the standard causes of a problem he's not likely getting paid anymore to work on the bike,he then is providing the warranty out of his pocket or with his time.since he made no profit from the sale of the bike at any level that kinda sucks.

Once you find the needle in the haystack it's still just a needle
Hindsight is so freakin' easy...



I'm not a motorcycle mechanic,but a auto mechanic at a independent garage.

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2007 Bonne Black
91 Suzuki DR650
77 Maico AW400
77 Maico AW440