bounce or vibration some of you get may be dangerous proplem

[dannylightning]

ok I noticed around 45-55 mph i was getting a bit of a bounce vibration or a bit of wobble going on, what ever you want to call it. i read about people getting this bounce around the same mph.. they say the stiffen the adjustments on the shock and it goes away. i had this problem since i got the bike and it seemed to be a little more noticeable the last few days but i did not really think any thing of it since i read the other post about this.

It may not be something that just happens on these bikes and could be dangerous

my shock was loose on my bike and could have easily fell off ..... i tightened both of my shocks and i went for a 15 mile ride and tried to keep it between 40-55 the whole time and not once did i feel this bounce... it was loose enough it was not setting agaist the frame like it should when its tight.. so if you get or have ever got this bounce you may want to check to make sure your shocks are tightened on the bike properly.


i read about people getting this bounce around 40 mph and it went away at 55 or so exactly what mine was doing .. they say the stiffen the adjustments on the shock and it goes away, that may not have been the proper thing to do Check Your shocks and make sure they are tight!!!!!!! and i mean the nut that holds them on not the stiffness setting

Im having fun checking up on everything on the bike and working on it a little and im glad i have been doing this the last few days or i would have never noticed and the thing may have fell off..

[Water Warrior 2]

Good catch. Maybe using a bit of blue Loktite as soon as a person gets the bike would prevent this potentially dangerous situation.

[dannylightning]

Good catch. Maybe using a bit of blue Loktite as soon as a person gets the bike would prevent this potentially dangerous situation.


i think a check every so many miles will do fine. your supposed to do that any ways to prevent problems like this. i have never used lock tite before, i know it was a real pain in the ass getting a bolt out that some one had put lock tite on..

[Easy Rider]

ok I noticed around 45-55 mph i was getting a bit of a bounce vibration or a bit of wobble going on, ..

Good catch and good advise too. :tup:

The situation that was being discussed earlier, however, was slightly different in that it would happen once and then NOT happen again for days or weeks. I later found it described in relation to some other bikes too; it is called the "hobby horse" effect.

By all means, if you notice anything unusual like that, inspect the wheels, tires snd suspension. I did all that and found nothing wrong.

[adrianinflorida]

Another reason to nut and bolt your bike whenever possible, at least all of the major fasteners (engine mount, suspension, axles, handlebar).

[YoungRider2010]

Good to know. Being new to the bike world little tips like this are PERFECT! :2tup:

[bonehead]

Got the same problem. I'm going to check mine before I go to lunch today.

[dhgeyer]

Loctite comes in different flavors. The Blue (Loctite 242) is not permanent, and you can still get the parts apart. I think it's 242, might be 243. Anyway it's the blue stuff. Other brands call theirs 245 or whatever. Point is, blue threadlocker is not permanent. Loctite 271 (Red) is intended for parts that will not need to come apart. They use this on certain pivot points on the final drive and on the swingarm on the BMW I have. You can still get the parts apart, but you have to use a heat gun to more or less melt the stuff. I had to replace the needle bearings on one of those pivot points, and when I put it back together I used the blue Loctite rather than the red. These parts are torqued to 111 and 77 ft/lbs, and really shouldn't come apart. Loctite is good stuff in places where you need it.

Having said all that, there is no substitute for checking all the important fasteners once in a while. I think a torque wrench or 3 (different ranges) is a very very good investment. That way you know everything is tightened to spec, and won't be damaged and shouldn't come apart. There are several types of torque wrenches available, and you can get any of them at Sears. The twin beam type is the cheapest, and probably as accurate as the other types, but is not quite as convenient to use. But, in any case, they will get you very close to spec, and are 100% better than guessing. When buying one, make sure it includes the torque values you need within its range.

If this particular bolt or nut is a known problem point on the GZ, it might be a minor design flaw. If it were me, I would tighten both sides to spec with a torque wrench, and mark them with a permanent marker so that I could tell at a glance if they have moved at all. If I didn't have a torque wrench, I would tighten them to my best guess of correct torque, and mark them. If they kept moving once in a while, I would definitely use blue Loctite. If they still kept creeping, I'd clean off the blue and use red. I would then expect to have to use a heat gun to get them apart, but I'd never have to worry about them again.