I own a 2008 ST1300 with 50,000 km on the odometer. Last November, I switched to a double dark tire setup—Bridgestone Battlax BT46 on the front (mounted in the forward direction) and Vredestein Hypertrac on the rear. I have a weekly round-trip commute of 450 km and have covered nearly 4,000 km this year with these tires. My usual cruising speed is 140 kph, but toward the end of my commute, I sometimes reach 160 kph. I did not have any handling / vibration problems before switching to dark side tires.
after switching to darkside, I've been experiencing serious issues with the bike's front-end handling. There's a shimmy at low speeds (60–80 kph) when decelerating and taking my hands off the handlebars. Additionally, the right handlebar has a pronounced vibration, noticeable at 120 kph and significantly worse at 160 kph. I don’t grip the bars tightly—my upper body stays loose—but I can still see my arm vibrating while my palm rests on the right handlebar. I pulled the clutch at high speed, and the vibration persisted, ruling out drivetrain-related causes. The left handlebar does not vibrate, and the bike has a slight pull to the right.
Thoughts ?
after switching to darkside, I've been experiencing serious issues with the bike's front-end handling. There's a shimmy at low speeds (60–80 kph) when decelerating and taking my hands off the handlebars. Additionally, the right handlebar has a pronounced vibration, noticeable at 120 kph and significantly worse at 160 kph. I don’t grip the bars tightly—my upper body stays loose—but I can still see my arm vibrating while my palm rests on the right handlebar. I pulled the clutch at high speed, and the vibration persisted, ruling out drivetrain-related causes. The left handlebar does not vibrate, and the bike has a slight pull to the right.
Suspension & Tire Setup:
- Preload is functioning properly—I recently refilled it with oil and typically set it between 8 and 12 clicks, depending on the load.
- Tire pressures:
- Front: 40–42 PSI (cold)
- Rear: 36 PSI (cold)
Troubleshooting Steps Taken:
- Checked the front tire for cupping.
- Removed and reinstalled the front tire following the correct procedure, ensuring proper alignment and torque. The front sliding axle inserts and rotates easily—so the forks are aligned—but there was no improvement.
- Increased balancing beads from 1 oz to 2 oz—no change.
- Removed and cleaned both front and rear brake calipers, including cylinders and sliding pins—no change.
- Ordered new OEM brake pads (arriving next week). I noticed that my right brake pads were thicker than the the left ones - maybe because the right caliper pistons were stuck.
- While I don’t have the tool to torque the steering bearing, I checked for play in the forks with the bike on the center stand and front wheel lifted. The steering moves smoothly from side to side without any noticeable play.
Thoughts ?
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