anyone out there with apes have a horrible wobble in the front at highway speeds (70-110 mph)? I finally got my damn apes on my lrs (same ones from my street bob) and it wobbles like a bitch on the highway. It's like it's really windy, only it's not. It actually moves me slightly in my lane. My street bob was the same way but I just dealt with it but I want to take care of it.

I was was thinking about a stabilizer if need be but I'm hoping not to have to spend that kind of money. The bars are 16s and I'm actually thinking of switching to 14s but if anyone has experienced this or corrected it please let me know.

 

No wobble here (12" apes on 4" risers).

 

Have you got the oem bushings, or poly bushings or solid bushings, if OEM bushings swap them out for Poly or solid bushings, it will help, also how old is the ride, how many kms, could be collapsed front motor mount.

 

You've experienced this problem on two different bikes once you move to the 'apes'; my first thought is it's not a hardware issue, but rather a rider issue.

Ride too heavy on the bars, or start using the bars for support and you will be putting too much input in to the front; in other words, you're fighting the front. Fight the front and you will crash.

You need to ride light on the bars, with minimal rider input; with the taller 'ape' style bars that's harder to do, you've started to turn your body in to a sail, and if you are using the bars to support your upper body you will give the front too much input.

Did the high speed wobble exist before the bar change? If not, it's going to be you changing your riding technique. I've used some rather tall apes in the past; you need to support your lower body with your legs; if your lower body is unsupported we naturally will use our arms and the bars for the support.

This is why you see the fuel tanks of sport bikes shaped the way they are; they allow the rider to use their legs and abdomen to support their body so they can be light on the bars...

 

No pic? If their forward of the risers, pull em back a bit. Try that.

 

the wobble is probably your flying squirrelness.

drag created by your riding position and clothing blowing around. causing your body to adjust, thus causing the bike to adjust... you are now sailing

 

I've got about 10k miles on the bike but the motor mounts look good. I have oem bushings (never upgraded em on the last bike either, I know I know I'm supposed to upgrade em) the wobble started my first ride with the apes so it's definitely them, but it's not just the bars moving, it's causing the entire front end to wobble because (this is my opinion) like tin cup said, my body is acting like a sail. I don't feel like I put any weight on the bars but I could be wrong. Ill experiment a bit on my ride home from work.

I feel like I put far more weight on the stock drag bars since I was hunched over them. That's one of the reasons I got the apes, so my back is nice and straight instead of slouching. I have tried leaning closer and further to the windshield to see if that makes a difference but it doesn't.

Has as anyone tried a stabilizer for this? I only ask cause it gets so bad that it feels like I'm gonna lose control around 90-100.

 

i agree 100%, I'm just curious if anyone else has corrected this, possibly with the use of a stabilizer.

 

Dont have any side view pics, but yes, they are slightly forward of the risers. I will definitely pull them back. Have you experienced this before? Just interested as to where that suggestion came from. Either way, thank you for all the responses.

 

This is an excellent suggestion Too many set up their apes for looks but they need to work with you and your body and posture. My 18" and 20" apes were always in line with the forks, never forward of them.

One other thought; take off the windscreen and take a run again. Those HD windscreens are like barn doors and at higher speeds they have to be adding input to the front. The windscreen plus the added input due to the new apes may have crossed the Rubicon for your bike