My 2016 special doesn't have air shocks. It has hand adjustable preload shocks. The Low Rider is great. Though I've been putting a few more miles on the RG lately. Looks like rain starts after around 2pm today, so with the buy week this week, I'll be out a few hours this morning on the LRS.

Indeed I do. I found it pretty ironic that I could very well have ended up there had this been worse!

 

With bar wobble, lean forward and down. Works like a charm. I had a bike years ago that would do it from time to time, I just learned to deal with it and ride on. Same bike had the shifter shaft splines to strip out on it, so I clamped a big pair of vice grips on it to shift with. Rode it that way for about a year before I got around to fixing it.
Good luck with the rear wobble, until you get it remedied, you might have to just find ways to avoid or deal with it. A little like some women, ya know?

 

You unloaded the rear suspension when you came up from the dip, touching the floor board didn't help either. The rear shock did not have enough travel to keep your rear tire planted. There is nothing wrong with your bike, it's just not designed to do dirt bike maneuvers.
Your going to need a full riding suit, boots, gloves and full face helmet before you try that again.

 

Some just can't imagine that the Moco would build bikes with a flawed design for so long. The fact is the motor, trans and swing arm is still held be rubber that allows it to all move side to side, that's isolaters that are stout but can move. I've it felt on a new bike 2016 that was built ,. When I got on it the shift was there, so no the real problem has not been addressed, just beefed up other stuff to help. If you ask Moco or some others on here there was never a design flaw. Had it happen twice on my bike but not anymore with a brace.

 

Curious what the speed limit was? You say you were doing 65-70 in a big sweeper.

There's a big sweeping turn with a small bump in it on my way home from work that if I am doing the speed limit, nothing. But if I am speeding, it will do it on both my 08 and my 13 with the new frame. It's happened to me so much I don't even pay attention to it anymore. It is worse on the 08 but still there on the 13.

My personal theory is that the people that have accidents were speeding, inexperienced, and freaked out when the rear end moved around a little.

Now that you have felt it, know what causes it, know when to anticipate the possibility, you'll be better prepared to handle it when it happens and just ride through it. Yes it feels very weird when it happens but it's not going to bring you down unless you panic and over react. The easiest and cheapest fix is just to slow down a little and go the speed limit in the big high speed sweepers.

I know we all want our bikes to handle the best they can and push them to the edge but we bought touring bikes that were designed to be comfy on long hauls down the interstate packed with gear. As much as we would like them to ride like one, they are not crotch rockets.

 

Was it like this?


Forum member Grbrown wrote a good article a couple of years ago on the how and why the wobble occurs. And no, the new frames didn't help much...primarily because the inherent problem resides in the way the rear of the motor is attached (i.e. not attached ) to the frame. This is why the True Track stabilizer, when mounted properly under the bike, helps to minimize if not cure the problem.

 

Sorry chaps, been away for a biking weekend, just got back! I did indeed write a piece explaining the source of the wobble here, which is worth reading IMHO. I have subsequently read a comment by another member who watched a rider hit a big pothole, his shocks compressed fully, the bike shot up in the air and he lost control when his bike came back to Earth. That was caused almost entirely by crap shocks. So your plan to buy Ohlins (I have them as well) is a very good one, they should dramatically improve control of your rear end when hitting a dip or pothole. Add a True-Track kit and you should find your bike is worlds better.

 

I doubt there is anything wrong with the bike. Just that perfect storm of circumstances and maybe a little too much speed. Glad you made it home safely.

 

Yep, when exploring the limits on a motorcycle, rider skill and experience becomes important, not saying anything negative about you or your skill level just that you probably learned something that day... from your description I would think that there is nothing wrong with your bike but as others have posted I would check the tire pressure and the fall away just to be sure...
high speed sweepers put incredible loading on the suspension and the frame of the motorcycle, sounds like that dip that cause the floorboard to scrape upset the loading...
glad you got out of it okay!

 

My thoughts exactly.