strange wobble/vibe front end

[cdo1uk]

My XR4 is a 2002 and in all areas its great.... but i have noticed on the road, at speed (about 45/50mph) i get a strange sensation throught the front end... its like a wobble (up down, not side to side) from the forks, but its not in time with the wheel rotation, but it runs in time with itself... there is a few seconds before it does it again, not like a wheel out of true. I also gets worse the faster it goes. any ideas?

[TRANSPORTER]

MMMMM wonder what you do for a job??? Anyway back to the question, this sounds just like my 250, happens at certain speeds and as you say seems to out of time with the wheel rotation, if I take one hand off the bars whilst riding its gets worse through the bars.
I have noticed whilst riding by looking at the wheel at a spot between the right hand fork and the mud guard you can just see the wheel rotating and I can see a slight lateral movement in the wheel.
i thought at first that it might be a flat spot on the tyre, from being stored in one postion for to long, also i seem to be looking for corrogations in the road surface, as mine seems to be worse on certain parts of my ride to work.
I,m hoping to get a new set of wheels soon to see if this is the problem.
I find it strange that i now know of 3 riders of XRs that are having this problem. mines a 99 my mates a 2000.
Has anyone else had a problem like this??????

[cdo1uk]

In a way im gald its not just me thats having this problem, but still, it a problem that needs an answer...

What do you think i do for a job?

[Xman]

If you have a tyre rim lock fitted, this is almost certainly the cause and happens with nearly all dirt bikes. I have experimented by trying to balance it out with tyre weights fitted to the opposite side of the wheel to the rimlock, but it's not very successful.

[cdo1uk]

i do have them fitted..... nice to know its that simple.

thanks

[TRANSPORTER]

cdo1uk your not a Royal are you??

As for the rim locks Ive had them fitted since I got my bike back in 99 and have never had the problem before, I have heard of people trying to balance out the rim locks, might give it a go as this is a problem that has just raised its head on my bike.
Will even take the wheel to my local to put it a balance rig to see how much weight it might need, will have a good look at my spokes aswell to mae sure they are all true and tight.

[cdo1uk]

A Royal.... what ever gave you that idea?

[phil w]

I came across it on a run back on motorway from Weston to Cardiff on mine and guessed it could only be the rim lock. Felt like a jackhammer on the front end

[TRANSPORTER]

A Royal.... what ever gave you that idea?

OOhhh I dunno just a stab in the dark lets just say that I wrk for them aswell, but now as a MR.
I,m gonna have a look at my tyres to see if they are ok then I,m going to try that balance thingy, just strange that its only just started after 10 years of ownership.
No cuff to tuff

[TRANSPORTER]

I,m going to have a look at running different pressures in the tyres this weekend, I,ve got my front pretty low at the moment and the back quite high, (only way to get the new tyre to seat itself properly) . was thinking about going back to around 15psi front and back to see if it softens up this sodding bounce!!!!!