• 4 Stroke Husqvarna Motorcycles Made In Italy - About 1989 to 2014
     TE = 4st Enduro & TC = 4st Cross

  • Hi everyone,

    As you all know, Coffee (Dean) passed away a couple of years ago. I am Dean's ex-wife's husband and happen to have spent my career in tech. Over the years, I occasionally helped Dean with various tech issues.

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511 Twitchy at High Speed

S

Suputin

Husqvarna
AA Class
My SMR 511 is ridiculously twitchy at higher speeds. So much so it is quite scary. At anything over about 70 mph the thing feels like it is about to go into a massive tank slapper at any second.

I have the forks dropped in the triple clamp so that they are even with the top of the clamp and I have taken a bunch of rear spring preload out to try to raise the front end and drop the rear end but the thing is still freakin scary!

I have a Scotts damper I want to mount but Scotts doesn't offer a mounting kit for the 511.

Anyone had any experience with this extreme twitchiness and have a solution for it?
 
Any info on how to do that would be excellent. As you know, Scotts have no mounting kit for this bike so it apparently needs to be cobbled together from different parts applications.
 
I run about 30 psi on the street. Tires doesn't seem to make much difference as the bike has done this since new. It is a bit worse right now but it has always been scary.

On thing I thought might have contributed to the problem was the steering head bearings seems to loosen up over time. Last season when I discovered this issue, the bearings were quite loose. Right now I have them maybe a tad tight in an effort to try to stop them loosening so easily.
 
Unless the SMR is different Scott's makes a kit. I have a BRP sub mount top triple and Scott's mount kit if interested.
 
Suputin said:
Any info on how to do that would be excellent. As you know, Scotts have no mounting kit for this bike so it apparently needs to be cobbled together from different parts applications.
Click to expand...
BRP/Scotts mount. I had same speed wobbles, but it wasn't because I didn't have a damper, it was due to having the stock front tire and race sag not set correctly.

brp_scottsmount.jpg
 
Tinken said:
BRP/Scotts mount. I had same speed wobbles, but it wasn't because I didn't have a damper, it was due to having the stock front tire and race sag not set correctly.

brp_scottsmount.jpg
Click to expand...
Tinken said:
BRP/Scotts mount. I had same speed wobbles, but it wasn't because I didn't have a damper, it was due to having the stock front tire and race sag not set correctly.

brp_scottsmount.jpg
Click to expand...
+ 1 on both points above, changed tyres to Bridegestone BT003RS and set up front suspension, problem solved. Used to shake her head like my wife at 130 kmph now no issues at 170-180 and that was after lightening front end by removing headlight/dash
 
N4544D said:
Unless the SMR is different Scott's makes a kit. I have a BRP sub mount top triple and Scott's mount kit if interested.
Click to expand...


How much?



+ 1 on both points above, changed tyres to Bridegestone BT003RS and set up front suspension, problem solved. Used to shake her head like my wife at 130 kmph now no issues at 170-180 and that was after lightening front end by removing headlight/dash
Click to expand...

I no longer have the stock front tire but I have not really done anything with my front suspension. So apparently I need to get that sorted. Any suggestions on the sag length I should be shooting for?
 
You need to get your suspension setup.

A damper helps to stop a tank slapper when it occurs or keep it from happening.

You should not have an unstable bike PERIOD, they would not sell it if it was. Seriously.



Also you need to pull the front end off and REALLY inspect those steering head bearings. Too loose and any bump in the road can cause the bike to wobble/weave and be generally unstable.

Too tight and the bike will be hard to steer and the front end will not track right causing even worse issues.

If you have any hesitation about the condition of the steering stem bearings/races, I would replace them.

My te511 with dirt wheels was quite unstable like you describe. I had the forks shoved UP so it was sharper handling but mainly to lower it for my short inseam, I also had lots of preload out of the rear = unstable bike.

If you lean rearward too much the front does not have proper weight on it and will "skip" on bumps, causing a twitch/unnerving feeling.

These bikes like to be leaned FORWARD. The more I lower my front the more stable and better handling the bike is. I lowered the front 1" from SMR stock specs and it handled much better. I now am considering RAISING the rear of the bike.

My bike does not need a damper at all and have been up to 105mph on the gps so far. ROCK solid, like its glued to the ground, feels great on the road.
 
Huskylove is all over this - like stink on poo.

Out of the box, my TE was a bit stinkbug too. I spent a little time getting BOTH ends dialed in, and this is BY FAR the most stable and plantedbike I have ever had. I have zero use for a damper...but I have learned to deal with rock deflections.

I have zero headshake issues any monger well into "go to jail" speeds. For some reason, when our crew jumps off singletrack...the next phase is Warp 9 to the next trail head...maybe that makes up for the 12 mph average on-trail lol!
 
huskylove said:
My te511 with dirt wheels was quite unstable like you describe. I had the forks shoved UP so it was sharper handling but mainly to lower it for my short inseam, I also had lots of preload out of the rear = unstable bike.

If you lean rearward too much the front does not have proper weight on it and will "skip" on bumps, causing a twitch/unnerving feeling.

These bikes like to be leaned FORWARD. The more I lower my front the more stable and better handling the bike is. I lowered the front 1" from SMR stock specs and it handled much better. I now am considering RAISING the rear of the bike.
Click to expand...


I had an Aprilia SXV and it was the same. The thing that seems strange to me is that lower the front and raising the rear should sharpen up the steering head angle which should make the problem worse. However at this point I need to do something to try to solve this issue as the thing is outright scary at any kind of speed.
 
Well I would start with the steering head bearings.

We have the same triple clamp offset, wheel size, only difference is my suspension is lowered about 1" total front and rear evenly. I then shoved the forks up 1" to make it turn in a bit better, and it felt wayyy better.

I dont see how your bike could be this unstable without something obviously wrong.
 
Mine was snaky also, but after proper suspension settings, tires, she is good to 90 plus, no damper, tho
it would be nice, it makes a good bike better...
 
In my experience these 449/511 bikes are quite reliant on properly composed (see set up) suspension. Get a mate or two to assist you in setting SAG front and rear (workshop manual provides good starting points as a reference). My SMR 511 was scary early on until I set SAG/rebound/compression F & R, now no problems. To be precise I'm not referring to your standard 'tank slapper' (which would be really scary on our bikes considering the location of our fuel tank :D!), I'm referencing a slight to serious weave at higher speeds. At first I thought it was incorrect front tyre pressures and my body position on the bike. Setting suspension eliminated the problem and new tyres improved feel even more. Please note this had NOTHING to do with changing suspension geometry by moving forks through the clamps. My TE449 also had/has the front end weave at higher speeds on sealed roads, suspension set up reduced the effect significantly and the remaining I put down to the stock crappy knobbies. With the (majority of the) tank at the back of the bike fuel usage (amount) has a pronounced effect on the rear suspension set up I have found. Put 6-7 kg's on the back of your seat and try the difference.

In your situation I suggest set your SAG F&R and your compression/rebound using the manual as a guide and check your tyre pressures, this is quickest/easiest to do. If that doesn't eliminate/improve the situation, check the bearings.
 
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