Wheel feels like its wandering away...

[SmokeyMcNug]

96 kat 600 here. im kind of a noob at this but sometimes i feel a little wandering in my rear when im on some corners or when im heavy braking (not "threshold braking" but quicker stopping). i have locked up the rear while braking a couple times, thanks to cars not paying attention but this is different. is this a suspension issue? closest thing i can think of is it feels like a stiff slinky sometimes.

everything on the bike feels tight and rear wheel doesnt have that sidetoside wobble feeling while sitting.

i dont have centerstand to raise the rear to check anything btw. i have a feeling someone will suggest that. i have also searched the forums but the search tab disappears whenever i try to type in it on my tablet. any knowledge is greatly appreciated!

[ZookRick]

Check tire pressures? Maybe increase rear preload/damping or upgrade to a better shock, like an R6 shock.

[92xjunker]

Could be many things. From just a worn or old tire, bad bearing or incorrect suspension setup. You don't need a center stand to check alignment, just measure from a fixed point ( swing arm pivot point ) to the axle. Is the tire properly inflated? Is the tire wearing normal, no cupping or splitting? Is the rotor true, not warped? Is the front tire wearing normal? Any excessive play in the wheel, forks or swing arm? ( will need a lift to check these points, an ATV lift works, a floor jack and jack stands or build cradle strap lift). What brand tires do you have? How old are they? Over 4- 5 years, they need replaced.

[Kreylyn]

Oversized tires will give the same feeling too.


Krey

[92xjunker]

Hey, Tim..
True.....a 170+ tire on a 3.5" wide wheel is no bueno

[SmokeyMcNug]

they are avon road riders. front: 110/80v17, rear is 140/80v17. not sure on age but i do know the bike wasnt tabbed for 2 years. po laid bike down and next po did some rebuild. i am finding out thereis a lot he left out on this bike and i am havingto get random nuts and bolts...

thank u 92xjunker for the checklist. i have a couple days off so i will check what i can and look up a few more things.

[92xjunker]

I've been told road riders aren't available any more, if that tells you anything..I swapped to pr4's over a year ago. I'm thinking they are just too old. I used those, great tire.

[Kreylyn]

The date stamp is on the side of the tires. Anything older than 5 years is gonna be hard, unsafe, and handle poorly.

If it turns out it's a tire issue, I would also recommend the Michelin Pilot Road tires.

Krey

[SmokeyMcNug]

i wil admit they are a little old i think. about the max age, lol.

After some very slight research, i found that some people are recommending going to 120 in the front and 150 in the rear, with obvious size adjust to tire height. does this give you greater lean? also, what is a good tire for the rain? im in washington state and we get peed on a lot.

[92xjunker]

Michelin PR 4 is a great long wearing tire. Yes 120/70 and 150/70 is a common replacement size.

[pikachukat]

How is your tire balance? That "Wandering" feeling may be the product of an unbalanced tire. Also +1 on slightly out of alignment. If those are both good and the wheel has no play if you get it off the ground and shake it, I'm guessing tires.

[KAT TOY]

my post Kat had a steering stem bearing with a notch worn in it slightly off center. I chased that for a while. new tapered bearings did the fix. now it tracks straight.