Over the Thanksgiving holiday I did a lot of riding. I dont typically encounter many places where all out 5th gear is possible but last weekend was an exception. I rode a dry lake and some other long straights. When I hit 5th and started really rolling it on it felt like I was riding a "washboard" and yet the terrain was pretty smooth.

I have one theory and it's only a theory. I have about 16oz. of Slime in each of my tires to prevent punctures. The manufacturer says the stuff is good for speeds of up to 70MPH. I'm thinking that maybe just beyond that speed the stuff throws the tire out of balance.

What do you guys think?

 

Entirely possible.

But did you check your axle?
Put it up on a block and get into 3rd or 4th gear with tires spinning, stand behind quad and look for a tire moving left and right...

 

I have not checked the axle. I wonder if there is another way of doing that without putting the thing on blocks. I have this uncanny visions of it wobbling right off the blocks and shooting through my barn wall. Somehow these types of things have a tendancy of happening to me so I've learned to try and avoid the situation.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]

 

Tie it to a rafter then so the tires can't lower to the ground.

Check to make sure the rims aren't egg-shaped too. The same thing recently happened to my girlfriend on her 400ex. I checked hers by spinning it with a pressure washer blowing against the tires to spin them.

/Jon

 

You may want to get steering damper to install and that will get rid of high speed wobble....
There are different brands out there. The one I have is GPR and it dail on the fly.

Other brands are PEP, Denton, Scott Performance.

 

Top speed of OVER 70mph....on a rappie...NO WAY!!!! LOL Just havin fun guys.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

I would agree with your theory of the slim making the tires out of balance.

As for checking your axle.. you can have a buddy ride beside and behind you and watch your wheels.. if they look to be round and running true.. they probably are.

Ride On.

 

I had slime in my tires and i could only go about 40 and it would wobble like crazy. I think it is the slime. I took the slime out of my tires.

 

Ahhh....my theory is getting some backing. I will check the axle first to eleminate that as the cause. If the axle is OK then the slime is comming out. I'm thinking the slim was intended more for utility quads on the trails. Live and learn I guess.

I think I will also take desracers advise and consider a steering damper. Sure couldn't hurt.

 

Unless you are riding in areas with a high concentration of thorns or cacti.. the slim is a bit of an overkill. I keep a tire/plug kit on my bike as well as a couple of C02 cartridges designed for bike tires. Seem to do the job.

Thinking about it... i have never had a flat on the trail.. it is always my buddies... how can that be?

Ride On.