It comes completely out of nowhere, for seemingly no reason.
But there is a reason why it happens, and often, it comes down to something mechanical-related.
In this blog post, you’ll discover:
- What death wobble is, and what causes it
- The 6 most common reasons for death wobble
- What you can do to deal with death wobble before it even happens – and what you can do if it happens anyway
What Is the “Death Wobble” on a Motorcycle?
Suddenly, your handlebars and your motorcycle begin to shake, almost for no reason.
It might look something like this:
It can happen without warning, but often, there are reasons why motorcycle death wobble happens.
5 Things You Can Do To Reduce Your Risk of Motorcycle Death Wobble
1. Check your tire pressure and adjust if necessary
Therefore, check your tires with a tire pressure gauge regularly, and inflate or deflate them if you need to.
2. Replace bald tires
Because it doesn’t matter if you’ve got properly inflated tires – if you’re riding on bald tires, you’re just as likely to experience death wobble (not to mention poor traction).
3. Ensure that your cargo load is balanced
Distribute the weight in your saddlebags evenly, keeping your heaviest items close to the area between your head and the axles – also known as the “load triangle.”
But the load isn’t just any cargo you might be carrying. If you’re taking a pillion passenger along for the ride, they must sit as close to you as possible.
Otherwise, it’s just as bad as an imbalanced cargo load.
4. Tighten your wheel spokes
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels:
If one or even several spokes are loose- they won’t be able to support all the weight put on it from:
- The wheel itself
- The bike
- Your weight
If you’re riding a dirt bike, a cruiser, or a two-wheeler with spoked wheels, remember to check their tightness and tighten them with a spoke wrench if you need to.
5. Refit any loose fairing pieces
But just like spokes, the bike’s aerodynamics are massively reduced if a piece of fairing isn’t fitted correctly.
Take a walk along your bike, look for loose fairings, and retighten them if necessary.
What Do You Do If You Experience Death Wobble While Riding?
But how do you deal with death wobble while it’s happening? It’s not like you can inflate your tires or adjust your fairings while the motorcycle is wobbling.
By then, it’s too late – there are still a few things you can do to get out of the situation safe and sound, something which this video from the MCRider YouTube channel talks more about:
