Fairing Shakes

[grumpy]

I have a 1995 GL1500 w/an unknown model Lehman conversion, 72K miles. Bought it used last April w/ 42K miles. It has always had just a tiny bit of "shaking" in the fairing at highway speeds, but of late (last 8-10K miles) it has gradually become more pronounced. To the point that I can't really tell what I am seeing in the mirrors. This "shaking" is not always present. It can occur solo, two up, pulling a trailer, no trailer. It comes & goes gradually. There is no sudden starting or stopping. High wind makes it worse sometimes, but not always. When it is not present, wind doesn't seem to cause it to start. I can feel no shake or vibration in the bars & no "wobble". I do sometimes have a low speed (below 20 mph) head shake that is easily controllable with one hand. Super Brace installed. The triple tree says Trike Shop on the top. I assume it has more rake than stock, but have no way of knowing how much. My guess would be no more than 4.5, as it is not particularly easy to steer. (compared to my Valk trike which had 8*) Windscreen is an F4 +4. Makes no difference if it is raised or lowered. Shocks normally have 52 PSI when two up pulling the trailer but raising or lowering pressure doesn't seem to make any difference. Front tire is a BT45 reversed, approx 6K miles, 40 PSI. Rears are General Altimax, 20 PSI, Approx 4K miles. All tires have beads in them. Any thoughts as to where I might look for the cause? TIA. Stan

 

[Solidbob]

I have a 1995 GL1500 w/an unknown model Lehman conversion, 72K miles. Bought it used last April w/ 42K miles. It has always had just a tiny bit of "shaking" in the fairing at highway speeds, but of late (last 8-10K miles) it has gradually become more pronounced. To the point that I can't really tell what I am seeing in the mirrors. This "shaking" is not always present. It can occur solo, two up, pulling a trailer, no trailer. It comes & goes gradually. There is no sudden starting or stopping. High wind makes it worse sometimes, but not always. When it is not present, wind doesn't seem to cause it to start. I can feel no shake or vibration in the bars & no "wobble". I do sometimes have a low speed (below 20 mph) head shake that is easily controllable with one hand. Super Brace installed. The triple tree says Trike Shop on the top. I assume it has more rake than stock, but have no way of knowing how much. My guess would be no more than 4.5, as it is not particularly easy to steer. (compared to my Valk trike which had 8*) Windscreen is an F4 +4. Makes no difference if it is raised or lowered. Shocks normally have 52 PSI when two up pulling the trailer but raising or lowering pressure doesn't seem to make any difference. Front tire is a BT45 reversed, approx 6K miles, 40 PSI. Rears are General Altimax, 20 PSI, Approx 4K miles. All tires have beads in them. Any thoughts as to where I might look for the cause? TIA. Stan

Walking thru the points you made are you positive your kit is a Lehman / as Lehman did not use Trike Shop triple trees as they are from Roadsmith. But you say it has air shocks and that's not Roadsmith so I would say someone picked up a set of RS Triple Trees and installed those in the stock neck, unless they were for a 1500 they may have came with a different size bearings. Head shaking and vibration shaking in the front end can be a number of things: 1. Bearings in the triple tree worn out or if OK then not torqued to the right setting or change them out to New All Balls Tapered Racing Bearings (Google them) 2. Fronts Forks could need a rebuild but that should show up as cupped front tire and mushy feeling front forks that dive when front brake is applied / rebuild and use a 10wt. fork oil. 3. Try raising tire pressures to 41 front and 25 rear unless it rides hard then adjust your air shocks down some. If I was taking bets I'd say its triple tree bearings and put the new ones in first making sure that triple tree was for a 1500 and not an 1800, but I'm not sure if there is a difference... You can jack the front slightly off the ground and check for slop and tightness of the bearings in the front end. There should be a slight drag felt when turning the bars, if they flop side to side change those bearings to ALL BALLS BRAND.... Just my FYI...

 

[grumpy]

Solidbob, thanks for the reply. It is definitely a Lehman. I agree that the triple tree was probably added after the conversion. I have checked the head bearings as you suggested. The torque appears correct, w/ no sign of indexing. No mushiness or excessive dive under front braking. Forks have been rebuilt w/ Progressive springs & 10 wt oil. (PO put in the progressive springs but I had the forks rebuilt with new bushings, seals, etc) Front tire had minimal cupping when replaced after approx 24K miles. If I put more than 20 psi in the rears, it bounces down the road like a basketball, no matter the pressure in the shocks. 17 psi really gives the most comfortable ride. I can try 41 in the front, but the front is already harsh over pavement joints, potholes, etc. (no doubt the Progressive springs) The shaking is not felt in the handlebars at all. While the shaking is occurring, I can let go of the bars with no effect. The trike tracks straight. The bars do not wobble or shake. It seems that the fairing is moving independently from the front suspension/steering. Is it possible that the fairing mounting bolts/screws are loose? How would one check that? Stan

 

[John Luciano]

U mention the mirrors shake. Are you sure the whole fairing is shaking and not just the mirrors. If the screws holding the mirrors are not really tight ( even loose an 1/8 of a turn ) they will shake so bad you can't use them. I delt with this for months after my F4 was installed. Un attach the rubber boots from the mirror . Bend the mirror and tighten the screws with a long heave duty screw driver. Check all the screws. Some are hard to see. I have had my 1500 for 15 years and never had the fairing come loose or shake at such a high frequency the the mirror blurred.
BTW. the F 4 + 4 can not be raised and lowered. Either not F 4 or it is an F 4 +2

 

[grumpy]

John, it is an F4 so must be a +2. I think the whole fairing is shaking. Soon as I can get it out of the garage (a friend's Valk Trike is in there with leaking o-rings in the fuel rails not fun to fix) I will go ride it to confirm that. May be a couple of days. Will report back. Stan

 

[Marc H]

Stan theres 4 bolts in the front.2 behind the headlight and 2 right under the fairing viewed from the front under the headlight area kinda underneath.If those are loose or gone the fairing will have movement.Also are the mirrors themselves tight?

Marc

 

[cscsonny]

Stan,
As LuvMyStar states I would check for a loose fairing bolts or a possible broken fairing stay (that's the upper front fairing bracket that attaches the fairing to the bike).Use both hands under the front intake vent under the headlight and lift upwards and then to right/left checking for looseness.The 2 rear bolts are easy from just under the handle bars in front of frame neck.Front 2 headlight must be removed.
I replaced the fairing stay once in a friends GW1500 was broken.Not to bad a job.Don't have to remove fairing.

 

[grumpy]

OK. Got my friend's Valk trike all squared away. We rode for a couple of days around here.(I rode my '97 solo Valkyrie as the wives were up at Keystone) He and his wife went home Sunday so I was able to do some checking on my fairing issue. After lifting, pushing and pulling every which way, I can feel no looseness in the fairing. The mirrors are tight. The shaking is essentially a side to side motion. Is it possible this could be something like swing arm bushings or something loose/mis-aligned in the conversion?

 

[Missouri Charley]

I had this happen several years ago and tried every thing I could think of. Finally pulled the back wheels and took the tires off. When the tire shop mounted the rear tires some of the tire lube got inside the tires and the dyna beads stuck to the lube in big clumps throwing the rear tires severely out of balance causing the front fairing and rear view mirrors to shake really hard. Cleaned all this junk out, remounted without lube, new dyna beads and all was good. Charley

 

[grumpy]

Charley--I will check out the rear tires. I watched the guy mount them & didn't think he got any lube inside, but I have gotten in trouble before by doing my own thinking. Stan

 

[glenn m]

My fairing also shakes from side to side. I just completely rebuilt my 89 GL1500/CSC trike. I had to replace the fairing the old one was broken at the mounting holes and rewelded mounting tabs on the front brace. So after all that the new one still shakes just fairing only. It depends on the road sometimes I can't see what is in my mirrors. I just rechecked all the mounting bolts no loose ones. When I had my 2 wheel GL1500 it had no fairing shake. I hope this is not a on going problem with trikes and I hope someone has a fix. I also have changed tires and tire pressures no change in shake. Also this is my first trike.