The symptoms of a bad compensator are a loud clang at start up, trouble shifting into first or neutral and a sound like gravel in the front of the primary around 2200 RPM. But, the only way to know for sure that you have this problem is to pull the primary cover off and look.

1 AMF Years Were Embarrassing However, 1969-1981 Harleys are among the worst, and the AMF years are definitely the worst period that this company has ever seen. During the AMF years, bikes were of bad quality when pegged against their counterparts.

The intention of the compensator is to smooth out the rough pulses that the engine creates under certain load situations (think about when you lug the engine and it bucks back and forth) and prevent them from being transmitted through the drivetrain.

Some say it only happens on Harleys (mostly on the Road King, Ultra Classic, the Electra Glide and FLH series), but actually the wobble can happen on any bike and can happen with either the front or the rear of the bike.

High-speed wobble occurs when the physical forces being placed on your bike by speed are too great for the bike to handle. Sometimes, but not always, this is initiated when cornering because it is then that greater stress is being placed on the chassis.

The death wobble is a shimmying, shaking or oscillation that occurs when a mechanical or rider induced irregularity occurs with the front tire or steering component(s) of the motorcycle. Speed and other physical forces can wind up being too much for your bike to handle. …

Relax & Get Low The importance of relaxing and going with the flow can’t be overlooked. Get low, relax your legs and focus on keeping your upper body over your board and positioned slightly forward. Attack the hill and if your board starts to wobble, stay relaxed and confident. Practice Slowing Down & Stopping!

The only way to truly overcome the dreaded wobbles in most situations is to build your skills by becoming more and more comfortable with speed. Start slow and longboard on hills within your limits. Most riders start by utilizing set ups that make it hard to get wobbles.

The most common cause of vehicle wobbles in this speed range is a bent wheel or mildly out of round tire. Transmission and drive line issues can also show up in this range, but tires are the first thing to check. The most common cause of vehicle shakes at 50 mph or higher is tire balance.

Speed wobble is caused when something, either an inherent misalignment of the frame or components, or an outside force, that causes the wheels to track divergent paths. The frame flexes to allow this to occur until the action is overpowered by the self-correcting forces created by the bike’s steering geometry.

If you’re used to skating tight trucks, loosening them can improve the flow of your skateboarding. Without having to tic-tac up to an obstacle or lean drastically as you roll away, your skating will take on an easier, more care-free look. Loose trucks also forgive less-than-perfect landings.

Skaters are skinny because being skinnier presents a significant advantage in this sport. Such a physique allows for more agility, flexibility, and mobility. And, of course, it’s much more efficient as you would spend a lot more energy on even the simplest movements if you had a lot more mass, be it muscles or fat.

Loose will help with your balance, and your style will look cleaner and more chilled. Medium, just enough to let the board give a little when you land tricks and are trying flip tricks.

Some of the best skateboarders ride the tightest trucks. For me, I stand on their board and I can’t roll forward, it’s the most awkward feeling in the world. But nobody should be knocked for riding tight, loose, medium – it’s all just preference.

The nuts should be tightened as far as they can be without impeding the spin of the wheel. Generally you should feel only a very minor amount of play if you try to move the wheel side to side. Occasionally a nut might work itself tighter or looser than originally set and should just be corrected.

Trucks are the metal axles in the front and back of your board that hold the wheels on. They need to regularly be tightened, as they come loose over time. Properly tightened trucks make your board ride smoother and cleaner and helps tune the board to your turning style. They also give you more balance.

So, if you don’t have a skate tool find a wrench or screwdriver in your house. The method of tightening with a screwdriver or wrench is almost the same as the method of tightening with a skate tool. You have to place the screwdriver or the wrench whichever you use in the nut and turn it clockwise.

Hence, the bushings you use should be on the tight side. Barrels or eliminators are preferred as they will be stable although quite restrictive. When it comes to tightening your kingpin screw – we don’t suggest that, it should be just so tight that you can’t turn the bottom washer by hand.

You can make the necessary adjustments by tightening or loosening the nyloc nut on the axle. You’ll need a 1/2-inch wrench or socket to do the job. To check for correct installation, first grip the wheels one at a time and try to shake them. If they slide sideways on the axle, they are too loose.

If you are a beginner, then you should keep the trucks tight as one can easily control the skateboard with tight trucks. On the other hand, loose trucks give a better flow to the skateboard and allow one to do tricks in a better way.

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