Back wheel a bit wriggly

[RantyDave]

OK, so it's not really a sportsbike but I'm just getting to the point of learning where I'm starting to push my bike a bit round corners. It's a 2003 SR250, so not really designed for stellar performance.

Anyway, from time to time I've noticed the back wheel getting a bit wriggly or generally feeling unsettled. Generally coming out of a corner and "hard" on the gas although I had an interesting one leaving a wet roundabout the other day.

Before this finally lands my arse on the tarmac, can anyone shed light on why? Is it:

a) My technique sucks? If so, in what way - probably?
b) The first signs of the back tyre being worn? The bike has about 11k on the clock but I doubt the tyre has ever been changed.
c) More preload? Less preload? Makes no difference?
d) F'ks sake it's a beginners 250, don't cane it that hard.

All pointers gratefully received. Oh, and a discussion on the difference between good suspension and bad would be enlightening. Why, for instance, do people pay so much for Ohlins shocks?

Cheers,
Dave

[aff-man]

Good tyres will make the bike handel heaps better. Also tyre pressures etc...

There are quite a few things before you go the way of suspension (especially on such a new bike) and things like wheel bearings and such..

Why do people buy ohlins.. cause it further improves the handeling of your bike and it can be finley tuned for a specific rider. It will just do everything better than the origional.

[R6_kid:Me]

got any pics of it? Last i heard an SR250 was a rat bike like the GN...

[M1CRO:Me]

...Before this finally lands my arse on the tarmac, can anyone shed light on why?...

There is room to move by changing shocks and playing with the settings but I would recommend you, at least, start from the base up and work from there. Just changing the tyre make can make a huge difference but at the end of the day, tyre pressures are still a BIG part. If you havent got a guage then get one and monitor them. Start at the manufacturers recommendation and work on them until it suits YOU. For example, I run 39psi in the front even though the tire manufacturer recommends 42 .. All to their own personal taste...

[RantyDave]

got any pics of it? Last i heard an SR250 was a rat bike like the GN...

A bit like a GN. I actually quite like the "not being a GN" aspect of the whole thing, although whether it's me just be an insufferable snob or not remains to be seen.

Attached...

[RantyDave]

If you havent got a guage then get one and monitor them. Start at the manufacturers recommendation and work on them until it suits YOU.

Ahhh, right. I took a while for me to organise a guage but when I did I realised the bike came from the shop with 300kPa (~43PSI) and Yamaha's service manual recommended 180 front and 200 rear (~28PSI). So I dropped the pressure. I did notice a reduction in "bounce" off the rear wheel under engine breaking but have been wondering if I over cooked it a bit.

I'm kinda light too, I think. A reasonably skinny just under 6 foot, but starting to get inevitable 30-something lard

I shall piss around with tyre pressures and see what happens.

Dave

[TonyB]

Check your rear wheel bearings. Worn bearings means a wobbly back wheel, which will result in a vague feeling that you can't quite puit your finger on. Make sure you check the wheel in several different positions.

[dhunt]

Doesn't it have a quite a square shape tyre? You probably find there isn't much rubber on the road with any lean so that may cause problems, but I think that's a bit how they come.

We were out riding my mates GN in the wet yesturday and it was doing that a bit as well. So could be part bike style/tyre shape.

[ducatilover]

my gn did that too, i raced my brothers cage over the takas [i stayed behind him as his mazda 323 1300 was more powerful and he knows the road better] and he said it was doing wobblies out of corners and i didnt even notice, i only went 'fast' up the hill and them some fellas over took us on some real bikes, though when i rode my bros 650 home he didnt stand a friggin chance :spudwave: [ my brother not the real bikes, they woulda eaten me] sorry, i'm ranting, but yeah thats what gns do when trying to corner leaning off the bike pretending to knee down etc [in short we ride crappy bikes like that waaaaaay to hard ]