Is my back wheel sliding out? (VFR)

An unusual sensation that I have had lately is the rear of the bike falling away on turns. I'm not riding hard and not any more than minimal power. Certainly more gently with the VFR than the the CBR500. The only real difference between them is the weight and the size of the rear tire. I've felt it a couple of times now. I understand that leaning a bike make the RPM increase, but gradual sliding?

Check the wear pattern on the tyre. Is the a ridge either side of the centre? I'm assuming you've checked the obvious, pressure, alignment, everything tight, no oil or diesel on the tyre.

Is the centre of balance different from what you're used too?

Some years ago I was on a ride with a group when a rider on a VFR felt what he described as a big rear wheel slide. When your seat dips suddenly in a bend, the sensation you get is that the rear wheel has stepped out. In this case, it transpired that it was a rear suspension issue. Just a thought - is your rear suspension unit working as per design ?

that happened to me a few years ago riding down douglas front in the iom i found out later it was horse crap from the horse trams

I'd be checking the rear tyre pressure first and then making sure the nuts holding the wheel on are tight.

I've had that sensation a few times especially on my GSXR,s . I can't really explain it . I don't think the back wheel actually did slide but I've definitely had a few sweaty moments when I've felt the bike suddenly lean much more than expected . Could be ruts in the road caused by busses and lorries . No idea really . The important thing is that I didn't come off .

Double post

I've given it another click of preload. We'll see.

Its more than likely the wear on the rear tyre having the squared off edge and when cornering maybe the feeling is where the bike is getting over the squared off edge and leaning quicker than you anticipated, but could easily be a number of other things

Hard to say without seeing it or riding it!

I'd go for the squared off tyre

Its more than likely the wear on the rear tyre having the squared off edge and when cornering maybe the feeling is where the bike is getting over the squared off edge and leaning quicker than you anticipated, but could easily be a number of other things

A distinct possibility .

Lots of things cause sensations that can be described like this. They all feel different from each other but still match the description.

If it is a very sudden holy-crap wobble event that happens consistently at a certain lean angle, check your bearings. This is actually a bike wobble, not a tyre slip, but because the bike suddenly wobbles in and then out it can feel like the tyre suddenly slipped and caught again. Genuinely scary.

Next up on the buttclenchometer is the wheel balance, which depending on suspension setup can go totally unnoticed until you're at a high lean angle.

Contamination on the edge of the tyre (chain lube) can cause this but usually wears away quite quickly.

Also if it's genuine slip, check your shock and sag.

Much further down on the scary list is a misshapen tyre (ridden hard at a certain lean angle such as on track, but never past it), causing a similar effect to a squared-off tyre, but you don't feel it until you're much further over and try to go past that point and then it just 'drops in'. Whenever I've experienced this it felt like a petulant teenager: "But daddy! I don't want to lean further!" followed by "Okay fine! You want to lean? I'll show you lean!"

Yup.

1. Check the rear tyre: I've had exactly this feeling, and was sure my rear shock was going. It turned out all I needed was a new rear - it was squared off. Similarly, check the pressure. Too low can make the rear squirm.

2. If this doesn't sort it out then check the suspension set up: if there's not enough preload on the rear, the bike can wallow in corners, which feels a lot like your description. Check to see what it's set up to now, and compare to the manufacturer's recommendations. Also, you can just play with different adjustments and see if it improves. A properly set-up suspension can completely transform a bike.

Put your leg out when backing it in. See videos of marky markez for tips.

Put your leg out when backing it in. See videos of marky markez for tips.

Abit of the drs dangle never hurts, I wont lie I have tried it a few times and it doesn't do anything whatsoever in my view even on a trackday

i have watched riders do it and it looks sloppy, still a lot of years ago people moaned about racers sticking their knee out going in to corners so it might catch on with road riders in a bit

Is this the bike you have been playing with the suspension settings ?

Put your leg out when backing it in. See videos of marky markez for tips.

 

Abit of the drs dangle never hurts, I wont lie I have tried it a few times and it doesn't do anything whatsoever in my view even on a trackday

I remember when it first started being a thing in Moto GP, started by Rossi, thought he'd been spending to much time on an MX bike to be honest!.

Its not a squared off tyre. In fact its completely evenly worn as if its been used as a track bike. It IS an old Road 2 tyre though so I'll put a Road 5 on it soon. As for suspension; it arrived with 45 mm of rear sag I gave it a couple more clicks in but I didn't recheck.

It does do the petulant teenager thing though. On the CBR I had to push harder to lean harder. On this I have to push hard to start the roll and then it just ....... goes.

Its not a squared off tyre. ........ On this I have to push hard to start the roll and then it just ....... goes.

That's odd, perhaps head bearings or steering damper in need of a service?

Either way, I'd certainly check for free play in your wheel bearings.