Counter Weight

[grandpa]

Hi.
I have a 78 rebuildt to Inter State. I don't know who did that. She is quite " heavy " to handle when I do a sharp turn. Under normal condition on the street there is no problem.
When I read topic about 1980 and on, I read about a counter weight. And I don't think I have one on my bike. Could that bee the reason? Or can some one tell mee the reason with the counter weight and where it is mounted.
Thanks in advance.

[virgilmobile]

The 3 pound counter weight is mounted center of the upper and lower tripple tree,attached to the forks.
It's purpose is to reduce deceleration wobble.Low speed

If you have handling problems ,look at tire condition and ***air pressure***,fork air pressure,rear suspension air pressure,etc.

OH,by the way,It does weigh more than a Vespa scooter,and is cumbersome on a slow tight U turn.I usually counter the slow turn by shifting my weight to the outside.

[WingAdmin]

The weight (as mentioned) is used to make up for the loss of mass hanging off the front of the triple tree when the headlight is removed and a fairing installed instead. The weight is hung in the place where the headlight used to be, to perform the damping that the headlight mass used to do.

[feetup]

They really do have a noticable "over steer" at slower speeds. This can be felt most when they are "steered" into the corner rather than "counter steered". At very slow speeds keep you upper body vertical and shift your weight to your outside foot and bum cheek as you lean the bike. If you lean bike and body (or worse yet, two bodies) into a slow speed turn the bike will definately try to dive farther into the corner and you will end up correcting out of the corner then turning back in making for a distinct lack of smooth control.
Watch the police riders at the gymkhana competitions turning slowly. They lean the bike way over and lean the upper body out to keep the whole thing balanced. completely opposite to higher speeds.
I think every rider should practice slow speed circles and figure eights in an empty lot, and if the riding season is interupted, practice every year. I go out myself each spring to "grind off my rust" then go out with my wife and we do it together. It takes a bit for a passenger to learn not to lean into slow turns.

[grandpa]

Hi every one and thank you for the reply.

As someone else has put on the fairing on the bike I am not shure there is a counterweight. Last winter I had all the fairing of and I do not remember any weight. Does someone has a photo or a ref. hwere to by so I can see how it look like.
Thanks in adwance.

[virgilmobile]

Google image presented this picture for all to see.

[scotterichmond]

What does the warning label say?

[grandpa]

Thanks.

I agree what does the label say. And now I am shure my bike has no counter weight.
Can someone tells me where to buy.
Have a nice weekend all of you.

[RexAubrey]

you can always find the counter weights on ebay.

[scotterichmond]

there is lots of them too

Hey would this be something I should add to my gl1000 since I have a faring and no light.
It does shimmy if you let go of the handle bars.

[WingAdmin]

Thanks.

I agree what does the label say. And now I am shure my bike has no counter weight.
Can someone tells me where to buy.
Have a nice weekend all of you.

Here's what the label says:

WARNING
DO NOT REMOVE THIS WEIGHT WHEN RIDING
WITH FAIRING TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT.
WITHOUT THIS WEIGHT, STEERING INERTIA
MOMENT WILL BE REDUCED, RESULTING IN LOSS
OF CONTOROL AND MOTORCYCLE'S STABILITY

(note misspelling of "control")

Counterweight warning label

[78AzWing]

I don't know why, but I can not get my head wrapped around that concept of adding MORE weight to the front of the bike when you put that big hulking fairing on there. Which has it's own headlight. Just doesn't make sense to me.

When I pulled my fairing off to do work on the radiator and other items under the fake tank, I did not find a weight. I found a headlight bucket with a rubber cover instead of the light. But the light and bucket don't weigh 3 pounds, or just barely if they do.

The bike has been converted back to Nakeed and definitely handles better with out all of that weight on there.

[virgilmobile]

The factory is specific."It is used to reduce deceleration wobble"
It is a balance weight.Low speed wobble is a different problem.
The weight is added to the forks not the frame like the faring.

[78AzWing]

I think you would be better off with a fork brace.

[WingAdmin]

I don't know why, but I can not get my head wrapped around that concept of adding MORE weight to the front of the bike when you put that big hulking fairing on there. Which has it's own headlight. Just doesn't make sense to me.

The fairing weight is mounted on the front of the steering head on Goldwings with fairings. Goldwings that do not have fairings have the headlight mounted on the front of the steering head. The headlight assembly gives the steering head mass (inertia), and lowers its resonant frequency below that which would be induced by normal tire movement, and cause an uncontrollable speed wobble.

Because the faired Goldwing has the headlight mounted in the fairing, the steering head needs to have a weight added to it to provide that mass in place of the headlight assembly. That is why there are all kinds of warnings (including the warning casted right into the weight itself) not to ride the bike without that weight installed - without it, you could end up with uncontrollable tank-slapper that would end in a crash.

[78AzWing]

Well, seeing as how I have ridden one of these with out a headlight assembly on it, without problems, I don't follow the logic.

But then again. ignorance is bliss. I did not know I was supposed to have problems with it, so I didn't have any. But that is just my experience. Others will vary.

[WingAdmin]

Well, seeing as how I have ridden one of these with out a headlight assembly on it, without problems, I don't follow the logic.

But then again. ignorance is bliss. I did not know I was supposed to have problems with it, so I didn't have any. But that is just my experience. Others will vary.

You can ride it quite safely without the weight in place. However, if you happen to hit a bump that displaces the steering laterally when you happen to be traveling at a speed at which your steering system has a natural resonant frequency, you will very quickly end up with an uncontrollable tank slapper. You will realize why you should have installed that weight as you get thrown off the bike at speed. It's your choice, I suppose.

Tankslapper example:



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[FlashBack]

Great Thread, I was educated tonight
Video at the end is wild. Having laid a bike down at speed with wobble and losing my left leg below the knee, I respect the motorcycle so much more these days after a 23 year reprieve. Wobble is not pleasant.

[GeorgeA]

I asked Craig Vetter about the use of counterweights with his fairings.

craigvetter.com

He said his company had nothing to do with them & he thinks they were an adjunct to the OEM Honda fairings in later years.

[WingAdmin]

I asked Craig Vetter about the use of counterweights with his fairings.

craigvetter.com

He said his company had nothing to do with them & he thinks they were an adjunct to the OEM Honda fairings in later years.

That's correct. They were added by Honda to bikes that came with factory fairings.