high speed wobble

[MAXdB]

I have had an 07 s4rs for about three months now and have put close to 5k miles on the bike. the bike is an absolute blast to ride around town as well as in the twisties. but as soon as the speed passes above 110 or so there is a very disconcerting wobble that does not go away, regardless of body position or acceleration/deceleration. I've played with the suspension and put a steering damper on the bike and the bike still seem to have it. the bike has never been down. does this sound normal to you guys?

[Howie]

You might want to find a local suspension Ghuru and start with sag and ride height.  Also make sure the head bearings are properly adjusted.

[arai_speed]

This might seem crazy but have you considered slowing down?

On a serious note, does the wobble come from the front end? Or just in general?

[MAXdB]

the sag is set up for my weight and I raised the ride height about an inch from lowest.. how do I check the head bearings?

[MAXdB]

This might seem crazy but have you considered slowing down?

On a serious note, does the wobble come from the front end? Or just in general?

haha.. never crossed my mind.. kidding. I very rarely reach those speeds but the fact that the bike behaves that way when I happen to does bother me. from what I can tell the wobble seems to be coming from the front but how do I tell for sure?

[Norm]

Stiffer front springs?
Different tires?

[OverCaffeinated]

I also have a odd wobble at any speed above 70. Does it feel like the bottom half of the bike wants to shift side to side? Not to be confused with the steering wanting to turn side to side. I notice it most when I go over uneven pavement that runs close to parralel with the road. How exactly is your ride height diferent from stock? Is the front higher or lower, same ? for the back?

[CDawg]

the sag is set up for my weight and I raised the ride height about an inch from lowest.. how do I check the head bearings?

Have you checked to make sure all the little wheel weights for balance are still attached?  I'm assuming you also meant 110 mph not kph...My s4rs is fairly stable in the high 90's mph, but by then and above the wind blast consumes lots of my attention.  How resistive do you have your damper set?

+1 on Howie's suggestion of checking the head bearing...possibly damaged during wheelies

[MAXdB]

the wobble is just like overcaffeinated described.. side to side involving the entire bike. as far as ride height, I raised the rear using the ride height adjuster.. the front has not been changed.

I don't think the head bearings could have been damaged from anything I've done simply because the wobble was there since I bought the bike brand new.. but how would I check the bearings if I were to decide to check that?

[ScottRNelson]

The answer you should accept is "don't go that fast".

However, you might want to consider different tires.  When I had a Bridgestone BT-010 on the front of both of the Monsters that I owned, there was a definite high speed wobble there from about 80 mph on up.  Switching to a BT-020 made it completely disappear.  One Monster had a steering damper and the other didn't, and that didn't seem to make the slightest difference.

I happen to like both Pirelli and Avon sport touring tires for good, stable high speed behavior.

But you really should keep the speed down on public roads, especially if you ever ride in California where you get double the points for speeds over 99 mph.

[arai_speed]

The answer you should accept is "don't go that fast".

However, you might want to consider different tires.  When I had a Bridgestone BT-010 on the front of both of the Monsters that I owned, there was a definite high speed wobble there from about 80 mph on up.  Switching to a BT-020 made it completely disappear.  One Monster had a steering damper and the other didn't, and that didn't seem to make the slightest difference.

I happen to like both Pirelli and Avon sport touring tires for good, stable high speed behavior.

But you really should keep the speed down on public roads, especially if you ever ride in California where you get double the points for speeds over 99 mph.

What tires and what tire pressure are you running?  And how much do you weight?

I have the same bike as you and I have not experienced the wobbles you describe.

[MAXdB]

I weigh about 180 or so with my gear. right now I've got the stock pilot powers that came with the bike. I have used the pilot powers, both the regular and 2ct, for other bikes and have never experienced this type of behavior so I thought it had to do with something other than tires... but maybe this bike is just more sensitive to this type of stuff.
the pilot powers are set to 33 psi front and rear. the rear will probably need to be changed soon but is not squared off as most of the miles were done in twisties... and since the bike has done the wobbly thing since I took it off the dealeship floor, I don't believe it has to do with the tire being worn.
as far as my speeds, I will admit I do exceed the speed limit here and there but exceeding 100 is far from being something i do often. I am concerned because Im worried that this sort of characteristic may be hinting at some sort of underlying problem.. especially as I plan on taking the monster to the track soon. 
btw, I appreciate everyones help! thanks guys

[Howie]

Try raising the rear tire pressure to 36.  Probably won't help, but it won't hurt.  Now that we know it is wobble also check the swing arm  Make sure the bolts are tight and there is no play.  Check for loose wheel bearings too.  To check the head bearings you must suspend the front of the bike so the tire is off the ground and the bearings are not supporting weight, in other words, a front stand won't do the task.  How you do it depends on what you have available.  Same with the swing arm.

[DuciD03]

... 110 mph ... fast ... I trust your fully aware that if anything goes wrong your toast ... with no  , that being said I do occcasionally push my M 800 03 to that speed on wide open highway when I know no one will be mearging on; what always amazes me was it is completely stable. thats with 22 k miles a new x ring chain; old front tire and newish rear "Z rated" Perellis, rear with a hole patch no less.

I'd guess to take the bike in and get the head bearings checked; ... front & rear wheel bearings; you can change the front steering angle by adjusting the forks up and down; mine are fully extended; and get the tires balanced and checked.  Something is off; let us know what the problemo was when you pin her.

Cheers DD  [moto]

[speedevil]

You indicate that you've raised the rear suspension height with the adjuster.  By doing that you've quickened the steering (decreased rake and trail) which will make it less stable.

Did the bike wobble before raising the rear suspension?  It might be worthwhile to lower it back to stock and see what happens.