NHTSA complaint: 2013 HUSQVARNA TR650 — STEERING
SINCE NEW THE BIKE EXHIBITS A SPEED WOBBLE, SOMETIMES A WEAVE, OR A TREMOR TRANSLATED THROUGH THE HANDLEBARS. THIS HAS BEEN NOTED BY A NUMBER OF HUSQVARNA TR OWNERS. PRIOR TO THE 08-12-14 I HAD EXPERIENCE THIS TWICE. ON THIS OCCASION I WAS ON A DOWNHILL GRADE OF THE INTERSTATE 101. THERE WAS A TRANSITION IN SURFACE FROM ASPHALT TO CONCRETE OVER PASS. JUST ENOUGH TO INDCE THE ABOVE EFFECTS. UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS WITH SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO REAR BRAKE OR THROTTLE. I HAVE MANAGED TO REGAIN CONTROL AND CENTRE/ NEUTRALIZE THESE RESPONSES. ON THIS OCCASION, ALL FORCES OF GRAVITY BEARING DOWN ON THE FRONT END DUE TO THE GRADE. RENDERING ALL EFFORTS USELESS. IN FACT THEY ENHANCED THE PROBLEM. THE HANDLE BARS SHOOK VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE. EACH MOTION CREATING A COUNTER MOTION. TILL THE FORCES WERE SO GREAT THAT THE FRONT WHEEL BEGAN TO SKIP. ALTERNATELY PLACING ALL COUNTER FORCES TO THE REAR WHEEL. WHICH IN TURN WOULD SKIP. EACH CYCLE OF THE ABOVE CHAIN OF REACTIVE CYCLES INCREASED IN EXTREMELY RAPID SUCCESSION,THINK RODEO BULL. BIKE FLIP FLOPS VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND BACK AND FORTH SIMULTANEOUSLY, AS THE HANDLE BARS GO FROM OPPOSITE LOCK TO OPPOSITE LOCK. OFTEN REFERRED TO AS A TANK SLAPPER. THE END RESULT BEING THAT OF ALL ACCUMULATIVE FORCES PASSED ON TO THE PILOT AT A POINT WHERE HE BECOMES LAUNCHED FROM THE SADDLE. IN THIS CASE ACROSS 3 LANES OF COMMUTE TRAFFIC. COMING TO REST IN THE FAST LANE A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE CONCRETE DIVIDER. I SHOULD BE DEAD BY ALL ACCOUNT
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation