Bad front end wobble/shake

[chucklestx]

Recently purchased used 2006 People 250. Notice starting around 30mph the front end gets a bad wobble. Its not too bad if I hold equally with both hands but at speed if I use my left hand for a signal or gesture I can feel my right hand working alot harder to maintain a straight position. I I let both hands hover over grips when decelerating then the shake gets violent.

Air pressure is good. Don't see uneven wear or dry rotting. I hear no grinding or loose bits and everything seems snug, though I havent checked the torque.

Any ideas beyond trying a new tire which I have ordered just as a spare anyway?

[gregspeople250]

Mine shakes too, unless both hands are on the bars.  My little Honda scoot' does it as well.  I don't LIKE it, but I've reached an "understanding" with both scoots and "we" (scoot and me, that is) don't fight too much!  The Honda is very front/rear balance sensitive.  Even a small load on the rear carrier and the shaking get worse.

[chucklestx]

I intend to ride cross country at least once on this scooter. Shaking like it does is not an option. I'm going to try retorquing, looking for any warping in the wheel and replacing the tire.

[axy]

I intend to ride cross country at least once on this scooter. Shaking like it does is not an option. I'm going to try retorquing, looking for any warping in the wheel and replacing the tire.

1. Most scooters with large wheels have wobbly steering, People 250S does too. On mine, it is not noticeable unless I remove hands from steering wheel.

2. Hands should be on the steering anyway, not off the steering.

3. If you have topcase, the wobble will be more pronounced. Topcases for motorcycles usually come with set of new, heavier steering weights.

4. Unless you see something visible (in terms of damage or scratches) on tires/rims, changing them and even centering would be a waste of time. If I were you and if there is wobble with both hands on, I would check steering/frame geometry according to manual specs, and frame for warping because second hand scooter that old might have been dropped or involved in accident, resulting in frame warping.

[MaryK]

On a used scooter with moderate mileage, it is possible that the bearings in the steering are worn or not at the proper tension.

With the scooter on the center stand and the rear wheel on the ground (elevate the front wheel; may need a friend to sit on the bike):
     (1) grasp the front wheel and manipulate it looking for slack in the steering assy.  If found, tighten the steering nut to the proper torque.
     (2) Observe the front wheel as you move the handlebars from the center towards the side; is there any notch feel along the way ?
            repeat towards the other side.  The steering should have a smooth path from center to each side, if not then worn bearings.

If these two tests are ok, then I lean towards a worn front tire, especially if it has more than 5,000 miles on it.

Scoot safely,

[zombie]

Try as MK suggests, The front end usually shakes from a balance issue in the rear. On the center stand rev the scoot, and see if it tries to "walk". There are Dyno beads (never tried them) and TBF which I use in both tires. (Tire Balance Fluid)

Hold the front brake TIGHT when you rev it up. You need to get some real rpm's to tell. Keep the kids inside too.

[chucklestx]

The mechanic that did my valve adjustment for me took a look at the wobble for me and first thing he did was run his hand over the tire and found that there was an obvious uneven wear in the tread. Sure enough when I tried it I found the tread to areas that were thicker than others. To the naked eye the tire looks even.
He said the previous owner may have run with under inflated tires for some time leading to uneven wear. So new tire has been ordered. I will update and close thread once this proves to be the fix.

[zombie]

For BEST results you should still have both tires balanced.