RT3 Handlebar Swinging on Highspeed

One of the apparent issues of the RT3 is handlebar wobbling at highspeed. Some owners have it, and some might be the luckier one. However, one thing that most RT3 owners could agree is that the Quality Control could be better. I am the not so lucky one. During my ride back from Melaka, I noticed the steering swinging from left to right and right to left as I am doing Zumba on highway. This event occurred when my speed exceeds 100km/h, if below this, it's smooth sailing–even smoother than my CB500X.

Afraid not, this problem can be solved as many has already solved theirs and posted their solutions on the group chat and Facebook. There are three solutions that I can find online, however, I'll just summarize two of them as I've only done two at this moment.

I'll also take my scooter for a longer ride, to see how it behaves and will update here accordingly.

1. Tire balancing and alignment

The Wmoto RT3 fresh from factory is sent out without any tire balancing done on them. Motorcycle with unbalanced wheels will cause wobbly steering and vibrations, thus, it could also create uneven wear on the tire pattern. I brought my bike to balance both the front and rear wheels.

The balancing service cost me RM50 for both tires. I can feel a significant improvement on the handling after the balancing, it gives me confident to tackle corners. However, there's still insignificant steering swing when my speed exceeds 100km/h. That's why I moved to second solution.

2. Fork Oil Service

The fork acts as damping to absorb the momentum from uneven road. The standard fork oil setting according to manual is 150ml, but since RT3 spring is a little on the softer side–the arm will swing even more when absorbing impact on the road. I went to scooter specialist in Shah Alam, advised to top up till 170ml using the Ipone Grade 15 fork oil.

Topping up 170ml of the fork oil

I sent my scooter to Shamz Scootsport to set and service the fork. The total cost for this procedure is RM85 which is every affordable compared to other shops. The mechanic is also attentive and do things carefully.

I am quite satisfied with the result. There's no need for me to step into the third solution yet which is to upgrade the rear suspension setup. After the service, I could cruise at 120km/h on highway with very minimal wobbling. There could be other factors also such as cross wind, or whether your bike carrying a top box. My scooter is still literally brand new with only 350km of mileage, the engine might not be properly breaking-in yet. It's like a pair of shoes, the more you wear them, the more comfortable they get.

I'll try not to be nitpicky and accept what does this bike can or cannot do. At the end of the day, I could slow down and enjoy the ride.

Sent my bike to wash, after all the service