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Hi all, has anyone experienced a 'bouncy' front end while riding along a perfectly flat road? My 2019 crf250l feels like its po-going along at between 30-40mph on flat smooth surfaces. Its not noticeable at higher speeds. The dealer suggested I check my chain tension which I did and its at 30mm as per the handbook. I have 3 friends with exactly the same bike and theirs doesn't do this. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Its going in to the dealer in a couple of weeks for its first service so I'm hoping they can sort it but I wanted to see if anybody else has had the same problem. Cheers, Jon

Welcome to the site !!

Is both the back and front bouncing ???? , did you happen to hit a large pothole or something ?? , I would expect it to be a wheel (or tire) out of round or out of balance causing that , maybe check to see if the spokes have not come loose and that is causing it ......

Only so many things it could be and it all relates to the rims and/or tires , if you can put the bike up on a stand so the wheels are elevated and spin them by hand (to get a good spin on the rear you may need to remove the chain) , or very carefully start the engine and put it in 1st gear , let out the clutch slowly and see if the rear wheel bounces or wobbles , which would indicate out of round or balance or a spoke issue , the front you can just grab and spin as hard as you can to get it spinning fast to see if there is anything going on there ....... But that is what I would start with ....

The front will bounce around if somebody didn't put oil in the forks or it is at a low level. Of course it will need a bump or out of round wheel to get it going.
Not something that happens often so just a suggestion.

New bikes often lose spoke tension so that will be a good place to start.
Use the right size spanner and if you haven't tensioned a wheel before there are several good articles about it on the net. Thought there was one on the How to page but don't see it.

Welcome to the site !!

Is both the back and front bouncing ???? , did you happen to hit a large pothole or something ?? , I would expect it to be a wheel (or tire) out of round or out of balance causing that , maybe check to see if the spokes have not come loose and that is causing it ......

Only so many things it could be and it all relates to the rims and/or tires , if you can put the bike up on a stand so the wheels are elevated and spin them by hand (to get a good spin on the rear you may need to remove the chain) , or very carefully start the engine and put it in 1st gear , let out the clutch slowly and see if the rear wheel bounces or wobbles , which would indicate out of round or balance or a spoke issue , the front you can just grab and spin as hard as you can to get it spinning fast to see if there is anything going on there ....... But that is what I would start with ....

Thanks for your advice JimDirt, it’s only the front end bouncing, and I haven’t hit any potholes so my suspicion lies as you suggest with the front rim or tyre. I will jack the bike up, give the wheel a spin and see if there’s anything out of shape going on.

The front will bounce around if somebody didn't put oil in the forks or it is at a low level. Of course it will need a bump or out of round wheel to get it going.
Not something that happens often so just a suggestion.

New bikes often lose spoke tension so that will be a good place to start.
Use the right size spanner and if you haven't tensioned a wheel before there are several good articles about it on the net. Thought there was one on the How to page but don't see it.

Thanks for that, I will investigate and let you know. If I don’t find anything unusual it’s going in for it’s 1st service soon so hopefully the dealer will find the cause if I can’t.

Ok people, just an update on the bouncy front end. After numerous visits to my local HONDA dealer, they have agreed to replace both wheels as they are both not running true and never have been since day 1. So new wheels replaced, happy days!

Ok people, just an update on the bouncy front end. After numerous visits to my local HONDA dealer, they have agreed to replace both wheels as they are both not running true and never have been since day 1. So new wheels replaced, happy days!

Good to hear (not that the wheels are bent , but that they are standing behind the bike and replacing the defective parts) , though it is a shame you had to go thru all this to find out and get it resolved , but the fact that they stepped up and are taking care of you , speaks volumes for the dealer .....

On a side note , I would think it best if you checked the spokes periodically , especially in the first 100 or so miles , each time you ride , as new wheels tend to loosen up till they seat in .... So they may come loose again , especially if the roads you travel have numerous potholes , but this time , you will be up on it and be able to catch it before it becomes a problem ...... IF you take your bike to the dealer for the regular service intervals ... I would suggest telling them that you want someone (qualified) to check the spoke tension at each visit ... this will eliminate any future issues ....