Ebike Steering Wobble Investigation

[@Tbonezx11]

Thanks for doing this for all the people freaking out about the Wired Wobble of '24. It is all about weight distribution. You don't want any weight past either axle. That reset battery needs to be about 1.5" closer to the dear so that the weight of the battery is mainly inside the axles. If you lean forward o once the bike starts to wobble it will usually get better/stop. The Kemimoto bag on the handlebars might alone be enough to counter the rear battery mis.balance. Think of a simple lever... Where you put the focal point determines how much force is needed to push one end down and the other end up. Having weight above center of gravity and behind the axle both can introduce instability. There is no critical flaw with these bikes. I'm looking forward to my Cruiser when it arrives, and just like you have to be smart about loading right in a car trailer, and weight distribution, you have to here too. Thanks again for the work here to provide context and at the very least for the naysayers, another perspective.

[@Altema22]

Agree completely about the weight distribution. Front lightens up and becomes more sensitive to front end oscillations. I have a RadMini with dual Tesla batteries, and it will oscillate like that, but not if I take off the back battery.

[@sledhead904]

Hmm I think it's a weak seat post, too thin and weak suspension cantilevers and the rear swingarm material is weak. Just look at the comparisons.

[@taylorthruelsen324]

Thank you for the input. Ill take this into consideration.

[@jeremywheeler2122]

Get the front motor add on and that will fix it.

[@BrandonSorenson-fb3gg]

Thanks for this. I just got my cruiser and while it rides smoother than my aventon it feels like the front is way harder to turn than my aventure

[@jamesbennett4379]

Thank you so much for addressing this wobble issue so quickly. Very much appreciated the testing of various other bikes as well. I am expecting my new cruiser within a couple weeks and now can put this wobbling issue to rest. As other viewers mentioned we probably should be putting at least one hand on handlebar anyhow. Thanks for your honesty and transparency.

[@Hazerz]

very informative video, solid information. I never thought that putting weight at the back end of a bike would allow it to wobble more.

[@Hoggdoc1946]

It's the flex in the rear end suspension that causes the wobble in the front end. Stand the bike up stand over the front tire facing back. Tweak the bars from right to left and white watch the back of the bike.

[@johnnyrailroad6921]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/npWvoaV8n5d3osU

[@larrysmith6825]

I have a new wired freedom and found the same thing. If i ride freehand the bike goes into a uncontrollable wobble almost immediately. If I take the back battery off it does not wobble at all. I tightened the stem and it helped some but I believe it is really tied to the weight distribution. If I ride with at least one hand on the handle bars there is no wobble in any case. The rear battery is too far back for freehanded riding. Take it off if you want to ride freehanded or leave a hand on the handlebar.

[@CitizenCycle925]

Yep exactly! I never really noticed it before because when I'm riding the wire bikes I'm always hanging on!!

[@dg9bfc]

I have my additional pack ontop the frame.. not on rear before it was wobbling at 25kmh after adding the 2nd pack it's stable to over 40kmh

[@enjoydride1083]

Had same thing on different bike was due to a crack in the frame

[@CNclov2005]

Thanks for the vid! So for everyone complaining about it it’s not just wired too and it can be solved very easily in fact it’s almost a non issue.

[@gabrielcortez3053]

I assure you it’s just wired faulty frame design pivots arm flex’s at speed when hitting burms n at turns and then being able to make your bike death wobble On purpose is even more proof the design is faulty

[@dg9bfc]

that wobble test is an eye opener

[@oOoDRAGOONoOo]

Great work! Thought you were just gonna say doesn't wobble nuff said... But ofc Citizen is the best at thorough testing, thats why we luv ya

[@RobertODell-k8v]

I think what is causing the big uproar is Wired's solution and response to those that complained. Instead of being professional and apologetic, they seemed to be dismissive and also blame the customer for not following their "simple instructions." Their response would make me mad as well if I spent $2K with them. I have never ridden hands free and never will but their are videos of people experiencing a wobble with one hand and I think everyone does that at some point to drink water or point at something. Great video testing everything.

[@FreakyT333]

Good job man, pretty much showed how I corrected my wobble issues on my Wired Cruiser. I will say I never experienced issues like this on my Magicycle Cruiser, Polarna M4, Crooked Path or Ecells 5 Star. Ran rear bags on all bikes with about 10-20lbs in them. There’s a bunch of variables but all of my other bikes do have more rigid frames than the Wired bike. The Wired bike rides so nice and smooth in comparison even being a hard tail. I’m just happy I was able to simply solve that issue with a front bag, moving some weight up front and tightening everything per instructions from Steve. I’ve had no other issues with my 23 Wired Cruiser btw, 1100 miles on it through all types of terrain/conditions, fantastic bike. Thanks for the great content and info!

[@awelsh39]

This is a great video. I appreciate your effort to find a solution to this problem. Demonstrating on other bikes helped me understand bike frames rigidity. Thanks for the amazing video.

[@josephking7021]

Hi CC, I’m in the market for an E bike but had read several comments about riders getting the “death wobble”. Your testing helped ease my mind if, when, and what I buy. Your report is very clear- too much weight behind you starts the wobble and too loose a steering nut exacerbates and enhances a wobble and encourages it to continue. Good work!

[@lincolngarcia6616]

I'm glad you did this investigation. I was a little hesitant on getting the new wired cruiser. Thinking I might have to wait until they work this out. I have the last generation cruiser I bought a few months ago and have had no issues. And I also have the Ocelot Pro. Good to know it is solid concerning this issue. Looks like I'm going to put in my order for the new cruiser. I'll just remove the rear battery if its not needed for the ride. Seems like something that should be done anyway for the shorter rides. Awesome video.

[@pdleyland]

I have no reason to ride no handed. Thanks for checking into this.

[@sledhead904]

If you could get a better bike you would though? Right? You SHOULD be able to do whatever you wanted.

[@freeze1305]

@@sledhead904 You shouldn't ride with no hands if you don't have a steering damper. Same thing applies to motorcycles. Pay attention to 1:05 - 2:05 its exactly what's happening to these e-bikes except on a large/faster/more dangerous scale. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2jQhmiBiNmom7M

[@sledhead904]

@@freeze1305 i was able to ride no hand at 35 mph on my ecells last night, I didn't have room to go faster and test.

[@couerl]

One has to wonder what it’s like with a child seat on the back with a child on it. These are called oscillations and should have been dealt with on the drawing board before production. They’re not necessarily fatal flaws, but they do impact safety and need to be corrected. The rear racks on more traditional bikes always attached to the rear wheel hub and not the rear cross members and I think that would greatly improve stability and perhaps a 2 inch smaller wheel in back with the rack lowered and moved further up might significantly alleviate the issue. It’s hard to tell without doing more prototyping and well, that’s time consuming and expensive. I’m still patiently waiting for my cruiser and this issue won’t deter me from my purchase although I would like to note that I would pay more for an upgraded version a few years down the road when this one gets old. Perhaps lighter and stronger with upgraded components, but with the same kind of power or perhaps even more. Solid state might be right around the corner and those batteries could be built right into the frame.

[@sledhead904]

@@couerl the rack design and material is weak to begin with many show up broken during shipping and plenty of end users have broken them and posted in the forum. You can see the differences in photos between the two bikes. With my five star I put my 30lbs Child on the rear rack so this was my deciding factor between ecells and wired. Now real life, if he's all the to the rear the ecells shimmys too, moved him up a bit and it's fine. It's a flaw of this swingarm design. I'd love to get a wired up close to compare swingarm pivot points and rear shock cantilevers. One of them is allowing the shake of its not the frame or swingarm itself.

[@suzannebooth6394]

Great info, I have a ride 1 up and added a rear basket then added some grocery weight and really noticed the wobble at a certain speed and any bump.

[@WayneAchey]

Thank for this Video. Greatly needed! Now I can feel more confident with my Wired Cruiser order.

[@firstinlastout]

I wonder if the geometry difference in the wire Cruiser will not wobble compared to the regular wired freedom

[@theocatapult7381]

Good on you to do an objective testing, I was hoping that WIRED CRUISER get included with your testing. Keep in mind, when you let go of the handlebars, you naturally sit up straight and change the weight distribution of the bike.

[@XPLORATORY_FPV]

I really appreciate your efforts to understand the “wobbles”. My new FREEDOM bike is shipping out to me today and I feel so much better! Thanks 🙂

[@johnnyrailroad6921]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/npWvoaV8n5d3osU

[@Whoadayson]

Thanks for testing this... If you put a hefty battery on the back third of most any bike, your gonna get some reverberation of some kind, whether initiated or not, regardless of manuf. For any direct to consumer bike, I expect a bit of tuning on my end. If you expect a perfectly tuned bike at your doorstep, then you should hit up a bike shop, and expect that 6K bill too! If you got one of these kind of bikes from any manuf and it showed up perfect ready to ride, no tuning reqd, no issues, then you got lucky! Simple as that! and thats nice. It probably happens more than it doesnt thx to tech advancements but just dont expect it! These things did travel accross a few oceans, changed freight methods a few times and had to possibly survive the low effort UPS crews (some are awesome to be fair) so just be realistic. Now if your bike is borked, thats different, but a wobble, cmon dont go spreading propaganda without even trying to tune it.

[@agasdoc]

I love your channel ! And the way you devoted serious time to figuring out this problem speaks highly to your devotion to your channel. Keep it up man!

[@johns5504]

I've been trying to give some truth on this, glad you did this. Its like those suspension bridges back in the day where the wind created a death wobble that destroyed the bridges.

[@RevaSavage]

Thanks for the info I just bought a wired freedom dual battery & before they ship it I cancelled it & bought the ECELLS DAUL STAR YOU JUST SAVE ME ALOT OF TROUBLE Thank You

[@benhartland4708]

how much did you pay?

[@EBikeBuilder_]

Good video demonstrating the problem on various bikes, and possible solutions. 🎯 Some seem more stable than others… I think you’re right about weight distribution (both bike and rider) combined with the bike geometry 📐 - I’ve had wobble happen from wearing a really heavy backpack, depending on how far forward i was leaning. I think it might also have something to do with fat tires. Fat bikes tend to feel wobbly left and right at lower speeds, And then stabilize as you get moving.

[@formattester6]

this is a most informative video on this problem or perceived problem,

[@CraigNiel]

I upgraded my Rad the same as the Citizen Cycle and had no wobble at all when it was stock but as soon as I put the new motor on the front wheel and added another battery to the rear rack I get the mad wobble! It's not an issue as I'm not an idiot that rides not holding the bars! I figured it was the new front wheel and motor maybe out of alignment slightly, I never thought it may be the weight of the battery on the rear rack, good to know!

[@groovr22]

This was a GREAT video. Than you SO much for taking the time to do all those tests. Excellent job.!

[@gottfriedneumeister2196]

A secondary motor at the front wheel appears to have a "gyroscope effect" - thus preventing or at least reducing wobble, and adding weight to lower the center of gravity. I will consider this for my next modification, even though my super empowered modded VIVI MTB is fast enough. Or remove my large 17lb.20A battery from the rear rack (almost identical to yours at the Wired Freedom), and custom make a safe mount near the pedals.Thanks for all your videos!

[@E-Ryders]

Very thorough testing, I have to admit, I was biting my nails hoping for your safety a couple of times.....lol

[@trsdamocles]

I think what really caused this is where the center of gravity ends up being. I think one of the electric XP bikes had the same problem .the electric XP bike had a short wheelbase and it made it wobble a lot. Criss-Cross added a battery to one of his bikes at one point and it created a death wobble. You should try the walkie H7. The center of gravity seems to be lower on that. See if that wobbles.

[@theflyingfinn6057]

I have a Himiway cruiser ST. Didn't notice it until I saw the video, put a seven pound bag of ice in the back and had the death wobble. Luckily I keep my hands on the bars!

[@johns5504]

Adding weight to the front creates a stronger centrifical effect. Having that extra weight up front is almost like a multiplier regarding centrifugal force. Good call on your instincts

[@MissPiggy-ms2xz]

Great video & very informative especially since you showed several different bikes & also showed a solution to the problem.

[@user619tlsdca5]

I have the AiLife EBIKE or the 26 inch Fat Tire. I did same test of shaking a bit and its pretty solid but once I use too much weight while riding fast and leaning on turns is when the bolts get stressed on the shock sideplates. The AiLife EBike is SOLID of the wobble test but I do need to check weekly to ensure bolts always fitted in secure because the leaning turns with heavy weight do get the bolts a bit shaky to check up on.

[@GutiTheJ]

It clearly looks like a weight distribution issue, but also like a non issue at the same time?

[@joeberginc7415]

Im an Engineer and a bike mechanic in college. Always inflate new tire installs with no weight on the tire. Also, inflate to just 2-3lbs then work your hand around wiggling the tires to get good tire/rim alignment. Just like a car with poorly balanced wheels, any bump will amplify the wiggle.

[@johnnyrailroad6921]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/npWvoaV8n5d3osU

[@berickson3200]

I tightened all pinch bolts and srem bolt as much as I could seemed to help out alot on my end.

[@jimmyjames8736]

I really enjoyed the reflections in your sunglasses at the beginning of this video. The lighted white circles gave you some cool "googly eyes." They make you look both intense and insane, but in a friendly way. With traditional pedal bicycles, the riders who often carried loads on their bikes would sometimes add a "steering stabilizer." They are just a spring attached to the back of the fork to help center it. One of the main uses was to keep the front wheel straight when the bike was parked with a load, but they also dampened wobble. I don't think that they would make any difference with our heavy ebike wheels though.

[@CitizenCycle925]

I saw one of those Springs on a radwagon cargo bike once. not sure if it would work for this but interesting idea

[@SuperNascar14fan]

Arriving tomorrow....wired freedom. I wish you would have placed a 10 pound weight on the front of the most current wired freedom with the back battery in to see the results. No problem tho, I can do on my when I get it. Thank you for posting this, as all of the recent vids on this did have me a little concerned. You have alleviated my concerns!!!! I do not intend to ride with no hands, I am 58, but IF it was a flaw in the design, I was concerned. Seems to be no flaw and therefore I am feeling much better. TY again.

[@aliabedin2323]

You have the most helpful and insightful videos. Kudos man!

[@CitizenCycle925]

@@aliabedin2323 thank you!

[@aliabedin2323]

@@CitizenCycle925 you bet man. You do good work. I ordered the new Freedom yesterday after watching many of your videos. Its my first e-bike so I’m excited to get it. Thanks again and all the best.

[@freddyvicaire6777]

Ty so much for this video I just ordered the cruiser before I knew of this "death wobble" and was starting to get concerned and I'm glad u elevated my concern as I don't ever plan to ride no janded anyways thanks again man t our videos helped me decide on the cruiser "because I'm 5'6" lol thanks for all the great content! Next year I hop see u still have fwd kits available!

[@Zzzgott]

It almost seems like there is so much free space between the rack and the seat post, that you could disconnect the front mount rotate the rack forward and fashion a new connection at the suspension joint. The weight would be forward and the rack would tilt forward making a better gravity connection with the battery

[@robb36kc]

Interesting solution. While comparing the first 24's to the current, I also noticed about 3 inches more space between the seat and the rack due to the rack being redesigned to sit further back. You can see a much flatter slope on the front rack supports on the newer version too.

[@sledhead904]

It's the cantilevers and swing arm man.

[@waltk7624]

Great job explaining what’s going on ❤

[@shaughtup7554]

I love my Kepler, but you can't take both hands off the bars for EVEN ONE SECOND before a drastic death wobble begins - how Aeriel Rider let this faulty geometry out the door is incomprehensible to me- how do I fix this?

[@MikeShultz-v9l]

I own a Kepler low step and I tried it this morning with no weight in the basket and I have no problems. I picked up 4 six pack of cokes and tried it again and yes it has the wobble.

[@stlmikey80]

Check out Cane Creek Hellbender 70 Visco - Fixed issues with Lectric Xpeak Wobble.

[@iblackfeathers]

if you check my comments on solar suron’s video, i mentioned that the rear battery pack attaches with a plastic rail track before it connects to the docking portion. there is a few millimeters of tolerance or leeway on this guide rail’s width when it mates with the battery. f you shake the bike sideways, that is the source of most of that rattling noise. it is not banging on the frame but that railway. the railway is also tapered at the beginning portion. i suspect that because the rail does not friction fit securely or have some snap to lock mechanism, there is amount of give which can create enough oscillation. i haven’t tested it yet on the road due to a busy work schedule but i also mentioned that i placed two rubberbands aeound the opening of this plastic track right behind the two screw bolts and it prevented any rattling. you need just enough rubberbands to friction hold it in place. it was two in my setup. any more and it would be more difficult to slide the battery pack in and out. try this and see if it helps with the wobble. it at least solves some of the ratting now that it is more securely on the rack.

[@NotAFork]

Citizen, can you do a video on general maintenance for the wired freedom? I just got my freedom today and am relatively new to biking as a whole. Some info for beginners on things to keep an eye on with the bike to ensure as long of a life as possible would be amazing!! Love the videos

[@martym1797]

Okay, I have the same 2018 Rover as you and have never had any wobble whatsoever until maybe the last two weeks. This only happens riding with no hands when I have my rear rack and bag mounted, which is a seat post mount, with my DSLR camera in it. But I've been doing this setup off and on for years with no issue. My back has been bothering me of late and one way I've helped it out some is by letting some air out of the rear tire, to be softer on bumps. I checked it today and it had 12.5 pounds in my Origin 8 Supercell tires. The recommended air pressure for them is 20lbs. Seeing as you sit mainly over the rear tire, I got to wondering if the reduced pressure and the tire squatting was making a difference. So I put 18lbs of pressure in the back tire and the wobble was gone. I left the front tire around 13lbs, figuring the larger tire patch on the ground would help stabilize it.

[@hackman88]

Nice to know I'm not alone with the speed wobbles on my AiPAS A-6D.

[@davidmarcoux6349]

Hi citizen. Thank you for everything you do on your channel. I mainly get my e bike info from you and tail happy. Both of you give out good information. First on your after market parts. I see the problem you are having and I wouldn't get into it just yet. To many people selling bikes at this time unless you limit yourself to certain brands and .models like you did with your front motor on the freedom. Until manufacturers get on the same page and making the connections the same. I mean wired changed the 2024 models 3 times. I purchased the wire cruiser and am still waiting on delivery. It supposed to show up sometime before the end of July 2024. I'm glad I waited until now to pull the trigger. But wired will probably make even more upgrades on their models. If you make another front motor kit for wired is it possible to just put a controller and a on off power button to front motor and not have a display on the handle bars. I don't see a need for a display. Power to controller to motor with an off on button? I think money could be made on repair and maintenance for e bikes videos. You called a rabbit hole you went down but the knowledge you gained was worth it. Seems alot of bikes have the wobble and by you testing your other bikes out you were able to identify the problem. It's hard to believe what 10lbs. can do. along with 20 inch wheels I think you figured out the problem so now it's up to the manufacturers to fix it. I was thinking about canceling my order when I saw the wobble problem. Glad you jumped on the issue and gave out great information. Thanks again. Ride free.

[@CitizenCycle925]

Hi David thanks for the comment. regarding the front motor kit. the display is the interface allowing you to program the kit settings, as well as see battery levels, brake cut off indicators, and any errors. You don't need to have the display on your handlebars you could just put it in a bag on the front if you wanted. I'm still looking into more aftermarket parts but going to do so strategically given all the different connections.

[@davidmarcoux6349]

Hi citizen. I was thinking would you have an interest in rebuilding batteries? I don't even know if it can be done just a thought.

[@robertkamen6369]

My 26" Magicycle Deer has a definite wobble at any speed, any time you let go of the handlebars. It seems to be a problem with the Deer model. Many Deer owners are complaining about it on the Magicycle FB page. Seems most on the step-throughs. Probably a combination of step-though and rear suspension allowing the mainframe to wobble.

[@Mawk12]

Obviously the extra weight in the rear end of the frame causes a phenomenon known as cavitation. Thanks for sharing this test data and hopefully calming fears

[@TheTcat1000]

I’m double confirming that wired just told me that the hellbender headset is already installed on the new cruisers!

[@charliehustle5312]

That's great. Meanwhile, new Freedom owners are told to pound sand!

[@TheTcat1000]

Understanding call Wired and they’ll ship you one

[@Mike6string]

Get an ecells, wired will be out of business in a year

[@JR-nh4fi]

Any updates on the freedom one?

[@Mike6string]

@@JR-nh4fi yeah it’s garbage

[@ericb.4358]

In the original YT video on the "wobble" the Wired owner said it mostly appeared WHEN ON TWISTY DIRT TRAILS, which you did not do!

[@jfly2249]

Wired just announced that all soon to be delivered Cruisers have the Hellbender headsets that prevents wobble and they are making them available to any 2024+ Freedom owners that request one. So the Cruisers should not have any wobble issues. Wired must have picked up the issue in testing with the cruisers as they must of ordered these headsets months ago.

[@lido81jr]

I just messaged wired and they said they've never heard of hellbender headsets

[@lido81jr]

Sorry I take it all back wired just messaged me and they confirmed they are installing the hellbender

[@charliehustle5312]

Nah, I contacted them regarding my 2024+ Wired that has already been delivered. They didn't offer anything other than instructions on how to tighten the existing headset.

[@sledhead904]

@@jfly2249 you are wired so tell the truth. It's not the headset that's the issue. That's a bandaid.

[@pierrepreaseau378]

@@sledhead904 Just called them and they said its only coming on the cruiser

[@4damula]

After two weeks of ownership, i started to get the wobble with one hand riding. I contacted wired they told me to tighten the stem bolt and check the tire pressure. The also gave me the steps to request a hellbender.

[@leoguy9570]

Your testing gives very very good information 👌👌👌👌

[@stevenpeavler959]

I can 100% confirm your results. I did this exact test yesterday and kicked myself for not doing it earlier. Mine would wobble with no hands without even nudging the bar. Take the rear battery out and no wobble at all even when trying to make it wobble. Also the bike just feels a lot better riding it without that 14 pound battery in the back. So I’m keeping it out unless I’m going on longer rides.

[@LND24]

I am receiving this bike this week! Any difference in top speed without the rear battery?

[@sledhead904]

Yet on my five star I mounted a Thule child seat the farthest to the rear the seat can mount and put my 35 lb son in the seat and id affected the bike 0. Nothing changed. Don't even know he's there.

[@sledhead904]

​@@LND24no, but as voltage drops you will get slightly less power. Same as with two batteries but it will happen faster.

[@JP-nx2wr]

Hi Bryan, for bikes with wobble problems, there is a solution from: Cane Creek Hellbender 70 Zerostack Headset. It really cuts down wobbling according to reviews! JP

[@Ekamwitu]

Why is the back rack not welded in if there's a batter on top of it

[@larrysutton2001]

My 24 will do it if the seat is too high and my weight is back too far. Anything on the rear rack contributes to this. It will do it under almost any circumstance. Even two hands on the bar sometimes it feels like you’re fighting the wobble.

[@aen45basshunter96]

I have the wired freedom cruiser and heard about the hellbender headset what size would I have to get or are they pretty much a set size?

[@rogereheadbyrne4790]

I've seen this issue mentioned on over 50s ebikes on facebook maybe it is the headset! The fault is found by lifting the front wheel and rocking the handlebars if there is play then there is the cause! Hope this helps!👍😁

[@kevinjohnson8728]

Thank you for posting. This makes more sense of the matter. It's not as bad as I thought but still a little uncomfortable with the preorder

[@markwexy1621]

Thank you so much for this video. You did a hella thorough investigation. I just got back from a test ride on my Juiced Rip Current step thru. There was no wobble at all while riding no-handed. No frame flex either. However, I after strapping my spare 15.6 amp hour battery onto the rear rack, it had similar no handed handlebar wobble. I want to know if the Ecells with dual batteries wobbles when riding no-handed. And I'd like to see Wired come up with a solution. I can see the step thru version having the second battery on top of the down tube, secured by a bracket. Most likely future iterations of Wired ebikes will see a complete redesign to alleviate this issue. And make no mistake, it's a serious issue that needs to be resolved.

[@Whoadayson]

I was getting a laugh at the overdramatization of this 'DEATH WOBBLE' thing (by those anti wired cult members 👀😎) and it made me think, Id sure love to see some hard data on the number of deaths by death wobble (pssst its zero), or even injuries that werent already due to riders idiocy for not holding the handlebars (its in the name, handle!).

[@tenncutt]

I really feel its those damn balloon tires they are using on almost everything. Watch the video when you were off the bike and shaking the handlebars, you could just see the tires shaking like jello. I just got a Fucare Scorpio with real tires inflated to 30psi and a trellis frame and it is so solid and so little rolling resistance. I was experimenting with riding it with the power off and I couldn't believe how easy it was to ride, especially considering it is a fairly heavy bike. Love that bike and its Arisun tires!

[@macs4887]

I have a question for you, If it wobbles with the extra battery on the back rack, What's it going to do when we put your battery back there with your front wheel kit. That's another 10 lb. can you test that?

[@Just_Living_Life]

Mine started wobbling as soon as I hit around 30 mph. I didn't dare try out the 40 mph. Can you do a follow up video at max speed?

[@tennysonjames2969]

perfect timing!!

[@Beachplease42]

Possible solution - Hellbender 70 Visco Stabilize Steering. According to the company this will fit the bike. I haven’t heard anyone install it yet but it sounds like a good option.

[@espressosoup]

Nice! Someone's been hitting the shake weight hard 💪

[@loumon2]

Good objective informative video. You have my subscription after watching several of your videos. I have the Ecells, glad my frame system is solid and doesn't wobble but this puts some perspective on the issue. I tend to ride holding the handlebars :).

[@rickeywilhelm6248]

Great job looking into this. Detailed analysis

[@NelsonCummings]

Hmm thanks for looking into it

[@shaughtup7554]

And I'm sorry, but this is the only bike I have had that did this - on my old road bikes with dropped handlebars you would go hands free and sit up straight to stretch your back, did it for decades with never an issue or an accident...is there something in the angle of the front fork that could be customized on the Kepler, perhaps a slight forward curve, or heavy front components to offset rear weight - I do all my shopping with the Kepler, unweighting the back is NOT an option! (and it does it regardless)

[@givemethemusicd]

A similar phenomenon happens regarding poor load distribution when towing a single or double-axle trailer behind a vehicle. Trailer sway.

[@freya1348]

I just had mine do a slight wobble on me while I was doing about cruising along with my hands on the bars, with a light grip. Nothing major this time more just like vibration, which I was able to stop by locking my arms. The instability still feels worrying tho. I think it happened cuz I was looking over my shoulder for cars and slightly nudged my bars out of alignment with a loose grip and without leaning into a turn. Tbh I didn't even have the rear battery on, and I've heard that makes it worse. I'm definitely gonna look into the replacement headset they're offering I didn't even have my

[@JasonLedesma-l5m]

I have the answer and fix. CHECK YOUR RIMS. mine is egg shape and out of balance. Quality issue and have yet to consult with wired. I just uploaded my video to Facebook showing my rim wobble and balance issue. It's at the weld where the rim is butt welded together. Please look into this issue as I do not have the same voice with the community. I hope this helps. I guarantee you this is 100% of the issue.

[@benhartland4708]

if this is the case would having it trued help? i don't have an issue on mine

[@wheels2]

I do a lot of long distance riding (40 miles per day 5 days a week. God bless country roads!) My dual battery Wired Freedom had a terrible wobble at 15 mph plus. One day I had a flat tire, so I removed the nail and put a 32oz bag of FlatOut Multi-Purpose Tire Sealant (16oz in each tire and didn't even patch the intertube) aired up the tires and took a road trip. I got to thinking about how liquid will smooth out some vibrations so I let go of the handle bars at 15mph and up NO VIBRATION, I have ridden my bike over 400 miles since then NO VIBRATION.

[@race8427]

Easy fix with a steering stabilizer. Have a SCOTTS steering stabilizer on my Beta 500. Sounds like an opportunity for the after market.

[@MikeShultz-v9l]

Brian, I own an Ariel Rider Kepler low step e-bike with a cargo basket on the rack and when I put weight in the back it has the same wobble you showed in your video. But I like to have my hands on the handlebars at all times and no problem. Now if I put 30lbs in the rack and I go to take off it has a wobble. I would only torque the handlebar to a factory spec, I would not recommend overtightening. I also recommend going over all nuts, bolts etc and torque to the factory spec. You will be surprised how many get out of spec. I'm just a ebike fan and not a professional.

[@stevenpeavler959]

You have those torque settings?

[@MikeShultz-v9l]

@@stevenpeavler959 It is the front of the user manual for Ariel Rider.

[@MikeShultz-v9l]

Ariel Rider User Manual towards the front gives you the torque specs.

[@CitizenCycle925]

I'm realizing from all of these comments that this wobble issue is more common than I realized. I don't really carrry weight on the back of my bikes very often.

[@Harsesis1]

I would get the front motor kit but its sold out. All joking aside, I figured it was a weight distribution issue. They way Wired designed the back rack and battery. Its not centered above the back wheel for one.

[@BKAD623-hz7ln]

Everyone is going to put weight on their racks now just to test😁. Great video

[@supanyc3199]

I just received the 2024 cruiser and at 15mph and turning it wobbles alot. Very scary.

[@curiousgeorge555]

With hands on the bars?

[@Beardedebike]

Those wiggles are dangerous!!!

[@laplantemichel709]

They need a steering damper, i had the same issue on my 1973 Honda 750 except that it happened at a way faster speed it recovered but it scared the crap out of me .

[@jaceSHO]

I got mine and I had it going on too - its due to loose parts on the bike like rear battery isn't 100% secured to the bike so I shored that up a bit - I tightened up everything from rear rack with battery as much as I could. Weight distribution is awkward but Helped out a little and reduced most wobble by about 80-90 % but its still does wobble - Just my input from what I could figure out

[@mythoti]

It's to my understanding that the new rear battery is causing the wobble, the extra power combined with the weight leveraged in the back pulls the front up enough to reduce the front tire's ability to automatically correct itself from minor trajectory changes

[@davidmarcoux6349]

I'm sad to repot that my wired cruiser has the death wobble. I had no problem with it my first couple of rides and my girlfriend has been riding it and it has happened 3 times to her and she had both hands on the handle bars. I was behind her and witness 2 of the 3 times it happened. Mine is the dual battery. Not sure what I should do. Any ideas???

[@jfly2249]

Loosen the stem bolt then slightly tighten the steering bolt under the little rubber seal until the steering stiffens and the wobble goes away. The Hellbender headset only requires 1.5nm to 2.5 nm of torque, so not very much, to adjust. I got a Cruiser for my wife and she will never ride it with the rear battery installed because the bike is too heavy with both for her. Moreover, you almost never need the rear battery because the main battery has huge range by itself. Without the rear battery, the bike is more nimble and wobble proof.

[@davidmarcoux6349]

@jfly2249 thank you for the advice. I will try it and see how it goes.

[@louisbensinger4239]

Awesome review, thank you.

[@CitizenCycle925]

Glad it was helpful!

[@timlabell]

This is true. most step through big ebikes such as the wired and the magic cycle cruiser wobble, thats the way it is. but they are very strong. try not to overwhelm your bike just to injure yourself

[@Nippyou812]

Check air pressure in both tires and check to see if spokes are loose. Happens on all fat tire bikes.

[@mugaunra8869]

My 2024 Freedom was ordered in APR & was due to ship at end May, then postponed for the bonuses till end June. When it showed up the UPS man asked me to help get off truck its so heavy. The top of the box was ripped off from middle to 1 end with many holes along sides. It looked like a bear attacked it. When I opened it up I immediately saw many scratches in paint. I was bout to put together when I noticed no tool for handlebars or manual to put this together. So I went on their chat help & in the end it came missing manuals, tool,2nd battery charger, touch up paint, headlight, & PEDALS... so they send me the accessory box which took 4 days (mind you I took my vaca from work for the day of the delivery) & its missing the touch up paint. From this point on the Wired customer service chat was unhelpful & rude. I asked them how the batteries work is it frame batt till drained then rear kicks in? & they said it was a 'blendid' function that draws off both... So I told them that i purposely drained my batt to 60% on display & when went to charge both only the rear was at 60% while frame batt was 100%, so its not blending.... I like to pedal so I turn the motor options off (set to 0) & quickly found out that gears 1-6 make the chain skip on every rotation... They told me to take it to a bike shop for a derailer adjustment or watch a youtube vid on how do it myself...2400.00+shipping & this is the product I got & customer service to go with it FUCK WIRED

[@anthonysuarez7416]

Great breakdown explainer video!

[@Mark_Maguire]

Interesting video. Weigh your front motor wheel then weigh a standard wheel, difference will roughly be your front motor weight.

[@TheTcat1000]

All right, we gotta be upfront and honest about this. I just installed the warp drive kit on my 23 cruiser absolutely dangerous …just sitting on the bike It just feels unbalanced. going down the road yes, I love the power. I love the acceleration .dangerous wobble you do not have to make it wobble you can slightly feel it in the bars, take any pressure off the bars take your hands off and you will crash. I’m gonna have to buy hellbender headset for this. I can’t ride it like this… I also installed this kit on my Aventon Adventure and no wobble whatsoever so ever!… so cruiser owners beware!

[@Pepadai]

My Kepler does act exactly same - because has 2 batteries on rear rack, thinking about your front kit. But I do ride on roads - and bike trails no off road. Extra weight and money... don't know.....

[@terrythompson1288]

QUESTION; What in detail dose it take to change my 26x4 to 26x3 with out buying new motor

[@golden6625]

Citizen, what do you think of paulblylaw comment below. could this cane creek hellbender headset rectify problem with the added rear weight?

[@paulketchum6819]

Wired confirmed with me today that they have installed the Hellbender Visco 70 (stabilizer) for free on all new 2024 Crusier+ model orders. This install includes my order on the Crusier+ in May which should arrive late this month. Wired stated this should eliminate any wobbling or death wobble of the handlebars.

[@charliehustle5312]

Cool! New Freedom owners were told to tighten up their existing headsets, which does absolutely nothing regarding the wobble! Isn't that fantastic!?!

[@Killer-wu9hk]

​@@charliehustle5312others comments say fit you ask them for a new headset, they'll send you the better one like the one that the cruiser will come with

[@BeatsAndGuitars]

My Ariel Rider Kepler does this as well. I can feel it when holding the bars tho it’s not extreme. Edited: I do have a heavy tool bag on my rear rack. Looks like I need to do some experimenting. Thanks for the video.

[@independentmind85]

It must be the tool bag. I pedal my Kepler all the time at 25-30 mph and there is absolutely zero wobble. I've even tried tapping the bars to see if they wobble and nothing happens.