Jack Miller Confronts Persistent Chatter Issue at Japanese MotoGP: A Ten-Month Struggle Highlighted

Jack Miller on Motegi issues: "I swear, I'm not inventing any of this!"

"This has been my reality for almost a year now."

On Saturday, video footage from the Japanese MotoGP showcased the severe vibration issues, known as chatter, that Jack Miller has been dealing with throughout the 2024 season.

When a combination of different weights, rigidity, and pressures on a bicycle align to form a resonant frequency, it leads to a phenomenon known as chatter, where the bike experiences an up-and-down motion while navigating turns.

As Miller was coming out of Turn 11, concluding the back straight, his KTM started to shudder intensely.

Intense back wheel vibration for @jackmilleraus during the #JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 event.

Every producer has encountered issues with vibration because of the changes made to the grip features of the updated 2024 Michelin back tire.

However, while many appear to have navigated past the problem, riders from KTM and Honda still report issues with vibrations.

Miller's approach of prioritizing corner speed appears to particularly expose him to risks.

"The Australian mentioned that the video clip has represented their life over the past ten months."

"We've been unable to find a solution. Observing it in slow-motion was beneficial, as at regular speed, the stress on the swingarm and similar components isn't apparent."

The engineers greatly benefited from observing it with such clarity.

"I'm not fabricating any of this! It's been happening for ten months now, ever since we installed this [updated rear] tyre, and I've been unable to come up with a fix – as you've witnessed.

"The approach involves persisting despite the obstacles, yet it feels like continually running into a barrier."

In a Sunday morning conversation with Dorna's Jack Appleyard, Miller shared, “At this stage, it’s somewhat familiar, so you brace yourself, prepare to nearly rise to your feet, and try to soak it all in as effectively as possible.”

Miller mentioned that significant adjustments to the set-up had shifted the issue of chatter away from Turn 11, but it now emerges in the subsequent left turns.

"We implemented a significant adjustment to the bike's equilibrium, which somewhat mitigated the issue, yet it persisted in the final sector and through the dual left turns. Hence, there's more effort required," he stated.

"This is an aspect of the process, simply grasping how the motorcycle operates in tandem with my riding approach to navigate through it effectively."

Miller secured the eighth position in the Sprint race, and with Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder not completing the race, he emerged as the highest-placed rider not on a Ducati.

"Yesterday's Sprint wasn't too shabby," Miller remarked. "Hoping that switching to the medium [rear tyre instead of the soft] later today will let us make another solid attempt."

Miller is set to transfer to Pramac Yamaha starting from the 2025 season.

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