bike wallows through curves and setting damping and preload

[bob miner]

I'm in the process of having to adjust loose steering head bearings for the 3rd time since I purchased my bike new, only 2,700 miles ago. The first time was done by the dealer during the 500 mile service, the second time at 1,500 miles after I noticed a high speed front end shimmy, and now, after feeling a clunk over bumps and confirming lateral movement of the forks when I put it on my lift. Has anyone else experienced this kind of repetitive problem with loose steering head bearings? It seems a bit excessive even for an initial break-in period. --------------------------------- Sneak preview the all-new Yahoo.com. It's not radically different. Just radically better. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Don S]

Nope. I have a new '06 with 4200 miles on it and no indication of loose steering head bearings. Having to tighten them three times sounds excessive. You may want to have the dealer tear the whole mechanism and inspect for some kind of defect in the assembly. Don bob miner wrote: I'm in the process of having to adjust loose steering head bearings for the 3rd time since I purchased my bike new, only 2,700 miles ago. The first time was done by the dealer during the 500 mile service, the second time at 1,500 miles after I noticed a high speed front end shimmy, and now, after feeling a clunk over bumps and confirming lateral movement of the forks when I put it on my lift. Has anyone else experienced this kind of repetitive problem with loose steering head bearings? It seems a bit excessive even for an initial break-in period. --------------------------------- Sneak preview the all-new Yahoo.com. It's not radically different. Just radically better. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] --------------------------------- Want to be your own boss? Learn how on Yahoo! Small Business. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Erik]

I had to tighten mine twice in the first 5000 miles. Problem hasn't come back since... I believe I lock-tited the steering head nut last time, which probably helped. erik

> Nope. I have a new '06 with 4200 miles on it and no indication of loose > steering head bearings. Having to tighten them three times sounds > excessive. You may want to have the dealer tear the whole mechanism and > inspect for some kind of defect in the assembly. > > Don > > bob miner wrote: > I'm in the process of having to adjust loose steering head bearings for the 3rd time since I purchased my bike new, only 2,700 miles ago. The first time was done by the dealer during the 500 mile service, the second time at 1,500 miles after I noticed a high speed front end shimmy, and now, after feeling a clunk over bumps and confirming lateral movement of the forks when I put it on my lift. > > Has anyone else experienced this kind of repetitive problem with loose steering head bearings? It seems a bit excessive even for an initial break-in period. > > > > > --------------------------------- > Sneak preview the all-new Yahoo.com. It's not radically different. Just radically better. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Want to be your own boss? Learn how on Yahoo! Small Business. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > >

[Jim]

On my '06 I noticed a fair amount of high speed shake since new. A couple band-aid fixes helped (trimmed front fender, for one), but it was still there. At around the 2000 mile point while riding I happened to reach down and the steering stem nut was backed all the way out, up against the handlebars!!! I tightened it down that night and the shake almost stopped completely. Now, a little over 1000 miles (and 3 weeks) later, the shake is back, and I can feel that familiar handlebar rattle over bumps. The nut isn't loose, but tomorrow I'm going to loosen the bottom tripple clamp bolts so the lower tripple clamp can move, and tighten the nut again. Jim

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, bob miner wrote: > > I'm in the process of having to adjust loose steering head bearings for the 3rd time since I purchased my bike new, only 2,700 miles ago. The first time was done by the dealer during the 500 mile service, the second time at 1,500 miles after I noticed a high speed front end shimmy, and now, after feeling a clunk over bumps and confirming lateral movement of the forks when I put it on my lift. > > Has anyone else experienced this kind of repetitive problem with loose steering head bearings? It seems a bit excessive even for an initial break-in period. > > > > > --------------------------------- > Sneak preview the all-new Yahoo.com. It's not radically different. Just radically better. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >

[Erik]

> familiar handlebar rattle over bumps. The nut isn't loose, but > tomorrow I'm going to loosen the bottom tripple clamp bolts so the > lower tripple clamp can move, and tighten the nut again.

As my other reply (which you may've seen already) indicates: I recommend lock-titing that nut. It made my similar problem stop coming back. erik

[fasteddiecopeman]

Bob, I noticed that my A18 would 'shimmy' when I let go of the bars, so I tightened mine. Since then they haven't 'shimmyed' when I release the bars, so I haven't re-checked. Ed

[Dennis Shell]

I was reading the posts about the loose nut, went out to check mine. 06 with 1400 miles and the nut was backed off to the handle bars.

----- Original Message ----- From: fasteddiecopeman To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, July 07, 2006 7:09 PM Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: Loose Steering Head Bearings... Bob, I noticed that my A18 would 'shimmy' when I let go of the bars, so I tightened mine. Since then they haven't 'shimmyed' when I release the bars, so I haven't re-checked. Ed [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Joe Tittiger]

I have a high speed wooble also. I am a little bit cloudy about which triple clamp to lossen up - as that just doesn't quite register yet. I have a good link to some directions on how to do it but can't find it now. Anyone have such a link handy? Thanks --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Dennis Shell" wrote:

> > I was reading the posts about the loose nut, went out to check mine.

06 with 1400 miles and the nut was backed off to the handle bars.

> ----- Original Message ----- > From: fasteddiecopeman > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Friday, July 07, 2006 7:09 PM > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: Loose Steering Head Bearings... > > > Bob, > I noticed that my A18 would 'shimmy' when I let go of the bars, so

I tightened mine.

> Since then they haven't 'shimmyed' when I release the bars, so I

haven't re-checked.

> Ed > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >

[Randall Marbach]

Make sure you have enough damping set in the rear shock too. I was surprised at what a difference that made. I lost the damping in my rear shock and that caused the bike to wobble all over the place at freeway speeds. HTH Randy from Burbank --- Joe Tittiger wrote:

> I have a high speed wooble also. > > I am a little bit cloudy about which triple clamp to > lossen up - as > that just doesn't quite register yet. > > I have a good link to some directions on how to do > it but can't find > it now. Anyone have such a link handy? > > Thanks > > > > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Dennis Shell" > > wrote: > > > > I was reading the posts about the loose nut, went > out to check mine. > 06 with 1400 miles and the nut was backed off to the > handle bars. > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: fasteddiecopeman > > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > > Sent: Friday, July 07, 2006 7:09 PM > > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: Loose Steering Head > Bearings... > > > > > > Bob, > > I noticed that my A18 would 'shimmy' when I let > go of the bars, so > I tightened mine. > > Since then they haven't 'shimmyed' when I > release the bars, so I > haven't re-checked. > > Ed > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > > > > > > > > Archive Quicksearch at: >

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[Randall Marbach]

Checkout .... http://www.multisurfacemotorcycling.com/klrpage/steering_p1.htm> HTH Randy from Burbank --- Joe Tittiger wrote:

> I have a high speed wooble also. > > I am a little bit cloudy about which triple clamp to > lossen up - as > that just doesn't quite register yet. > > I have a good link to some directions on how to do > it but can't find > it now. Anyone have such a link handy? > > Thanks > > > > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Dennis Shell" > > wrote: > > > > I was reading the posts about the loose nut, went > out to check mine. > 06 with 1400 miles and the nut was backed off to the > handle bars. > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: fasteddiecopeman > > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > > Sent: Friday, July 07, 2006 7:09 PM > > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: Loose Steering Head > Bearings... > > > > > > Bob, > > I noticed that my A18 would 'shimmy' when I let > go of the bars, so > I tightened mine. > > Since then they haven't 'shimmyed' when I > release the bars, so I > haven't re-checked. > > Ed > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > > > > > > > > Archive Quicksearch at: >

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