1st Gen front end question

[Yammer Dan]

Noticed my 86 handling a little different on way back from national. Seems a little loose. I put it on center stand and did the check and it seems OK. BUT when you turn it back and forth by hand slowely it seems to have a indent right in the middle. Never noticed one this bad. Moving it back and forth it seems to fall into a notch right in the middle. Just pushing it with a finger it will fall into notch and bounce back and forth a few times?? Move it faster and you can barely feel it. Too many miles on head bearings?? I didn't try to adjust. Should I?? Or plan on replacing bearings this winter?? It just seems loose or sloppy at low speeds.

[cowpuc]

Sounds like a bad spot in a neck bearing. I know one thing, if there is any chance of that bearing getting sticky or stuck (and it sounds like thats where it might be headed) I would fix it, when they get stuck (never had this happen) or get tight (have had this happen lots of times on both dirt and street) they really get squirrely - almost undriveable.. As far as driveability goes, loose is nothing compared to tight!!

[campfire12]

Dan. At first gen speed the wheels should act like a gyroscope. I would check the adjustment on the bearings first and just try tighten them up a bit. If that dosen't make a change then youve got to dig in for new bearings. Good luck my friend and whatever you do be safe.

[Marcarl]

If there is a notch, then I wouldn't tighten them. If it slips into the notch while you are riding, you may have 2 legs that would be moaning. Like was said, loose is nothing compared to tight.

[steve crossley]

dont bother foolin around, just replace head bearings . it wont heal.

[Venturous Randy]

I suspect that if the bearings have never been cleaned and regreased then what you are feeling is probably dried grease. I bet if you took the big nut off and dropped the triple tree about six inches where you could get to the bottom bearing and race for cleaning greasing and then cleaned the race and bearing at the top, you may be good to go.

Then again, you could replace all the bearings.

RandyA

[Yammer Dan]

I suspect that if the bearings have never been cleaned and regreased then what you are feeling is probably dried grease. I bet if you took the big nut off and dropped the triple tree about six inches where you could get to the bottom bearing and race for cleaning greasing and then cleaned the race and bearing at the top, you may be good to go.

Then again, you could replace all the bearings.

RandyA

 

Got two long days of Ditch Witch work coming up and riding Wed morning. Hope they last a while longer!!