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front end shenanigans
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:59 pm
by cheekeyarab
i crashed my bike a few months ago, plastics and headlight n clocks knackered at first glance. since gettin it back on the road the front end feels awfully wafty! i can feel like small ish stones under wheel and slow speed balance is somewhat worrying, any ideas people?
thanks in advance:)
ben
Re: front end shenanigans
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 7:04 pm
by Zax
Did you get the bike fully checked out by a bike shop ?
If yes then most probably it is just your confidence that is shot to pieces give it time and the feel of the bike may well improve.
IT could be something as simple as the tyre pressures being way too low if the bike has been sitting for while.
If no then there may still be something up with the bike would be well worth getting it checked out.
Re: front end shenanigans
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 7:05 pm
by RK6
Checked the alignment?
Tyre pressure?
Twisted forks?
I dunno

Re: front end shenanigans
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 7:07 pm
by cheekeyarab
i did wonder if it was my confidence but after being on a month or so now im not so sure. i replaced all parts myself as im bloody skint so no chance of gettin it checked really. was trying to see if i could suss it myself
Re: front end shenanigans
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 7:11 pm
by RK6
Get a second opinion, sure someone will be kind enough to take it for a spin next time your out!

Re: front end shenanigans
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 7:41 pm
by al
Were your forks straight? If your front suspension can't compress they the front will feel wobbly and will kick off every bump - the front tyre willbe ding all the work!
Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian).
Re: front end shenanigans
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 8:19 pm
by cheekeyarab
tyre pressure fine. front forks seem to be fine but i'm certainly no mechanic!! someone suggesed that the top end bearing may be knackered, or wheels out of alignment, but not realy sure how i check these things!!
Re: front end shenanigans
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 8:37 pm
by BIGSTEVE
Stop being a big girls blouse, ride it like an epileptic woman at the local disco

Re: front end shenanigans
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 8:47 pm
by cheekeyarab
BIGSTEVE wrote:Stop being a big girls blouse, ride it like an epileptic woman at the local disco

i appear to be doing just that;)
Re: front end shenanigans
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 8:48 pm
by CBRXX
cheekeyarab wrote:tyre pressure fine. front forks seem to be fine but i'm certainly no mechanic!! someone suggesed that the top end bearing may be knackered, or wheels out of alignment, but not realy sure how i check these things!!
bike in neutral hold front break on and rock back and forward feel for looseness. rotate the bars from lock stock to lock stock and feel for notchiness.
check the wheel bearings for play by pulling the wheel side to side from the top of the wheel.
Have someone check the damper settings, or you can normally look these up to set back to factory standard. these could be far too hard or could be out of balance i.e. different settings on each fork leg. make a note of the current setting and the number of turns or notches it takes to back fully off. return to original position and check the other fork leg. then repeat the process except turning the damping fully up again return to where you started and check the other fork leg. look for inconsitancies between the fork legs and the number of turns to fully hard or fully soft.
try turning down a bit at a time to see if it improves you feel at the bars
Re: front end shenanigans
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 9:05 pm
by cheekeyarab
blackstorm wrote:cheekeyarab wrote:tyre pressure fine. front forks seem to be fine but i'm certainly no mechanic!! someone suggesed that the top end bearing may be knackered, or wheels out of alignment, but not realy sure how i check these things!!
bike in neutral hold front break on and rock back and forward feel for looseness. rotate the bars from lock stock to lock stock and feel for notchiness.
check the wheel bearings for play by pulling the wheel side to side from the top of the wheel.
Have someone check the damper settings, or you can normally look these up to set back to factory standard. these could be far too hard or could be out of balance i.e. different settings on each fork leg. make a note of the current setting and the number of turns or notches it takes to back fully off. return to original position and check the other fork leg. then repeat the process except turning the damping fully up again return to where you started and check the other fork leg. look for inconsitancies between the fork legs and the number of turns to fully hard or fully soft.
try turning down a bit at a time to see if it improves you feel at the bars
thanks man thats startin to make a bit of sense, will check that out asap, never noticed a prob before the crash and it seems to be getting steadily worse.
anybody fully insured that knows what they are looking for?
Re: front end shenanigans
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 10:31 pm
by CBRXX
cheekeyarab wrote:blackstorm wrote:cheekeyarab wrote:tyre pressure fine. front forks seem to be fine but i'm certainly no mechanic!! someone suggesed that the top end bearing may be knackered, or wheels out of alignment, but not realy sure how i check these things!!
bike in neutral hold front break on and rock back and forward feel for looseness. rotate the bars from lock stock to lock stock and feel for notchiness.
check the wheel bearings for play by pulling the wheel side to side from the top of the wheel.
Have someone check the damper settings, or you can normally look these up to set back to factory standard. these could be far too hard or could be out of balance i.e. different settings on each fork leg. make a note of the current setting and the number of turns or notches it takes to back fully off. return to original position and check the other fork leg. then repeat the process except turning the damping fully up again return to where you started and check the other fork leg. look for inconsitancies between the fork legs and the number of turns to fully hard or fully soft.
try turning down a bit at a time to see if it improves you feel at the bars
thanks man thats startin to make a bit of sense, will check that out asap, never noticed a prob before the crash and it seems to be getting steadily worse.
anybody fully insured that knows what they are looking for?
if your out banchory way saturday give us a shout I'll be about most of the day and can have a gander at it

Re: front end shenanigans
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 10:46 pm
by cheekeyarab
i was wondering if maybe the lead weights used for balancing were knocked off in the crash, but unsure if it would be this noticable?
guess its cheep to get it checked