This is the best video I've seen on this issue. I thought to myself that bit may be the neck bearings also but I wasn't sure how to check it. My bike has about 15,000 mi on it can I get a little front end wobble if I let go of the handlebars. I've never had an issue with a bike like this before and I've had many a bike. I don't even want to ride it because it's just not stable. I put a new front tire on it and had it balanced and it helped a little but it didn't solve the problem. Thanks for the excellent advice my bike will be on a jack before the day is over. It's a shame that you just can't trust shop mechanics these days I had a shop when I was younger. Not a motorcycle shop just a four car garage type shop and there was always someone down there doing something. I live in an apartment these days but I have a storage unit real close. I guess that storage unit is going to double as my shop
Those "tiny" head bearings are larger than the wheel bearings on the axles of my 1 ton pickup. But yeah... THE top thing all bikers should check before they do anything else, on a used bike. Great video.
Thanks for the vid, Ive just picked up a 92 CBR with what I diagnosed as steering head bearing failure. Watching your video confirmed, now I get to perform a brand new repair that I havent attempted before. Will probably video it, and cut it into a how-To next weekend. Wish me luck!
Don't check for play from the wheel because it could be wheel that is loose, check from standing in front of the bike with the wheel straight and pull the bottom yoke back and forth this will show play better
Thank you kindly for your opinion and diagnosis tests, it seems from what you have said that i have a loose bearings or axle as i can slightly rock parrallel to the tyre when facing straight, thanks
The number of times you'd love to have a centre stand. Here in the U.K. at least, manufacturers have taken us for fools and we only get a side stand....
My kx250 turns smooth and makes no noise on the stand but when its on the ground and i move the bike forward and hit the brake i can hear a noise i tighten it up a little and still smooth but i still here and feel it when i hit the brakes 😮
how long is it safe to drive on loose bearings without ruining them. i had my bearings replaced 3 days ago then after hitting a bump they are loose and bike rocks slightly when stop hard. Im getting it in a garage on friday for them to tighten it up. Im assuming the first place screwed up??. will i loose any balls or damage the bearings if i use it till friday i do 20 miles a day. i dont have tools to fix it myself. its a 125cc scooter. thanks
Hello GSMAC! I watched your video and found it very helpful. But I have a question... Is the front tire mounted in the correct way...? I was to believe that the thread should be pointing in the other direction, hence, when the wheel rolls forward, the center of the thread is what makes contact with the water first and then as the wheel rolls, the threading takes the water away from the center of the tire and out to the edges... but the way I see it mounted on your video, well... I'm confused.... Thanks for the help!
That tire is an Avon Roadrider. It is a directional tire, and you would think it would be mounted so that the sipes push water outward as it rolls - but it is mounted correctly as shown in the video (I had just put it on - it was brand new in that video), and it did work very well in the wet.
I happen to have a Honda Pacific Coast and was wondering if you replaced/serviced those on your wife's bike yourself? Getting ready to service my bearings and wondering if you have any video of that, or perhaps some advice before I dig in?
Yes, I did replace them, although I didn't document it. I did document the process on my GL1500 Goldwing however, and the PC800 is VERY similar. See: goldwingdocs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=23661
Hmmm I have a knocking noise when braking or accelerating from the front. Seems to be coming from the double tree or something. Could it possibly be this as well?
When I turn my 02 shadow 1100 the handle bars have no resistance they fall the way I'm turning and instead of pushing against the inside handle, I have to hold/pull the outside handle back to keep the front wheel from tucking under
Hi I've got 650 2005 K5 Suzuki bandit when I lean into a corner the steering drops into the lean making it really difficult to counter steer. Is there something wrong or am I just being a wuss? The steering is free but feels heavy. Thanks Subscribed by the way! 🤘
If this happens more in one direction than the other, it can often be attributed to tire wear. If it happens equally in both directions, it could be due to low tire pressure. If you have any suspension changes from stock that have altered the suspension geometry, that can also be something to look at.
I checked mine in my 150cc and they look ok but i have wobble and i re greased them but the thing where they lock the wheel center keep getting set at an angle and the wheel is not straight how do i set it to make it straight? Should i just change them? The bottom ones are fine its the top ball bearings that are the issue.
I rode a sport bike today that had 40K plus miles on it and looked really corroded - 2001 fireblade. I don't know much about bikes but it seemed to be running fine in terms of shifting and pulling the throttle to accelerate. But steering felt really odd. I was doing mostly slow speed and took the bike to at max 35 mph. The steering wheel seemed to ever so slightly veer counterclockwise. I felt like I was having to make adjustments. But it was so subtle that I'm not sure if there is something wrong. It's such a strange feeling however, like the bike is steering itself. Is this a problem I should check out?
If it's steering crooked, it's more likely bent forks from crash damage. Sometimes it can be corrected by resetting them in the triple tree, but if they are actually bent, they need to be replaced.
I have a 2007 Yamaha Road Star Silverado 1700 and I did your test , everything is smooth, but when its on the ground and i'm getting to a stop or taking a turn , it becomes a little hard to turn? Could it be just loose or do you think I have to change the bearings? The bike only has 6000 miles on it. Thx.
Hi gsmac. Bought a Fz6N recently and I find the bike wants to always steer to the right. Also find it tends to tilt way more than expected on certain different camber angles. I found the wheel was not aligned (Perhaps he hit a curb.. not sure). When I lifted the bike off the wheels I find the steering does not want to go anywhere near the center, rather it will flop to one side. I have no checked the bearings yet like in your video. Any suggestions?
are you sure that the detent is because of worn bearings? I am having the same issue on my bike with just 5k kms on it. On inspection of the racers, i found no grooves which may cause the detent.
Hi you seem to know your stuff can you help me out I get vibration when braking I put aftermarket discs (new wavy) about a year or so ago when I lift front fork and turn front wheel you can feel slight resistance on say 1 x 5th of the disc would thus be the issue ? Or could it be more likely head or wheel bearings? Thank you
This is the best video I've seen on this issue. I thought to myself that bit may be the neck bearings also but I wasn't sure how to check it. My bike has about 15,000 mi on it can I get a little front end wobble if I let go of the handlebars. I've never had an issue with a bike like this before and I've had many a bike. I don't even want to ride it because it's just not stable. I put a new front tire on it and had it balanced and it helped a little but it didn't solve the problem. Thanks for the excellent advice my bike will be on a jack before the day is over. It's a shame that you just can't trust shop mechanics these days I had a shop when I was younger. Not a motorcycle shop just a four car garage type shop and there was always someone down there doing something. I live in an apartment these days but I have a storage unit real close. I guess that storage unit is going to double as my shop
Those "tiny" head bearings are larger than the wheel bearings on the axles of my 1 ton pickup. But yeah... THE top thing all bikers should check before they do anything else, on a used bike. Great video.
Thanks for the vid,
Ive just picked up a 92 CBR with what I diagnosed as steering head bearing failure. Watching your video confirmed, now I get to perform a brand new repair that I havent attempted before. Will probably video it, and cut it into a how-To next weekend.
Wish me luck!
Very important and could cause huge handling problems, nice vid mate. Next one swing arm bearings.
Very nice video! Short and to the point !
Great video. I have that issue. I just bought the bearings kit
Don't check for play from the wheel because it could be wheel that is loose, check from standing in front of the bike with the wheel straight and pull the bottom yoke back and forth this will show play better
Well done,detent is best way to check.
Detant from driving straight. Wow thanks
Thank you kindly for your opinion and diagnosis tests, it seems from what you have said that i have a loose bearings or axle as i can slightly rock parrallel to the tyre when facing straight, thanks
Great video clearly explained thank you
The number of times you'd love to have a centre stand. Here in the U.K. at least, manufacturers have taken us for fools and we only get a side stand....
Thanks man.
My kx250 turns smooth and makes no noise on the stand but when its on the ground and i move the bike forward and hit the brake i can hear a noise i tighten it up a little and still smooth but i still here and feel it when i hit the brakes 😮
great vid, thank you. my small block guzzi is about to puke out its bicycle style ball bearings
how long is it safe to drive on loose bearings without ruining them. i had my bearings replaced 3 days ago then after hitting a bump they are loose and bike rocks slightly when stop hard. Im getting it in a garage on friday for them to tighten it up. Im assuming the first place screwed up??. will i loose any balls or damage the bearings if i use it till friday i do 20 miles a day. i dont have tools to fix it myself. its a 125cc scooter. thanks
with some frequency one should dismantel check grease up and set torque. retorque 1000 km later. i belive lots of accidents lays in poor bearings.
great video. do you recommend All Balls bearings brand for a Yamaha Vmax 1985? thanks
great video thank you
Hello GSMAC! I watched your video and found it very helpful. But I have a question... Is the front tire mounted in the correct way...? I was to believe that the thread should be pointing in the other direction, hence, when the wheel rolls forward, the center of the thread is what makes contact with the water first and then as the wheel rolls, the threading takes the water away from the center of the tire and out to the edges... but the way I see it mounted on your video, well... I'm confused.... Thanks for the help!
That tire is an Avon Roadrider. It is a directional tire, and you would think it would be mounted so that the sipes push water outward as it rolls - but it is mounted correctly as shown in the video (I had just put it on - it was brand new in that video), and it did work very well in the wet.
I happen to have a Honda Pacific Coast and was wondering if you replaced/serviced those on your wife's bike yourself? Getting ready to service my bearings and wondering if you have any video of that, or perhaps some advice before I dig in?
Yes, I did replace them, although I didn't document it. I did document the process on my GL1500 Goldwing however, and the PC800 is VERY similar. See: goldwingdocs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=23661
Hmmm I have a knocking noise when braking or accelerating from the front. Seems to be coming from the double tree or something. Could it possibly be this as well?
Definitely could be.
What if a new bike sway on left side ???
When I turn my 02 shadow 1100 the handle bars have no resistance they fall the way I'm turning and instead of pushing against the inside handle, I have to hold/pull the outside handle back to keep the front wheel from tucking under
Long shot but how did you solve this? What was it? Currently experiencing that on my 2009 Vulcan 900 Custom
@@OverBanned I did, loosen the nut by the handle bars and tighten the steering bushing underneath it. Then re tighten. Problem fixed for me
Hi I've got 650 2005 K5 Suzuki bandit when I lean into a corner the steering drops into the lean making it really difficult to counter steer. Is there something wrong or am I just being a wuss?
The steering is free but feels heavy.
Thanks
Subscribed by the way! 🤘
If this happens more in one direction than the other, it can often be attributed to tire wear. If it happens equally in both directions, it could be due to low tire pressure. If you have any suspension changes from stock that have altered the suspension geometry, that can also be something to look at.
@@ScottsSynthStuff I'm getting a new front tire fitted tomorrow so I'll let you know!
Thanks a lot 🏍🙂😉
I checked mine in my 150cc and they look ok but i have wobble and i re greased them but the thing where they lock the wheel center keep getting set at an angle and the wheel is not straight how do i set it to make it straight? Should i just change them? The bottom ones are fine its the top ball bearings that are the issue.
+chriss4365 also does it matter which way you put the bearings in the upper bearings?
I rode a sport bike today that had 40K plus miles on it and looked really corroded - 2001 fireblade. I don't know much about bikes but it seemed to be running fine in terms of shifting and pulling the throttle to accelerate. But steering felt really odd. I was doing mostly slow speed and took the bike to at max 35 mph. The steering wheel seemed to ever so slightly veer counterclockwise. I felt like I was having to make adjustments. But it was so subtle that I'm not sure if there is something wrong. It's such a strange feeling however, like the bike is steering itself. Is this a problem I should check out?
If it's steering crooked, it's more likely bent forks from crash damage. Sometimes it can be corrected by resetting them in the triple tree, but if they are actually bent, they need to be replaced.
I have a 2007 Yamaha Road Star Silverado 1700 and I did your test , everything is smooth, but when its on the ground and i'm getting to a stop or taking a turn , it becomes a little hard to turn? Could it be just loose or do you think I have to change the bearings? The bike only has 6000 miles on it. Thx.
Look up flop test on Yamaha roadstar.
Hi gsmac. Bought a Fz6N recently and I find the bike wants to always steer to the right.
Also find it tends to tilt way more than expected on certain different camber angles.
I found the wheel was not aligned (Perhaps he hit a curb.. not sure).
When I lifted the bike off the wheels I find the steering does not want to go anywhere near the center, rather it will flop to one side.
I have no checked the bearings yet like in your video.
Any suggestions?
look up fall away testing
which side of the hill are you on?
Is that front tire mounted backwards?
No, that is an Avon Roadrider, it's mounted correctly. The sipes make it look like it's backwards, but it's definitely correct.
are you sure that the detent is because of worn bearings?
I am having the same issue on my bike with just 5k kms on it. On inspection of the racers, i found no grooves which may cause the detent.
Jaspreet Singh Yes, this is a well-known and common issue.
gsmac1969 but the detent is normally caused by small dents on the racers which isn't my case!
never had problem with this
Hi you seem to know your stuff can you help me out I get vibration when braking I put aftermarket discs (new wavy) about a year or so ago when I lift front fork and turn front wheel you can feel slight resistance on say 1 x 5th of the disc would thus be the issue ? Or could it be more likely head or wheel bearings? Thank you
thats the issue
I have a 2012 triumph Daytona 675- the steering seems stiffer than usual- would this be the bearings? any idea how much to replace?
Low tire pressure
bad gas
How to get Honda gold wing 1100 it went idle
will this test work on a yamaha 125 vino scooter ? thank you
It should work on any two wheeled vehicle with a pivoting steering head, so yes.
A de-tent.
I have a silver and silver bike
puros problemas lol
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