idb
28th March 2005, 21:02
I'm new to sportsbikes and so every time I ride it I discover something new - especially how critical setup and maintenance is.
When I bought the 888 late last year I was told that the steering head bearings will need changed as they're a bit notchy but the only real problem I will notice until then will be strange handling at low speeds.
Sure enough it tended to weave a bit through town but nothing to concern me too much.
I did find the bike a bit of a handful in the twisties though - it didn't want to go around corners on a trailing throttle.
Reading old write-ups convinced me that this was just a foible of these bikes so I figured that I would just have to learn to ride it accordingly.
Anyway, I went to replace the bearings last week but after a clean-up of the old gunky grease they looked pretty good. So I just re-greased them and put everything back together.
Un-be-lievable.
I went for the first ride today and the bike is transformed.
No more weaving in town and it just sails around corners without the curled up toes and puckered sphincter of before.
Then I got a ticket...........
I highly commend this simple item of maintenance to all.
When I bought the 888 late last year I was told that the steering head bearings will need changed as they're a bit notchy but the only real problem I will notice until then will be strange handling at low speeds.
Sure enough it tended to weave a bit through town but nothing to concern me too much.
I did find the bike a bit of a handful in the twisties though - it didn't want to go around corners on a trailing throttle.
Reading old write-ups convinced me that this was just a foible of these bikes so I figured that I would just have to learn to ride it accordingly.
Anyway, I went to replace the bearings last week but after a clean-up of the old gunky grease they looked pretty good. So I just re-greased them and put everything back together.
Un-be-lievable.
I went for the first ride today and the bike is transformed.
No more weaving in town and it just sails around corners without the curled up toes and puckered sphincter of before.
Then I got a ticket...........
I highly commend this simple item of maintenance to all.