Bike won't ride straight (RF900)

[Mishy]

Could be one of many things in the front end. One possibility is that someone has tightened up worn steering head bearings. That would make the 'notch" either side of centre more apparent than when they were loose. When the bearings wear they generally create a notch just off centre, which leads to a kinda snatchy feel as the steering head moves from side to side. They also kinda catch at a point just off centre, before releasing as they move past that point.
Anyway, it simply must have someone with a few clues look it over. You can't persist with that sort of behaviour - get it seen to.

[manwithav8]

some good posts coming out here. It just so happens I am at tech doing a block course and after speaking the the motorcycle instructor, he and his class are going to look over the bike tomorrow.

Will be good training for his class and he will sort the issue or atleast tell me what's going on.

Will keep u all posted

[manwithav8]

well team, the bike is now mint. Turns out the headset was WELL over tightened. A redjustment by one of the lads training to be a bike mechanic and it rides mint.

Bloody rippa

[ynot slow]

Shit fixed by a bunch of apprentices and supervisor,says a lot about the dealer qualified techs.Scary as my bandit needs servicing soon,and must go to Suzuki dealer(warranty).Hope they know what they are doing.

[Robert Taylor]

Shit fixed by a bunch of apprentices and supervisor,says a lot about the dealer qualified techs.Scary as my bandit needs servicing soon,and must go to Suzuki dealer(warranty).Hope they know what they are doing.

Without elaborating or inferring any further motorcycle mechanics are notoriously underpaid.

[LBD]

well team, the bike is now mint. Turns out the headset was WELL over tightened. A redjustment by one of the lads training to be a bike mechanic and it rides mint.

Bloody rippa

Give that lad a job, and thank the rest of us for advice even when we were wrong, cause we made you give the bike a good check over.....

[manwithav8]

Give that lad a job, and thank the rest of us for advice even when we were wrong, cause we made you give the bike a good check over.....

Well as it so turns out, was all mint up one side of the takas but heading down the other side the problem came back.

So to all those who said worn bearings, well done, I am eating humble pie LOL.
Still no play though, just a little knotchy at the straight ahead position.

So new question, could the over tightening have caused damage to the bearings? Remember, this problem didn't arise untill the original re adjustment.

[Katman]

So new question, could the over tightening have caused damage to the bearings? Remember, this problem didn't arise untill the original re adjustment.

No, over tightening wouldn't have caused the damage - the 'damage' was already there.

Get the steering head bearings replaced.

[manwithav8]

No, over tightening wouldn't have caused the damage - the 'damage' was already there.

Get the steering head bearings replaced.

Oh the will be replaced, don't worry about that.

Just after knowledge

[F5 Dave]

Big heavy bike, will bugger bearings every so often, although nothing will do it quicker than cack handed wheelies or warped discs. So when you brake heavily does it pulse?

Do a search in these threads, we've gone over bearing changes before, freezing races etc there are some good tips.

[manwithav8]

Big heavy bike, will bugger bearings every so often, although nothing will do it quicker than cack handed wheelies or warped discs. So when you brake heavily does it pulse?

Do a search in these threads, we've gone over bearing changes before, freezing races etc there are some good tips.

I am heavy on the front brakes however there is no feedback through the lever YET.

Discs are in pretty good nick but my check warpage with a DTI

[CookMySock]

No, over tightening wouldn't have caused the damage - the 'damage' was already there.

It is possible to damage a bearing by overtightening it, or whacking it in the wrong place during installation (hitting the inner instead of the outer - drift a bearing into place by tapping around its outer, not the inner.)

But I agree that the problem was almost certainly there beforehand. ie, steering head was loose - diagnosis - retighten, when the all that did was make the real problem apparent - fucked bearing!

Good save!

Steve

[manwithav8]

It is possible to damage a bearing by overtightening it, or whacking it in the wrong place during installation (hitting the inner instead of the outer - drift a bearing into place by tapping around its outer, not the inner.)

But I agree that the problem was almost certainly there beforehand. ie, steering head was loose - diagnosis - retighten, when the all that did was make the real problem apparent - fucked bearing!

Good save!

Steve

Yeah good save for now. Still have the ride back to palmy from Wellington to go.

[Mishy]

But I agree that the problem was almost certainly there beforehand. ie, steering head was loose - diagnosis - retighten, when the all that did was make the real problem apparent - fucked bearing!

Yeah, I would agree with you there. Pity nobody thought to check on the condtion of the bearings when they were adjusted. I would have hoped that some consideration would have been made to the condidtion of the bearings that were in need of adjustment. Looseness is just the symptom - people should always ask what the cause is.

[quickbuck]

To be fair, Katman would have, I'm sure.
A tighten (of bearings) is a fix of a symptom.....

As Robert Taylor eluded to... Bike mechanics are notoriously underpaid.....

To add my ten cents worth, I hope we can all learn from what manwithav8 went through, and learn to get head bearings replaced when necessary, rather that "tweeked". It obviously makes a bike a scary piece of kit to ride, and if you are concentrating on a fault with the machine, you are not paying full attention to the road.