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Fats25
Original Poster
4,567 posts
98 months
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I rode the Bandit in today, and it has a funny vibration/knocking through the front end of the bike under accelaration, and braking. If I had not recently changed the wheel bearings, I would have thought it was these. I checked them by seeing if any play in them when I arrived at work, but could not feel anything untoward, although I will get wheel out and have another check when I get home.
I then thought pehaps it was fork seals as these go every couple of years, and whether the oil had pissed everywhere, but again can see no visible signs of fork seals leaking.
What else should I be looking at. I have head the phrase "head bearings". Could this be what I am feeling through the bars?
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Maruchino
852 posts
53 months
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headstock bearings
or
brake pads moving in calipers
Had both make similar noises under similar conditions.
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Fats25
Original Poster
4,567 posts
98 months
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Maruchino said: headstock bearings
or
brake pads moving in calipers
Had both make similar noises under similar conditions. The second one I understand. I can deal with that - if that is all it is. Now these headstock thingy's - what are they? Where are the located? How do I check them?
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FarQue
1,652 posts
67 months
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You've changed the wheel bearings, but don't know where your head bearings are?
Maybe the first job is to go back to the wheel / spindle / brake area and check your work...
Head bearings connect the frame to the forks via the steering spindle and the top and bottom yoke (triple trees if you're American). If all's well down by the front wheel, I'd suspect the head bearings and / or their adjustment.
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Hooli
21,213 posts
69 months
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Hold the bike upright, squeeze the front brake on hard & try to rock the bike backwards & forwards. If you can feel any play in the bearings (where the steering stem goes through the frame) then the head bearings are shot or need adjustment.
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smack
8,284 posts
60 months
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Just wait until Pete gets back from his holiday...
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Fats25
Original Poster
4,567 posts
98 months
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FarQue said: You've changed the wheel bearings, but don't know where your head bearings are? Correct - are the two interlinked? I changed the wheel bearings because they collapsed. FarQue said: Maybe the first job is to go back to the wheel / spindle / brake area and check your work... Why? I was not aware headstock bearings needed replacing at same time. What should I be looking at in the wheel / spindle / brake area? The wheel bearings seem ok to me. FarQue said: Head bearings connect the frame to the forks via the steering spindle and the top and bottom yoke (triple trees if you're American). If all's well down by the front wheel, I'd suspect the head bearings and / or their adjustment. Sorry - I don't understand this post. I will see if I can find a diagram.
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Fats25
Original Poster
4,567 posts
98 months
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Hooli said: Hold the bike upright, squeeze the front brake on hard & try to rock the bike backwards & forwards. If you can feel any play in the bearings (where the steering stem goes through the frame) then the head bearings are shot or need adjustment. I think that is it then! I tried it at the lights this morning - and that is what it felt like. It fely weird. Ok - I will head to the Haynes manual and see how to adjust/replace........... Any danger of riding with collapsed headstock bearings? Typically the Bandit seems to warn in the morning, and collapse on the ride home. I hope I do better than I did when I tried to ride home on the wheel bearings last time. smack said: Just wait until Pete gets back from his holiday... I like to get it to a state of half repair before I call someone else! BTW how did Tori get on yesterday - I never heard back from her.
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smack
8,284 posts
60 months
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Fats25 said: I like to get it to a state of half repair before I call someone else! BTW how did Tori get on yesterday - I never heard back from her. 6 points, sizeable fine, no ban.
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Fats25
Original Poster
4,567 posts
98 months
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smack said: 6 points, sizeable fine, no ban. Excellent result. Same as I got for mine!
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N Dentressangle
2,459 posts
91 months
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mrdelmonti
1,226 posts
50 months
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VinceFox
14,255 posts
41 months
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Just went through this with the blade recently. Check off in this order...
Front wheel bearings.
Head steerer bearings.
Brakes
Fork slider bushes.
By elimination mine ended up being the bushes, but the first two are so cheap and easy to do i'd rule them out first.
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Fats25
Original Poster
4,567 posts
98 months
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Cheers guys for advice. Keep an eye on the forum for the next installment as I come to repair it!
I will ride it cautiously home tonight, and hope to get further than I did with the wheel bearings...........
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VinceFox
14,255 posts
41 months
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I rode my supermomo with utterly buggered ones for a bit although i tightened them down while waiting for new ones to turn up. Youll find the bike disagrees with you about intended line/direction a bit, just be smooth and dont hoon it until theyre done.
Also replace with taper bearings, all balls are good, ebay seems cheapest.
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VinceFox
14,255 posts
41 months
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Here's a pic to help... 
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Fats25
Original Poster
4,567 posts
98 months
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mrdelmonti said: Have just watched the videos! There may be trouble ahead............
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VinceFox
14,255 posts
41 months
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Fats25 said: mrdelmonti said: Have just watched the videos! There may be trouble ahead............ Do you have a centrestand or an abba or something? Theres a bit of suspending the front end involved.
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Fats25
Original Poster
4,567 posts
98 months
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VinceFox said: Do you have a centrestand or an abba or something? Theres a bit of suspending the front end involved. The bike has a centerstand..... I have never dropped the forks out of a bike before though. I am a bit short on time at the moment, and bike is due an MOT this month, so I may well be dropping this off for repair rather than doing myself.
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mrdelmonti
1,226 posts
50 months
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Fats25 said: VinceFox said: Do you have a centrestand or an abba or something? Theres a bit of suspending the front end involved. The bike has a centerstand..... I have never dropped the forks out of a bike before though. I am a bit short on time at the moment, and bike is due an MOT this month, so I may well be dropping this off for repair rather than doing myself. You can get it done in half a day/a couple hours, so long as you're confident with pulling things apart.
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