| Author | Message | ||
     Tempest766 |
I bough a Ulysses XT about a month ago and have put about 1200 miles on it...it's currently about 3300 miles. This evening (right about dusk) I was riding through town (over typically pennsylvanian potholed and patched roads) and started getting a vibration that feels like I'm riding on grooved pavement all the time. I thought this might be a cylinder not firing but I notice no power loss. It's just a much harsher ride now. I've noticed no excess heat or noise in the wheel hubs since i've been riding so I am hesitant to consider the wheel bearings as culprits. I've also noticed that the rear shock pre-adjust seems to do absolutely nothing. I bought the bike with it turned completely down. I tested the bounce for my weight and screwed the thing the whole way in. There is absolutely no difference in the rear shock movement. It looks like the pre-tensioner is just an air valve of some sort, or is it a cable link to the shock? In any case, I cannot tell any difference of using the pre-tensioner all on or all off. I'm about 180 pounds. Any thoughts on what could quickly and without warning cause the ride to go from like being on rails to feeling like going over grooved pavement? | ||
| Ted |
i wonder if re torquing the steering head would help. if you've gone thru pot holes or done wheelies, it may be the problem, but i havent heard of those symptoms. good luck | ||
| Hughlysses |
Rob- Is the vibration related to engine RPM? If so, check the front engine isolator, muffler mounting bands, and the primary chain adjustment. My first guess would be a bad rear wheel bearing; check them carefully. The rear shock adjuster works hydraulically. When you turn the knob you force oil out of a cylinder, through a hose, and into a concentric cylinder at the top of the shock that rests on the top of the spring. You should notice a dramatic difference from all the way out to fully pre-loaded. It may be that a previous owner disconnected the hose without knowing what he was doing, allowing the oil to leak out. Otherwise, one of the seals has probably failed. You could try disconnecting the hose from the adjuster and the top and refilling it. We're not quite sure what the fluid should be (maybe you can tell if any is left) but my guess would be something like fork oil. Screw the adjuster all the way out, and disconnect the hose at the adjuster end. Remove the adjuster from the bike so that you can hold it hose connection end up. Take your oil and try to fill the hose and the cylinder on the shock as much as possible, then try to fill the adjuster as much as possible and reconnect the hose before any can spill out. See if the adjuster works now. It normally takes about 4 turns before you feel any resistance, but by the time you're up to 10 turns or so it's pretty hard to turn. Otherwise, it'll cost you about $500 for a new rear shock assembly. Oh yea, we Uly riders usually hang out in the "Big, Bad, and Dirty" forum. |
