| Author | Message | ||
     Pmjolly |
I guess it is time to re-torque the steering head bearings. I might have to replace them. I got back from a three hour ride last night to find I now have the front end clunking noise. It is not brake related. It does it without applying the brakes. I have another symptom no one has mentioned, but it goes right along with steering head problems. I noticed the bike felt a little unstable last time I was out riding. It felt a little twitchy. Last night, it got worse. It was like the front wheel was following a different line than the back wheel. It felt unstable going straight down the freeway at 70 MPH. It was like when you ride on grooved pavement. I have felt this on another bike before. I had a Kawasaki that did the same thing. I took the Kawi apart and found an indention in the bearing race on the top of the steering stem. It only takes a tiny amount of play to cause a big feeling of instability. Replacing the bearings on the Kawi tightened everything up. It was like a totally different bike. I hope re-torquing the bearings on the Buell solves it. | ||
| 1_mike |
First thing I do when getting a new bike home (used OR new) is to check the steering head bearings. More often than not...they are loose. Checking the CR's bearings are a bit of work....funny thing though...they were in good shape. No tightening required. Mike | ||
| Avalaugh |
just ordered my new head bearings, Al at American Sport Bike now lists them The bearings are $22.40 and part number 18171 | ||
| Bassettkyle |
Mine knocks also, I posted a video a little while ago. Everyone told me it is just the fork making that noise. It seems louder so today I jacked the bike off the front wheel and torked it per instructions. Still the same. It does sound like the fork but it does seem crazy the bikes makes fhis noise. Mine only has 2500 miles. | ||
| Bassettkyle |
http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/290 431/599292.html See vido links near bottom, I don't see that part on their site, u have link? Let me know if your's sounds the same or you get it fixed. | ||
| Bueller4ever |
So there is a clunk in the front and you think you need to replace the bearings? Unless there is front to back play with the front tire off the ground or notchiness from lock to lock, then it's not the bearings. | ||
| Pmjolly |
No, I knew something was up with the way it was handling, then noticed the new clunk noise. I just figured that since people were experiencing a clunk fixed by re-torquing the steering head bearings, I might have the same issue. I have had a previous sportsbike with bad steering head bearings. My Buell started doing the same thing last night. I have not checked the bearings yet. I will do it next weekend. I know how to tell if they are bad. My Kawasaki had excessive play front to back with the wheel centered and off the ground. You could also feel it'catch' in the center when moving it left and right. I found a notch in the upper bearing's race. I am hoping it is just loose on my Buell. | ||
| Thefleshrocket |
My 08 is noticeably twitchy and there is a slight steering head click. If loose bearings can affect stability, I'll check their tightness before buying a steering damper. | ||
| Avalaugh |
Mine was clicking so I tightened and it went away, I'm currently fitting a R1 front end so just replacing for good measure, I will take a video tonight of the Buell fork off the bike, if you shake it there is a clinking noise coming from inside the fork, I think this is most peoples noise ! That info from asb is from a email Al sent me, he said it will be up soon. | ||
| Avalaugh |
Mine was clicking so I tightened and it went away, I'm currently fitting a R1 front end so just replacing for good measure, I will take a video tonight of the Buell fork off the bike, if you shake it there is a clinking noise coming from inside the fork, I think this is most peoples noise ! That info from asb is from a email Al sent me, he said it will be up soon. | ||
| Sparropie |
Mine are being replaced by the dealer, FREE! They also claim there is nothing to torque 'up there'. I know from experience that my dealers' crew are fools... but perhaps they will get this right. They are also replacing my front rotor, as it came with many different thickness's...  | ||
| Thunderbike |
Honestly,your dealer is somewhat right.They are sealed bearings and the only thing your torqueing is the stem and upper clamp.Note:if you overtorque you can actually break the lip that locates the upper bearing and make things worse.Way I see it they should be replaced at the 12,000 mi.service,no exceptions.Also be careful how you install and adjust the radial steering damper. | ||
| Chameleon |
Daniel: Do you think they should be replaced every 12,400 miles? Mine were replaced once, long ago. I now have 61,000 miles on her and am experiencing a slightly unsettling feeling in the front end when riding. Wondering if it might be the bearing. Galen: Destination are fools. Downtown HD is less so. Downtown at least has a factory-trained Buell tech on staff. Destination does not. You should join us for the meeting on the 13th. It's either at Mick Kelly's next to DHD or DHD in the upper meeting room. | ||
| Orman1649 |
I have already had the bearing replaced on my CR once and I noticed it had started clicking again. I'll have gone through 2 bearings in about 7k miles. I don't know why I am having such bad luck with them. I think I have pulled a grand total of 3 wheelies and none of them were on purpose or really big. I ride to work very often and there are some pretty •••••• train tracks... | ||
| Sparropie |
Cham, I think you are correct as to the 13th! Orman, that's the first thing the guy at my dealer said, 'do you pull alot of wheelies...'. Hope to crap a few wheelies wouldn't toast the head bearings... | ||
| Thunderbike |
In my experience with our racebike it had 6,000 mi.and the head bearings were notched and loose.I had adjusted one of our street bikes a couple of times at the 6k,12k and 18k services.This is touchy with a GPR damper as you have to take the adaptor nut off to adjust the headbearings.This bike started to clunk real bad and practically steer itself.Anyway if you can work on the bike yourself the best thing is replace those bearings.Also if any of you have taken them off yourself,you'll agree that there's nothing to adjust.Your just pushing that middle race down and as in my case breaking the outter lip,bad.Just some stuff I've found. danny | ||
| Duphuckincati |
So Thunderbike, when you "adjusted" the street bikes every 6000 miles, was that just a matter of loosening the fork tube pinch bolts and loosening/re-torquing the stem nut to around 40 ft lbs? Did it seem that the nut had been loosened up at all? And did it make the bike feel better? My not-babied 4000 mile CR is definitely getting "flappier" at the bars at lower speeds than it had been (still talking above 100). I guess I'm just basically asking if the stem nut does seem to loosen since there is "nothing to adjust". Thanks. | ||
| Thefleshrocket |
I don't understand the "nothing to adjust" claim. If the steering stem nut is loose, it can be tightened, and that counts as adjustment as far as I'm concerned. | ||
| Misterrich |
I took my 08 in for the steering head clunk and they replaced the bearings. Only cost me 50 bucks and it was out of warranty. The clunk wasn't that bad but it had been there since day one. | ||
| Avalaugh |
Very much doubt they replaced them for $50, they cost that without labour ! Would think they just loosened and re-torqued them. | ||
| Bassettkyle |
Agree, it is a big job to replace. So it's not the fork making the knock? So now I am con fussed, I was convinced it was inside the fork. I kinda still think it is the fork? | ||
| Thunderbike |
The $50.00 was for the deductible,right? Anyways not to beat a dead horse,but.Anyone whose had the triple clamps and bearings out take a good look and tell me what your adjusting.So,with all the upper clamp pinch bolts loose no more than 40 ft.lbs.with an accurate torque wrench.Sometimes the noise comes from misalignment of the forks in the clamps and when you loosen all the pinch bolts it goes away for awhile. danny | ||
| Pmjolly |
I am going to rig up a sling in my garage this next weekend so I can get the front off the ground. I'll let everyone know what I find. The thing that bothers me about working on my Buell is that I feel like I cannot get parts in a timely manner. | ||
| Froggy |
You haven't owned a Suzuki then! I've never waited for any Buell part for even half as long as I did for a pair of forks for a GS500. | ||
| Thunderbike |
Oh, the pinch bolts get torqued to 18-20 ft.lbs.incase you don't have manual handy.When you tighten the bolts on the bottom triple clamp(which are doubled one ontop of the other)tighten them in increments until you bring them up to torqued.If you don't you could damage the clamp.The upper just has one bolt per side,but still be careful. | ||
| Pmjolly |
I got the front wheel off the ground and checked everything today. The steering head bearings are fine. I still went through the motions of loosening everything and re-torquing. The clunk is still there. It is coming from the right side fork tube. I did notice one thing. The fork tubes have indexing marks at the top of the triple clamps. You can easily see if they are clamped at the same height in the triple clamp. Before I started, the left fork was a little higher in the clamp. It was probably not enough to make any difference, but I have to wonder if things were binding. I did not have time to go for a test run. I am hoping the uneasy handling is gone. | ||
| Rageonthedl |
i had a bike come into the shop with a crazy loud front end clunking noise. cheacked bearings and all the normal stuff. So I replaced the neck bearings and shazam thats what it was. | ||
| Bassettkyle |
Any idea on the part number for the neck bearing? I guess it is a similar process to replace it... ie - not a small task. | ||
| Bassettkyle |
Response for our friends at ebr I will try tonight There is some misinformation out there on how to maintain the head bearings. To re-torque you must loosen the pinch bolts at the fork tubes as well as the one at the center for the cap nut. And you should not do it with the wheel off the ground, re-torquing should be done with the weight of the bike on the wheel. Otherwise you are using torque to lift the weight of the wheel, so that load will make the torque read higher than what the cap nut is getting. You can check for brinnelling of the bearing with the wheel off the ground once the bearing is properly torqued. Brinnelling is when the race gets dents beaten in it, which will make it feel very notchy. We do have bearings if you need them, but many get replaced when they are still good because people don't know how to adjust them | ||
| Duphuckincati |
If you loosen the pinch bolts on both the upper and lower triple clamps (old school=triple trees) with the wheel on the ground the front end could drop. So just to state the obvious, and as mentioned elsewhere, just loosen the double-bolt lowers. I'm assuming. |
