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Lowspeed handlebar wobble ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter fisher51
  • Start date Start date
F

fisher51

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I have a 80`GS850, handles great however at low speeds -+ 5mph, there is a noticeable loose feeling or wobble in the handlebars. I have tightened the bolts on the tree and tire press is 41psi dunlap 404 tire.I can handle it,(I`ve been riding for 40+ years) I just don`t like it.is there anything I can do? Thanks for your help !!---Ed :-k
 
You need new steering stem bearings.

They're maybe $35 a set at Dennis Kirk. Kind of a bear to change, though.
 
I did mine a few weeks ago and thought my wobble was gone for good but it seems to slowly be coming back. Are the bearings still "seating" and do I just need tighten that goofy nut up when I notice it and someday it will stop coming back?
 
catbed said:
41 psi? wowzers
Click to expand...
thats what i was thinking... but "chef" also claims thats a good pressure :confused:

anyhow, first check your existing steering stem bearings by pulling/pushing the front wheel (while the wheel is off the ground)
it may be a simple fix like tightening the top adjustment nut on the steering stem
 
If you tighten the steering stem nut to snug up the steering head be sure to do it with the front wheel off the ground and move the bars from full lock to full lock to check for smooth movement.

When I tried to just tighten the nut I found that my bearings and races were notchy as hell. Now that I have gone through the ordeal of replacing the steering bearings all is much better.

Chris
 
Loose steering head bearings. When correct there should be a SLIGHT amount of drag.

When adjusting be sure to loosen the lower triple clamp bolts because as the stem nut tightens it raises the fork tube in the clamps.
 
After you have done all you can to the steering bearings and find that you still have problems, check your swing arm bearings.
Sometimes a wobble is caused by looseness at the other end of the bike. :-k

.
 
+1 on what Steve said. Could also be wheel bearings, but my $ is on steering head. Especially if there is a violent wobble on decelleration at 40 or so.

One more thing. Only severely loose stem bearings can be detected by pushing/pulling on the front wheel.

You will know if they are too tight if the bike wants to wander when you try to go straight. It doesn't want to respond to input on the bars, then it finally goes in the direction you want, but.....it goes too far and is stubborn to go back.
If this happens back off the adjuster a tad and ride again.

Remember to loosen the lower triple clamp bolts each time to allow the forks to move to prevent binding.
 
Zook said:
Remember to loosen the lower triple clamp bolts each time to allow the forks to move to prevent binding.
Click to expand...

Ive been battling a high speed wobble for years and have tried everything.... except that !! Could you elaborate on the exact sequence you use to align the front end / forks and tighten the stem bearings / nut....
 
Don't these bikes come with ball bearings in the steering heads like most bikes always have?

Using tapered roller bearings is a major improvement for just a few dollars more.

And as I recall, you want to loosen all the fork clamp bolts, then tighten the steeering head until you feel a slight drag when you turn the bars from side to side, and then back off the nut just a tad (at most a quarter turn). Then tighten up the fork clamp (triple tree) bolts.

This should leave your front end nicely set up.
 
psyguy said:
thats what i was thinking... but "chef" also claims thats a good pressure :confused:

anyhow, first check your existing steering stem bearings by pulling/pushing the front wheel (while the wheel is off the ground)
it may be a simple fix like tightening the top adjustment nut on the steering stem
Click to expand...
I liked 40psi in my Dunlop GT501s. I'm running Hi Maxx tires now and I run 32psi.
It was the tire not me. :)
 
highmileage said:
Don't these bikes come with ball bearings in the steering heads like most bikes always have?

Using tapered roller bearings is a major improvement for just a few dollars more.

And as I recall, you want to loosen all the fork clamp bolts, then tighten the steeering head until you feel a slight drag when you turn the bars from side to side, and then back off the nut just a tad (at most a quarter turn). Then tighten up the fork clamp (triple tree) bolts.

This should leave your front end nicely set up.
Click to expand...
They went away from ball type bearings in the stems, at least in the 750s i know for sure, in the 80 and up models. 77-79 750s used a ball type, although the 78-79 could be swapped to tappered with no effort. The 77 stem requires you to machine the stem to accept the bearing seating properly. Or, you just use a set of 78 forks and/or trees...heh
 
That's cool, 'cuz the ball bearing end up egg shaped. I know that back in the seventies (which may be the last time I did this!), You bought aftermarket rollerbearings that were fairly expensive, and all they were was standard Timkin bearings that had been machined down to the diameter of the steering stem.

Anyway, you want to loosen all the upper triple clamp bolts with the front wheel off the ground (obviously you put something under the motor to support the bike, such as a block of wood on a floor jack) and what you are tightening is the spanner nut below the upper triple clamp.

Of course, anyone who is contemplating doing this should read a manual and not just a posting to a message board!
 
Last edited:
Thanks guys

Thanks guys

:-kI can now see that I`m not the only one that this bothers, however I checked the stem bearings and found NO play also the swing arm bushings. I have been working on food processing machinery for 35yrs., replacing bearings on meatsaws,grinders,slicers and mixers and can tell when bearings are bad.(Hobart) I rode the bike across the parking lot looking around the vetter fairing the only wobble I saw was between the rim and the road. I guess I will learn to live with it even if I don`t like it. The press. states on the tire 41lb. . If I hit small bumps or run in gravel it just don`t feel right. Thanks guys I took it all in and will keep checking.
 
Steve said:
After you have done all you can to the steering bearings and find that you still have problems, check your swing arm bearings.
Sometimes a wobble is caused by looseness at the other end of the bike. :-k

.
Click to expand...

This is often the cause of a low speed wobble, usually when decellerating, the swing arm will have a slight bit of play that is almost impossible to detect, and this is amplified through the chassis giving you the feeling of a head shake, but it is coming from the other end. Just replace the bearings and call it good.
 
Thanks,guys ya`ll are great

Thanks,guys ya`ll are great

I have learned so much reading other threads, and hope I can be a help soon to someone else. Beware of "left turn Larry" ride safe :cool:
 
How old is the tire? Any cupping on the tread? I had a wobble that I noticed when decelerating below about 40 mph. It wasn't bad, I didn't notice it at all unless I held the grips very loosely or let go altogether. I lived with it for a while, but when the tire wore out and I replaced it, the wobble went away...
 
A lot of bikes get that as the front tyre nears the end of it life.
 
new tire

new tire

Noticed b-4 changing 3 weeks ago,was hoping that was it. Thanks,the wobble is only at LOW speed 5 to 8mph , makes handling bike on sloped driveways tricky. No problem anywhere over 10 to 15mph., just have to use extra care to keep everything under control. Thanks again.
 
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