Steering de-tent\dimple?

[Anonymous]

I just noticed on my 1979 GS550 that the front fork hits what feels like a centering dimple when the tire is perfectly straight. It feels like it is supposed to be there, but It also feels like it could be a bad berring that just happens to go "boink" into a position that happens to be facing perfectly straight forward.
Anybody experience this?
Thanks for any replies.
Mike

[frosty5011]

Mike,

Don't think that's supposed to be there. Most likely your bearing is bad.......it probably took a hit when the steering was pointing straight ahead; like when you pull into your garage and let the bike coast until you come to a stop...by hitting the wall with your front wheel. (I know...the wife did it once with a little KZ200)

[SqDancerLynn1]

You need new bearings, the forks should move freely from lock to lock

[Paul]

A little peice of trivia.
An old mate of mine used to be warranty claims manager for Honda GB. (He was a busy man!)
He told me that if you were buying a bike, either brand new or second-hand, that the head race bearings would need replacing as they were probably damaged from new. Apparently when the Japs ship bikes, they hold the bike down against the suspension whilst in its crate. As the crates are vibrated/shaken/dropped etc whilst being transported all the shock is taken through the compressed suspension, and so through the headstock and its bearings (because there is no suspension movement to absorb shock) Which way is it pointing? - Straight ahead. The result is that the headrace bearings have been hammered before the bike is even out of its crate!
He said sometimes the bearings were replaced during PDI, but usually the damage doesn't show up for a couple of years.
Scary isn't it?

[Anonymous]

I agree, Head bearings are due for replacement. My 750 was doing the same thing and I replaced them last year. Much smoother now.