Tire Cupping and another question

[82Shafty]

When checking the stem bearings as described above, do I look for ANY movement as an indication the bearings are too loose?

My friend,

Read through the article that I posted below as it is full of good information that you seek. As I agree with the author, always consult your manual for your specific bike for a final procedure. Grab a Hayes or Clymer manual for your bike, to have both is not a bad investment, and read through them to become familiar on doing the procedure start to finish.

This link shows different ways you can accomplish the same task and some of the theories behind different set ups and associated problems; a good read nonetheless.

http://www.dansmc.com/steering_bearings.htm

[82Shafty]

My buddy has a K1200LT that cups the front tire @ around 5 - 6K miles depending on what brand/model he tries. Bob's BMW said (as did an article in one of the M/C mags) that heavier bikes are prone to do this.?

It would make sense, more load equals more psi on the tread resulting in greater distortion and essentially multiplying the cupping/scalloping of said tire.

A firmer tread would lessen the c/s but you may also be loosing favorable tractive abilities. Me personally, I'd rather have a softer tire that will bite and replace it more often than having a harder tread tire that may come back to haunt me on a cold morning. Everything is give and take.

[C.V.]

Problem Solved Thanks!

I had new rubber installed on sat. Cheng shin Hi Max 100/90-19. Night and Day! The handling problems seem to have all stemmed from the cupping. The tire is down a size from the previous (110/90-19) as was suggested on the other thread, it does seem a bit snappier and more responsive than the bigger tire, but its fairly subtle.

Its fun to ride again, thanks for all the input guys, and thanks again Shafty for the great links!

[82Shafty]

Thank you for following up.

Glad to see that you are back in business.