front end is weaving

[Guest]

Hi, I just got parts in from bike bandit and finished putting forks back together. I cut front springs down and put a spacer in.I went for a test drive and the bike seems to be a little wierd. I not sure how to explain it. It almost has a wiggle in it? I am wondering how to figgure out this problem.I am wondering if I may have done something wrong reinstalling the forks? I have several spacers I guess it would be possibly to have put different length ones in, don't think so, but? It has a new tire but rim has a a ton of weights on it. I am wondering if I should have taken them off first? This is first motorcycle so be nice. I read you tighten everything from bottom to top? I don't have a torqe wrench so I didn't tighten down everything with one. If it is going to be a problem I can get a cheap one from menards. When I am going down the road it feels like I am fighting the bike to keep it from weaving. When you hit a bump it almost feels like the front end is trying to bounce side to side or trying to do a figure 8? Any ideas I will do my best to check it out.

[TheCafeKid]

did you put oil in the forks?

[mriddle]

equal amounts of oil (measure from the top down)

loosen everything and start again

is your tire good ?

are the bearings good and are they tight enough ?

[scrapper]

I tried to move the wheel while holding the handle bars and nothing moved. When the front end was in the air everything seemed to be tight? I put 8oz of 15 weight oil. The manual called for 7.7 oz. I only had a measuring cup from kitchen, wife won't even miss it. I may check the back tire swing arm but it seems to come from the front? Tire only has 125 miles on it. It was running a little strange before I took it apart, it is worse now, but it feels better with the ride, when hitting bumps, and turning corners.If I put knees into the tank sides and push just a little side to side it seems to be really loose? weaves really easly doing that. I don't know if this is normal

[Bruin]

I would invest in a torque wrench, IMO it's one of the most valuable tools you can have. Your life is probably worth the price of a good torque wrench.

[TheCafeKid]

not only that but the amount of fork oil is VERY SPECIFIC FOR A REASON.

[Killer2600]

I tried to move the wheel while holding the handle bars and nothing moved. When the front end was in the air everything seemed to be tight? I put 8oz of 15 weight oil. The manual called for 7.7 oz. I only had a measuring cup from kitchen, wife won't even miss it. I may check the back tire swing arm but it seems to come from the front? Tire only has 125 miles on it. It was running a little strange before I took it apart, it is worse now, but it feels better with the ride, when hitting bumps, and turning corners.If I put knees into the tank sides and push just a little side to side it seems to be really loose? weaves really easly doing that. I don't know if this is normal

Hows the tire pressure?

On a smooth road how does it ride?

With your comment about the tank I have to wonder if what your experiencing is infact normal. When bikes hit bumps/potholes/other crap in the road the rider does feel it in the bars, especially when the tire doesn't hit dead on straight. It's nothing like the cadillac/cage where you could run over a biker and the steering wheel wouldn't flinch.

In any case, check your front and rear end for any play. Sometimes you have to remove the calipers to feel a worn/loose bearing in the wheel because the pads on the rotor get in the way of free motion.

[scrapper]

I will drain the oil and add the correct amount. It seems like something else would cause it to be that squirly. I don't have any experience on motorcycles? I got 15-40 oil will that be good enough for the forks? It does seem to almost hop from side to side when hitting a bump. I will take the forks off and check the spacers length. I was just wondering but I put forks back in then lightly tighten pinch bolts then tighten everything from bottom to the top or am I missing something? axle then fender then pinch bolts? Wheel in the air okay? Or on the ground

[TheCafeKid]

No...15w40 WILL NOT work. Its not the same. If you plan on NOT buying actual fork oil, then use Dexron A/T fluid. It ends up being about 10 11-12 weight or so, and will work just fine. If the manual says 7.7oz, then put in 7.7oz. Also, make sure they have drained completely, that means pull the caps, and open the drain screws and let em drain over night. Check your spacers, and exactly HOW much of the spring did you say you cut?? And why?? Why didnt you just get the correct replacement springs??

[scrapper]

With your comment about the tank I have to wonder if what your experiencing is infact normal. When bikes hit bumps/potholes/other crap in the road the rider does feel it in the bars, especially when the tire doesn't hit dead on straight. It's nothing like the cadillac/cage where you could run over a biker and the steering wheel wouldn't flinch

It is wobbling but not normal, I have rode a bike along time ago and it wasn't anything like this. It gets worse the faster you go, 65 to 70 it is to much. You can still feel it at slower speeds just isn't scary. I will go over everything this week and see what I find. Let me know anything else I'm missing.I did the knees at different speeds and it feels like something is loose?for lack of a better description.

[bonanzadave]

When you loosened the top and bottom fork pinch bolts you may have relieved the torque on the steering head bearings. Loosen the fork pinch bolts first. Check the steering head bearing torque. Re tighten the fork pinch bolts.

[scrapper]

No...15w40 WILL NOT work. Its not the same. If you plan on NOT buying actual fork oil, then use Dexron A/T fluid. It ends up being about 10 11-12 weight or so, and will work just fine. If the manual says 7.7oz, then put in 7.7oz. Also, make sure they have drained completely, that means pull the caps, and open the drain screws and let em drain over night. Check your spacers, and exactly HOW much of the spring did you say you cut?? And why?? Why didnt you just get the correct replacement springs??

I though that is what people were using? I will drain them and see what I find.The front end was soft, It feels better that way just not the wobble. I cut 3" off of the spring. This was cheap. I went over a bump before and my, butt, spine and neck hurt and teeth hit together.now I go over it and have no problem with that. I am comfortable, It just seems to wobble?

[Killer2600]

No...15w40 WILL NOT work. Its not the same. If you plan on NOT buying actual fork oil, then use Dexron A/T fluid. It ends up being about 10 11-12 weight or so, and will work just fine. If the manual says 7.7oz, then put in 7.7oz. Also, make sure they have drained completely, that means pull the caps, and open the drain screws and let em drain over night. Check your spacers, and exactly HOW much of the spring did you say you cut?? And why?? Why didnt you just get the correct replacement springs??

If the levels are the same, doesn't have to be precision, and the spacers are the same length the 0.3 oz over wouldn't cause these problems unless it was hydrolocked which I doubt. Nuts, bolts, screws, and other loose type things I'd check first.

FTR my manual says you mix ATF with 10w30 in a 50/50 mix if you don't want to use fork oil.

scrapper: I don't question your familiarity and experience with bikes but as your original post said this is your first bike so everything is new for you. If your bike felt one way/good before you changed the front end and it feels different now then that's to be expected and likely stems from the changes you made. Perhaps the dampening is harder and your feeling the effects going over bumps, or perhaps it's in the springs which you put spacers in for. It's hard to tell what new riders expect their bike to feel like, it's even harder when they change things seeking that certain feel not considering the entire feel overall will change.

If it feels like something is loose then look for loose stuff, that's the only advice I got. Might as well be sure the spacers are equal length too, you shouldn't have to check but you didn't have a definite "yes they are the same length" so it's suggested you do.

[scrapper]

When you loosened the top and bottom fork pinch bolts you may have relieved the torque on the steering head bearings. Loosen the fork pinch bolts first. Check the steering head bearing torque. Re tighten the fork pinch bolts.

I was wondering should I worry about greasing them, the bearing? I am going to have to take the forks back off. How much trouble will it be or just check the torque? I did have to drill and tap the drain hole on the right fork. I was going to replace it with a different one but hopefully it will hold.

scrapper: I don't question your familiarity and experience with bikes but as your original post said this is your first bike so everything is new for you. If your bike felt one way/good before you changed the front end and it feels different now then that's to be expected and likely stems from the changes you made.

I have no motorcycle repair knowledge. I just know that the other bikes i have rode didn't wobble.Maybe they did, it was along time ago and I may have forgot.

[bonanzadave]

Try a search for Steering Bearing. I dont want to get you off track but you dont need much MC experience to feel the effects of loose or over tight head bearings. Youll know something is not right.