speed wobble

[joe.d]

I had this problem when I first owned my GS1150....I thought I had bought a lemon
it turned out to be the Swingin arm was finger tight and hanging by a thread
and not noticable under the black dust covers

[daveo]

The wheel bearings are ball bearings on the front wheel of our GS's. How long do they last? My 1973 GT750 had the originals in at ~120k miles. My 1983 GS1100 (I am the original owner) needed new ones in less than 20k. .

On the ball bearing type, on the centerstand, with the engine blocked up also, to hold the wheel in the air, grab the tire at the TOP and BOTTOM, Push and Pull, there should be NO back/forth movement at all, you may be able to adjust some, after loosening the axle pinch bolts, and snugging the axle, but you need to back off axle nut if it doesn't rotate freely,recheck, if ineffective,replace. There should also be no RUMBLING or intermittent binding when rotating.

[earlfor]

Uneven compression and dampening between the right and left fork tubes will cause your weaving problem. Try draining the fork oil and measuring how much oil you get out of each fork. I will bet the amounts will be different. It only takes a small difference to cause a weave. (been there, done that heh heh)

Earl

I'm going to tack my problem onto this thread. I have the opposite problem, my bike wobbles from side to side at low speed, less than 20km/hr. I looked at the front tire which is relatively new and noticed that it was alternately worn from one side to the other. within lets say 18cm, one side is worn, then about 9cm later it looks new and the other side is worn. Why? The steering head is tight, I like a stiff front end so I have a lot of pressure in the forks, I am really hard with the front brakes, so apart from using the back brakes more what would cause this?
Can I use a grinder to scrub off the uneven wear as suggested by the shop?

[mcconnell]

Dave, the axle actually has no effect on the free play of the ball bearings, provided it has been torqued at all. Suzuki's spec for the axle bolt is 26-37.5 lb-ft. (on the 1100). I doubt, even if it was torqued to only 5 lb-ft, any free play would be felt with good bearings using the tests we describe. I totally agree that there shouldn't be any free play felt with the check you recommend. Be careful when rotating the tire not to be tricked into thinking there is a problem by a slightly dragging caliper, which is normal.

[daveo]

I doubt, even if it was torqued to only 5 lb-ft, any free play would be felt with good bearings using the tests we describe. I totally agree that there shouldn't be any free play felt with the check you recommend. Be careful when rotating the tire not to be tricked into thinking there is a problem by a slightly dragging caliper, which is normal.

You're quite right, it's more a check to make sure the spacers and speedo drive are seated

[Clone]

Ok, got three things on my plate for the weekend:
1. loosen the steering head, it does feel a little tight. [-X
2. drain and refill the forks, just as easy as checking the oil level.
3. even out the wear, the tire isn't more than a year old and the tread in the worn spots isn't half gone. :-({|=
#-o Well, ok,
4. check the balance.
Sound like that should cover it? Did I miss anything?
Whoa, forgot, ride for another three months and check the wear (not work purely fun). 8)

[daveo]

.
Sound like that should cover it? Did I miss anything?
Whoa, forgot, ride for another three months and check the wear (not work purely fun). 8)

Swingarm sideplay?

[Anonymous]

i suggest do 1 at a time that way you know which cured it for future probs
8) 8) 8) 8) ozman

[jknappsax]

'78 GS 750

Oz, are you talking about ball-bearing or tapered roller bearing steering head bearing? I replaced the front and rear wheel bearings when I put on the cast wheels, and had the steering head bearing changed to a roller at the same time. Also changed tires and fork oil. When I first got it back, the front end would clunk whenever I went over any bumps, so I rode right back, and they cinched the steering head bearing down a little more, and the clunk went away. But the bike does feel top-heavy, and wants to wander a little if you don't watch I've always wondered if it was overtightened.Other than that, no wobbles at any speed or with any reasonable load (i.e. me, my daughter, saddlebags, tank bag, tail bag). I put on a Rifle Superbike fairing, and installed Ninja mirrors on the fairing. At some point this year, I noticed that the front end wanted to wobble when engine braking, but I haven't had a chance to take off the fairing to see if it is causing it. It's pretty minor, but bugs me. The bike has just over 10,000 mi on it.

[Anonymous]

yep the clunk is a sure sign of loose bearing in the steering head. i was talking about tapered bearings .if you set too tight at low speeds the bike will wander. sounds like the fairing making your bike shake its head.when engine braking you transfer more weight to fr end and handle bar fairing can upset this. personally i will only fit frame mount fairing for this reason
8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) ozman

[jknappsax]

Frame -mounted fairings

I like the Rifle, but I think you're right about frame-mount fairings being better. Does anyone have a recommendation for brands, sources, etc. ? My bike is set up as a sport-tourer, so I'm looking for some relief from the wind during trips, but nothing as big as a Windjammer.