Inquiring minds;
When did you last check preload on the steering bearings?
Ok, first of all, thank you Gary for making me think about this. My steering had gotten a little loosey goosey , and I tightened up my steering damper. All that did was to add drag to turning my handlebars. So today I tackled tightening up my steering head bearings.
Sorry ole man it's a take it apart deal, ask me how I know, and what a pain it is to replace bearings on a Royal Star Venture.
I hate it when you’re right! What a pain!
If it were me (there's your disclaimer
) I'd loosen the stem pinch bolt, top nut on the stem and both fork cap bolts. That way you could use your rubber dead blow to tap the top of the triple up a hair..... do the adjustment. After adjusted and in this order... just snug the stem top nut (don't fully tighten), loosen the lower triple pinch bolts ( Reason being the top triple will sit lower cause you lowered the spanner nut it seats on... forks will need to drop a hair)... now tighten the stem nut and fork cap bolts. This should square up everything. Tighten the 3 pinch bolts and done.
That's how I plan on checking the SG this winter... 'cept I have 2 extra pinch bolts and an extra spanner nut.
So Jim, I thought this sounded like a pretty good plan of attack, but I thought you were wrong about one thing, loosening the fork caps.
I hate it when you’re right also!
Here was the entire sequence,
1. Remove the gas tank and get the bike up on a lift and secured.
2. remove the entire friction damper assembly
3. Loosen the top triple tree pinch bolt
4. remove the top triple tree nut
5. loosen the two lower triple tree pinch bolts
Now in my mind, I had loosened everything that could move when tightening the steering head bearing up. So I got my skinny punch and hammer and started driving that notched top nut around. It moved quite a bit, then just to test my work I grabbed the bottom of the forks and wiggled them front to back and Oh No! I could hear a definite clunk and feel free play in the front end. Crap!
Now I’m beginning to think The whole front end is going to have to come off so I can see what’s doin. Oh man, I was dreading the thought. Then I remembered Jim saying to loosen the fork caps, in order to do that, I had to unbolt the handlebars and tip them back out of the way. Which I did. A couple of taps on the triple tree with my rubber mallet and I rechecked the front end for free play and
the clunk is gone! Woo hoo!
Everything is back together now and hopefully tomorrow I can get it out for a little test ride. I sure hope I didn’t tighten things too much because
It is a commitment to re adjust!
I am happy I took the time to correct this and that it is now done the right way.
-Bob