Front suspension kweschon

[Annaz]

Whilst pootling along at about 100mph today (on a private airfield, obviously ) I noticed an abnormal amount of front end chatter and awful vibes through the bars. This caused me to have to slow down to 94mph where it was more bearable. This seems to be phenomenon that's come on gradually.

Any useful advice would be most appreciated.

[rureadyboots]

Never put a lightbulb in your back pocket.

[speedy sie]

stering head bearing need tightening up?

[Annaz]

My intitial thoughts are head bearings too, but also check: tyre pressures (and condition!) and wheel bearings (cant think that'd have much to do with it though but always worth investigating to be sure....to be sure) and for any free play in the swingarm and suspension linkages...sometimes things happening at the rear can make you think things are happening at the front

Thanks for that

I've put the rebound and comp back to standard settings and I'll check the other items today.

[southwestbiker]

You havent lost a wheel balancing weight have you?

[originalracingsnake]

I had exactly those symptoms on my K5 when the front wheel bearings had gone.

[thefatman]

Sounds like the wheel isn't balanced or wheel bearings on the way out. If you can hear a funny noise going from the brake disc don't carry on for the next 100 miles as it probably means what used to be a bearing has been replaced by four bits of grit

[Annaz]

You havent lost a wheel balancing weight have you?

Thing is, I don't know. I'm sure the front and back wheels both had weights on them. There are no weights on them and no marks where they might have been, so it's a possibility.

The front wheel bearings are fine

[gsxr renegade]

Thing is, I don't know. I'm sure the front and back wheels both had weights on them. There are no weights on them and no marks where they might have been, so it's a possibility.

The front wheel bearings are fine

It does sound liek you've lost a wheel weight. Especially as the vibes go away if you slow down. I've never realised how much of a problem losing wheel weights is, until mine came off while washing the bike last week.

At anything above 90, the vibes through the bars were horrible, once above 120ish, I was struggling to keep control!

[Annaz]

It does sound liek you've lost a wheel weight. Especially as the vibes go away if you slow down. I've never realised how much of a problem losing wheel weights is, until mine came off while washing the bike last week.

At anything above 90, the vibes through the bars were horrible, once above 120ish, I was struggling to keep control!

This is looking quite probable. The heads are fine so it mostly points to a simple matter of wheel balance, and like you say it gets hard to hold on at 100+.

I just thought there would be a bit of glue left on the rim somewhere.

[gsxr renegade]

This is looking quite probable. The heads are fine so it mostly points to a simple matter of wheel balance, and like you say it gets hard to hold on at 100+.

I just thought there would be a bit of glue left on the rim somewhere.

Depends how they were attached. Mine were stuck on with some double sided tape. When they came off, they only clue that they were missing, was the square of dirt around the outside of where the weights used to be!

If you keep your wheels clean, it can be very hard to tell that they have come off.

[Annaz]

Depends how they were attached. Mine were stuck on with some double sided tape. When they came off, they only clue that they were missing, was the square of dirt around the outside of where the weights used to be!

If you keep your wheels clean, it can be very hard to tell that they have come off.

Cleanliness is my downfall then, like it says on that advert 'Dirt and the bang is gone!'

[Annaz]

Update

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Many of you had pointed out the wheel balancing thing and it turns out you were right.

I took the wheels off yesterday and took them to Woosters. 40gms on each wheel, quite a lot me thinks, still £10 well spent.

It's funny how when something goes wrong your bike you think the worst. When it first happened I thought that feels like a wheel balance thing, but it can't be coz they've been done so it must be expensive.

Anyway I know I've got weights on me wheels now so if it happens again I'll know better next time....probably