Clunking noise on GSXR750

[rubberduckofdeath]

.

[Stu]

My bike clunks when it rolls because my calipers are shot - but the pushing & pulling wheel to frame sounds like headraces

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=110323&highlight=bearings

[Alpinestarhero]

Is it difficult to make slow-speen manouvers? When my mate's headraces on his zx6 went, he found it a bit "notchy" at low speeds i.e. around town, when cornering.

Matt

[muffles]

Not 100% on the description of your test - was the wheel in the air or on the ground?

I would try and identify where the sound is coming from - i.e. brakes, or headstock area. I had to have my headstock bearings replace and they made a sound that was similar-ish to what you describe, before they were changed. It could be the pads moving, though, but probably only if you had the brake on and were pushing back and forth - i.e. causing the pads to grip the disc, and the disc was attempting to turn (because the bike was being pushed).

[G]

My bike clunks when it rolls because my calipers are shot - but the pushing & pulling wheel to frame sounds like headraces


My sv had a clunk like you describe, went in for a service and came back fine, checked the service notes and headraces were loose and had been tightened.

[Stu]

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=110323&highlight=bearings

[muffles]

Just another thought, do wheel bearings clunk too? Maybe those.

There's a test for checking the head bearings that I tried - sit on the bike, front brake on, put your hand under the yoke and feel for the area between the yoke and the headstock. Try and 'shag' the tank (yes, actual test description!) and see if you feel the gap moving or not.

I struggled with this and couldn't confirm one way or the other, but I did a few others that worked:

1. Sit on bike, front brake on, just push the bars forward to make the suspension dive and then come back up again. Do this with as much force as you can reasonably do - I could reproduce the clunk by doing this, but only when it had (presumably) got worse. Initially, I had to let the bike roll a little bit when I pushed, and then put the brake on, to get more suspension dive.

2. Get the front wheel in the air (I know you've said it's difficult!). When I turned my bars left to right it felt smooth, BUT if it tends to move back to centre then it's another indication of head bearings.

[muffles]

P.s. about being consistent - initially mine wasn't consistent as it needed a fair bit of dive and rebound to produce enough force to make the clunk...so it wasn't immediately obvious what it was...just FYI.

[STRAMASHER]

Two of you should be able to get the front wheel off the deck just with the side-stand.

Get the back in the air first by pulling on the bars to you and getting the weight onto the sidestand, get it right over, then get your bud to push the back down while you are still holding the bars and bring the front up. You then will be able to check for a obvious notch in your head bearings.

Got shown this on my previous Firestorm which after a bout of wheelie-itice was found to have not so much a notch, but a divvit!:rolleyes:

:)