light front end

[sv_rory]

What would make a front end feel really light and a little twtichy?

i have just had new headstock bearings fitted and also wheel bearings so im not sure why it feels like this.

What would be the first obvious things for me to check? all the bolts and everything are fine.

cheers

[Lissa]

Did you put the forks back in at the same height as they came out?

[sv_rory]

Yeah i measured them and they were perfect, i remeasured them to see if they have moved at all and they are still spot on :confused:

[zadar]

did this just happen after you changed bearings or was it there before?

[Sean_C]

I have gsxr forks and had ohlins shock on full ride height, which felt very light and twitchy to me. Have you got a standard shock or something else?

[shifter]

Add more preload to the rear shock. That will effectivly tilt the bike forwered and add more weight to the front end

[sv_rory]

i havent adjusted any preload or anything so why would it now feel extremely light

[shifter]

Perhaps your old bearings where shot, and now you have new ones it all feels a lot lighter because they are working properly?

[sv_rory]

Perhaps your old bearings where shot, and now you have new ones it all feels a lot lighter because they are working properly?

i had that in mind to be honest, the old bearings were shot.do you think it will settle down if it is?

[fizzwheel]

When my bikes handling weird, First thing I check is the tyre pressures...

[zsv650]

When my bikes handling weird, First thing I check is the tyre pressures...
ha yeah when i first had my sv i thought people who said they handle great talked **** checked my tyre pressure's and they were way lower than what they should have been could over inflating them make it twitchy i don't know :D

[shifter]

O.k 2 things to try:
If you walk the along (push it I mean) then apply the front brake do you feel a clonk. This would indicate a problem with the bearings.
The other is to lift the front of the bike so the front wheel is off the ground and the steering is free to move. Then you can use a spring balance on the bars to mesure the resistance of the bearings. The Haynes manual gives you a figure range thisa should fall into.

[Red Herring]

Add more preload to the rear shock. That will effectivly tilt the bike forwered and add more weight to the front end

Please don't do this. It will also steepen the head angle and make an already twitchy bike even twitchier....

If the changes have come about after some work has been done on the bike then first just check everything was done correctly. The change may be good in that it was correcting a fault you had before, but if you feel uncomfortable with it then it's best to double check. First as has been said check the tyre pressures. If they are correct is the front tyre badly worn on the shoulders because a worn front tyre can lead to a vague twitch feel.

Next, again as has been said, if the head bearings were replaced then are they properly seated? Rocking the bike on the front brake is not the best way to check because there is usually some movement in the front pads and this will mask any "clonk". Easiest way is to get a friend to pull the bike up onto it's side stand by reaching over and pulling either on the tank of the far frame rail until the front wheel just comes off the ground. The handlebars should fall freely from side to side and if you then kneel in front of the bike and grasp the lower fork legs either side of the front wheel you shouldn't detect and "rattle" when you pull them back and forth. Whilst you have the front wheel off the ground check the front wheel bearings by holding the top and bottom of the wheel from the right side and rocking the wheel. You shouldn't feel any movement at all.

If everything at the front seems OK check the rear bearings as well. Again the easiest way is to get a friend to lift the rear wheel off the ground by pulling it onto the side stand (much easier to lift the back than the front). Check the rear wheel bearings in the same way as the front, and then check the swingarm and suspension bearings by trying to lift the rear wheel (with the back wheel still off the ground and the suspension fully extended). There is usually a little play here, but it should only be a little.

If none of these checks show any fault then it might be worth getting a second opinion, either on another bike by finding one similar to yours and riding that, or getting someone else to ride yours.