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Front Wheel wobble

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jamesp
  • Start date Start date
J

Jamesp

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The last few months I started to feel a little wobble in the front wheel on my 82GS 1100 mostly at slower speeds-in turns. I haven't wrecked or run it into anything. The tires are a few years old but have a lot of tread left on them. If I take my hands off the bars for a second they shake side to side. I am wondering if I need a fork brace???

The wheel doesn't seem to have any play at the bearings or axle and the rim seems to be running true.
 
Make sure the pressure is correct. Next make sure all fasteners are tight. Wheel axle, top and bottom triple tree bolts. Then I would tighten the steering stem.
 
Jamesp said:
The last few months I started to feel a little wobble in the front wheel on my 82GS 1100 mostly at slower speeds-in turns. I haven't wrecked or run it into anything. The tires are a few years old but have a lot of tread left on them. If I take my hands off the bars for a second they shake side to side. I am wondering if I need a fork brace???

The wheel doesn't seem to have any play at the bearings or axle and the rim seems to be running true.
Click to expand...

Just fixed same problem on mine. Tightened the steering stem a bit.
 
bonanzadave said:
Make sure the pressure is correct. Next make sure all fasteners are tight. Wheel axle, top and bottom triple tree bolts. Then I would tighten the steering stem.
Click to expand...

I would check these things first and if the problem still exists i would head to the rear end and do the same thing.
Worn tire, wrong air pressure, loose axle bolt, worn swingarm bearings MIGHT transfer to the front end.
 
Thanks
Been working really long hours and just had a chance to check. I'll get started checking things out. Sorry about being in the wrong area. I was on an unfamiliar computer with a different web access, plus the new look after a long day I was close to delirious.
 
Tire pressure, wheel bearings, and steering head bearings. And even swing arm bearings can play a role...so go there too.
 
I'm surprised that fork oil and seals hasn't been mentioned yet.
Different damping between the forks or a leg that is sticking slightly can cause these symptoms.

Is there any visible oil leaks on the front end?
Worth a check IMO.
 
Crank said:
Different damping between the forks or a leg that is sticking slightly can cause these symptoms.
Click to expand...

Is that true?

I recently read that when everything is fastened correctly, the two forks act as a single unit. That some bikes have the compression in one leg, the rebound in the other.

:confused::confused:
 
Rob S. said:
Is that true?

I recently read that when everything is fastened correctly, the two forks act as a single unit. That some bikes have the compression in one leg, the rebound in the other.

:confused::confused:
Click to expand...

mmmm, you may be right there, all the bikes I have serviced the front end the comp and rebound have been on both legs.
Saying that they have all been post 90's bikes so could be wrong on older bikes.
 
Most low or uneven fluid levels in the forks results in the steering dragging to one side or the other and not a wobble.
 
Rob S. said:
Is that true?

I recently read that when everything is fastened correctly, the two forks act as a single unit. That some bikes have the compression in one leg, the rebound in the other.

:confused::confused:
Click to expand...

In theory they work together as a single unit. On 80's era bikes that is less true because of the skinny axles used, there is a lot of flexing possible. A fork brace helps a lot with this. Current sport bikes have very large diameter axles and serious clamping to hold everything straight.


Crank said:
mmmm, you may be right there, all the bikes I have serviced the front end the comp and rebound have been on both legs.
Saying that they have all been post 90's bikes so could be wrong on older bikes.
Click to expand...

I believe the current Kawasaki MX bikes have rebound in one leg and compression in the other. Some roadracing forks are like this as well. I know Max from Traxxion Dynamics did some testing with this a number of years ago. He went so far as to try running only one fork spring. His results were that current forks were fine with separated damping functions but needed a spring in each fork leg to prevent stiction and binding problems.


Mark
 
Would be keen to get info as I have an early 80's GS750E (first gen GSX as it was sold here) that I got for the price of transporting it to my place (my original post from last year has been deleted) which I will be restoring soon.
Maybe not relevant but I had a bike once that wanted to shake me off the bars on almost every corner, developing a serious case of weave in the corners and tank slap under hard acceleration!
Traced it to leaking fork seal and low oil on the one side.
Checked and re-checked stem, axle and associated front end bits before eventually diagnosing it correctly.
Anyway, apologies if I have hi-jacked this thread in any way!
 
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