I'm still alive!!

[eroellig]

Hi, everyone!

Well, the forum tells me its been 206 days since I've logged in. Way too long. I've changed positions at work and started traveling A LOT. Things have finally settled down enough so I can work on my old girl again. I'm bound & determined I'm going to ride her this year. Just to add a little pressure to myself, I went with a friend of mine to a cycle show last month & got some leather

Last you heard from me, I was complaining that the steering felt like it had a detent in the straight ahead position when the front wheel was off the ground. I just took the steering head apart last weekend. You can see in the lower race where each of the rollers from the bearing sat. Running a finger around the race, you can feel it as well. The top race doesn't feel bad, and the new bearing will turn in it without hanging, but it LOOKS funny. Got the top race out easy, but the bottom one is hell. I looked up several good suggestions from earlier this year and will give them a try.

My question now is, "Was this condition caused by the bearings being adjusted too tight or too loose?" I want to make sure I avoid repeating this problem.

Eric

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Eric,

Well, if it's too tight, then it just won't turn very easily, like having a steering lock! But if it's too loose, then the frame can bounce up and down at the neck, and IMHO that action while riding straight and hitting lots of bumps can then act like a little hammer and slowly tap dents into the bearing race creating your little detents, along with possibly weather exposure, water getting in there and possibly causing a little rust which can also break down the metal.

So....you need to be sure that you get it tight enough to not allow any bouncing, but the bars and front end should still be able to swing from far left to far right with a little push without binding or stopping in mid swing!

Welcome back, and hope you get it together before Summer!
T.C.

[mro]

TC has it right.
Loose bearing will wear pretty fast. Just the road vibration will make it wear. Too tight better than loose. Same as the front wheel bearings on a car.


mro

[prometheus578]

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...s&pagenumber=1

Tapered bearing set can be ordered from bike shops. Company called "All Balls". part number 22-1004. Comes with new rubber sealing washers for top and bottom. Retails fer $35.95
(Nobody has mentioned prices, so I did)

[eroellig]

TC,

Thanks for the hint. I'll make sure it isn't loose. I REALLY don't want to do this part again.

I thought it was interesting that the lower bearing had a seal, but the top bearing didn't. However, I didnt' see any sign of rust in there. I kept looking at my Clymers & Haynes and neither show those seals...

Prom,

I had gotten my bearings from "All Balls" last spring. It's a nice set. Just never got to put them in....

After my travels for the year finished in December, I had too many honey-do's in the way. Then, I had to rebuild part of the shower wall where water had gotten behind it. Once I was done with that, I've been wanting to work on the bike, but it's been SO COLD in the Chicago area that I didn't even want to try to heat my garage until a week or so ago.

My disassembly jobs list is finally getting short. I need to finish the steering head, rebuild the front brakes, rewire the new fuse box I got and clean up the oil cooler I picked up last year. Then I can start trying to put everything back together. I have to keep the front and back end in something of the same level of (dis)assembly so it balances on my motorcycle lift. Otherwise, I would have started to re-assemble the rear end of the bike already.

I'm really looking forward to being able to wheel the old gal outside so I can adjust the carbs. That'll mean I'm close to FINALLY wheeling down the road (to the nearest parking lot to practice. It'll be almost two years since my motorcycle safety class!)

So, tonight after work, I'm dropping the new races & the lower yoke into the freezer and taking my Dremel to that @#% lower race. I want the steering back together tonight.

Eric

Originally posted by prometheus578
http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...s&pagenumber=1

Tapered bearing set can be ordered from bike shops. Company called "All Balls". part number 22-1004. Comes with new rubber sealing washers for top and bottom. Retails fer $35.95
(Nobody has mentioned prices, so I did)

[John]

While you're in there with your Dremel, cut a notch in the shoulder where the race bottoms out, and next time it has to be done, you can just stick a long punch in there, and drive it out, Do the same for the upper race, make that notch bigger.

[desert1]

new set of bearings

I bought a new set of bearings 2 yrs ago because the steering was stiff, before changing them I tried working in some oil around the bearings which freed up the steering enough that my set of bearings are still sittin on the shelf at home! I think they cost around $35. Cdn $...
Bruce