couple questions

[Jeffintampa]

Hi all,
My front end wants to wiggle if I take both hands off the bars. Air pressure is good, I dont have to hang on really tight or anything, just if I take both hands off it starts to wobble.

Next, I sometime kill my engine and roll in the garage, I hear a click click click sound coming from by drive gear anything to worrry about?


Thanks

[motoman]

My front end wants to wiggle if I take both hands off the bars.//////
keep hands on the bars..........actually may have a flat spot in tapered roller bearing in steering head or adjustment pre-load on bearings loose...........or both...............the clickity-click may be a U-joint bearing cup........JAT....

[skids]

Hi all,
My front end wants to wiggle if I take both hands off the bars. Air pressure is good, I dont have to hang on really tight or anything, just if I take both hands off it starts to wobble.

You'll probably find that it only does that at certain speeds during deceleration. Certain tires cause this during the wear cycle.

[motoman]

True Skids, but just for example only, the Honda ST11's are notorious for this at 45mph with slight decel.......issue IS the steering neck bearings as U may well know. They come stock with ball cage and race and becomes an issue early on. Changed mine out to tapered roller, problem gone. On the XS with the spindle forks and no fork brace, any excesss wear from running straight ahead 99% of the time will cause the same. If re-adjustment while centered causes it to tighten when rotating, replace the tapered roller bearing bearings and races. THEN add T-Kats fork brace for added stability. The brace WILL also stop excessive wear on the bronze slider guides from side loads cornering . BTW, those guides are among the unobtanium, so fork brace well worth the cost IMO.

[BA80]

It's probably just a tire but there are several things that can cause that. As Motoman mentioned, sticky steering head bearings, front forks (low or no oil or uneven air pressure in air adjustables), loose or misaligned rear swingarm, low tire pressure, or maybe that front tire is just out of balance.

No single answer to that problem.

[Jeffintampa]

Thanks

Thanks guys really thank you for all your help. I am a shade tree mechanic at best.

[skids]

True Skids, but just for example only, the Honda ST11's are notorious for this at 45mph with slight decel.......issue IS the steering neck bearings as U may well know. (snip)

FYI, I got my ST1300 to stop that annoying thing with a simple tire change.

[ViperRon]

One more thing

You may want to check the wheel bearings also as many of these bikes have had to sit for some time the grease breaks down and the bearings go bad. About 15 years ago I had a high speed wobble and everything pointed to the stearing head. In the end after checking everything replacing the front tire the stearing head bearings and all the other things mentioned above it ended up being the wheel bearings. If its wobbling at low speed you should be able to feel the slack by hand with the brake calipers off.

[motoman]

FYI, I got my ST1300 to stop that annoying thing with a simple tire change.//////not meaning to hijack thread but will work for a while till front tire cups a bit. Ball type instead of tapered rollers was a bad choice on these and the Wings. Also, watch that original front wheel bearing assembly as they're a bit small diamater for the load they carry...........back to regularly scheduled thread.......