Another question - head bearing noise

twg1

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While starting looking at changing the HES, got carried away a little and thought it a good idea to get me winter prep started !

One of the items on the list is trying to locate a bearing like noise /vibration. In the steering , thought it was the head bearing in the top yoke, had that changed still the same .

Swopped out the ball joint , still same , just stripped it apart again can’t see anything no apparent play or movement . With it up on blocks with out the forks on smooth. Bolt the forks on its there straight away .

If there is weight on the bike nothing if there is no load on it you can feel a vibration /roughness like a knackered bearing.

Any ideas anyone ?
 
I’d double check the wishbone to ball joint connection is fully tightened. Then check the wishbone for any play at the rear mounts.
 
Paul Young said:
I’d double check the wishbone to ball joint connection is fully tightened. Then check the wishbone for any play at the rear mounts.
Click to expand...
Hi Literally just double checked the wishbone / balljoint nut all tight , even backed it off to see if it made a diff, no change . Also backed off the bolt which nipps down on the bearing and tight or lose the noise is there .

Cant feel or see any lateral play in the rear joints.

In my mind its as if there is a spacer or something missing which when there is weight on that bearing is loading it up laterally .

With no weight is is smooth .
 
I've changed the upper bearing which was notchy and previous GS the lower ball joint because of play... Neither had vibration or noise but my present 11 does have a little fork stiction on bumpy tracks or roads at slow speed... It feels a little jolty but not overly and TBH on a 100k + bike I'm not going to chase my arse over it...
 
Riceburner said:
What's the vibration symptom? Is it a constant rumble, or does it change, and if so: how and when?
Click to expand...
If the bike has weight on it either free standing or on the side stand and you rotate the bars side to side its as smooth as it can be.

With the bike on centre stand or with it on block and the weight of the forks pulling down when you rotate the bars side to side there is a vibration like a shot bearing .
 
twg1 said:
If the bike has weight on it either free standing or on the side stand and you rotate the bars side to side its as smooth as it can be.

With the bike on centre stand or with it on block and the weight of the forks pulling down when you rotate the bars side to side there is a vibration like a shot bearing .
Click to expand...

hmmm.

To be honest - if there's no vibration when the bike is "in use" then, personally, I wouldn't let it bother me much. All wear is going to happen "in use" and if whatever is causing the vibration is only a problem when stationary then it's not going to get much worse (if at all). Unless you do a lot of fairly high speed off-roading (wheelies, jumps etc) then there's very few situations where the front-steering bearings (well - the ball joint) isn't "under load" (as I understand things).

That's where my thinking takes me anyway....
 
Your right, but my OCD is telling me i have to find it.
 
But these aren’t precision engineered bits of kit, and the ‘feel’ is also influenced by the state of the rubber bushes in the top yoke that the fork sliders fit to.

I’ve read that the bolt that passes through the head bearing can bend slightly if the bike has been dropped. I rebuilt an SE a few years ago that had a frontal writeoff, the bolt was fine. So who knows.

I’d just ride it.
 
Nin said:
But these aren’t precision engineered bits of kit, and the ‘feel’ is also influenced by the state of the rubber bushes in the top yoke that the fork sliders fit to.

I’ve read that the bolt that passes through the head bearing can bend slightly if the bike has been dropped. I rebuilt an SE a few years ago that had a frontal writeoff, the bolt was fine. So who knows.

I’d just ride it.
Click to expand...
Like your experience...My 3rd 1100 was a frontal write off rebuilt and rode fine... After about 10k miles I noticed vertical play in the lower ball joint and replaced it with a used one and carried on for another 20+k... It's a strong set up as designed and can take a lot of hammer...
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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