Upper fork bridge play

[aaroNZ]

Hi, first post...following a bunch of searching (trying to avoid a stupid question).

I have a very second hand 94 1100 GS which I love dearly. I am the 14th owner. Having had the bike for a couple of months I have put 1500km's on it with just general comuting. I live in a very hilly city and noticed play in my steering when braking downhill. Unnerving experience!

I discovered that the upper fork bridge has significant play. I popped the covering cap and found the hex bolt underneath was able to have a 3/4 turn to tighten it up.

It has since happened again twice. Is this a bolt that I should use loctite on?

Also, there are some alloy 'slivers' under the cap when I remove it now. Could the bearing beneath be the likely cause of needing to tighten the bolt, and also be where the 'slivers' are from? (not being gifted mechanically, I havent removed said bearing for a look yet)

Kind regards from New Zealand.

 

[(RIP) Bin Ridin]

That baby came loose on mine, and had loose bars for a trip home.
Needs to be seriously tight, 140nm I think. Tighten it up asap. 10mm allen key and a piece of pipe.
How much of slivers were there? I had none.
You might be right and the bearing could be turning in the headstock, which would be BAD.
If so, I would fit a new bearing with a drop of loctite to hold it in place and loctite the bolt in.

 

[Tarka]

By 'upper fork bridge' do you mean the top yoke?

If you do....look underneath it.

The bearing sits inside the yoke and there is only a thin lip of metal at the bottom of the hole the bearing sits in.

In a crash or other heavy frontal impact,this thin lip seems to have been designed to 'tear out' and relieve stress from the thread in the headstock casting.

After crashing my 1100 a few years ago,this lip tore out on my top yoke and I had lots of play in the handlebars.

 

[andy white]

Would play in this bolt indicate the bearing is starting to break down? Or didn't BM locktite this one?
I ask as I have tightened this up on a mates GSA recently

 

[D6]

tip, take the bolt out an clean it whilst your there, if it jams ever, your in big trouble

 

[aaroNZ]

Thanks for your reply, and sharing your experience of this same issue.

By 'upper fork bridge' do you mean the top yoke?

yes...as shown in this image (item #1)

If you do....look underneath it.
The bearing sits inside the yoke and there is only a thin lip of metal at the bottom of the hole the bearing sits in.After crashing my 1100 a few years ago,this lip tore out on my top yoke and I had lots of play in the handlebars.

Eek! This is beginning to sound expensive
I am at the office now, but am eager to go home and look to see what is going on with it.

 

[aaroNZ]

Bin Ridin, Tarka, andy white, Digger06

thanks for your replies folks.....I will have more of a poke around now that I have a diagram too (gotta love this forum) and if necessary I'll try to post a photo.

I have to admit I am somewhat apprehensive now.

 

[(RIP) Bin Ridin]

Let us know what you find..

 

[davegs]

Yolks

Bin Ridin, Tarka, andy white, Digger06

thanks for your replies folks.....I will have more of a poke around now that I have a diagram too (gotta love this forum) and if necessary I'll try to post a photo.

I have to admit I am somewhat apprehensive now.

Have a look on Bobs BMW site ( usa dealers ) they have all the parts diagrams and paret Nos and it is very usefull cover all bm's to way back.
Dave GS.