Quote:
Originally Posted by BigDukeSix
Thanks for the description of the test. I tried this and didn't note any front-to-back play when pulling on the forks. I guess my issue is something else  |
Never have felt play in my front end, but tightening the triples stopped the tank slapper crap. Twice. This is a free, simple, 10 minute fix/check. Do it. Worse that can happen is it makes no difference. This should be a part of routine maintenance.
A center stand raises the front wheel perfectly for the procedure. No center stand, use any jack with a vertical top movement. Floor, bottle, screw, scissors, whatever. Doesn't matter. Set a board atop whatever jack to avoid damaging the skid plate. Jack up the skid plate as far forward as possible, just enough to level the bike and clear the ground with the front wheel. I've even seen people use a tiedown strap from crash bars on one side to crash bars on the other, over a swing set, engine hoist, shop rafter, etc. Anything works that will hold the bike up, level, and allow free movement at the head/stem. I've even used a wrecker truck wheel lift to throw a strap over. Anything solid enough works.
Loosen the lower triple clamp bolts, not the top. The upper bolts will hold everything in alignment and allow the upper triple to snug down to take up slack. Then loosen the chrome nut, tighten the slotted nut until resistance to movement is barely felt in the handlebars, then tap the upper triple down against the slotted nut with a block of wood. Very gently. No damage with wood. The forks will slide easily through the loose lower triples to match the change in distance between the triples from tightening the head/steam bearings. Now, tighten the chrome nut. Finally, tighten the lower triple bolts. All done.
If the forks don't slide through at least one triple the upper triple will not be parallel to the lower and all manner of evil may then commence.
Even if you don't feel play in the forks, this can still make a difference. If you feel fork play, you are way, way over due for tightening the head/stem bearings.