steering

[crapper]

hello all...i'm going to attempt getting at the steering bearing this week
i read gadgets page on hand made tools to tighten bearing and making sure the torque is right on the nut etc etc..
i've also got the front wheel off and am getting it checked for ballance.......
i've got a bad shimmy when i let go of the bars
front end gets a irst, back end later(i hope)going over f
i've had many bikes and that has never been an issue.
a bit bothersome.i've got an 02 and the handling is questionable.tires are metzler marathon (Like new)
love the bike and am going to go over it with a fine tooth comb and make sure everything is as it should be
would welcome any tips and advice..........................thanks

[macmac]

With the ft end up in the air pull the brakes and have a look around at everything.

Stuff something in the calipers too, so incase you shoulder into the brake lever and it moves in you won't pop a piston. Card board and cedar shingles work fine.

The head bearings aren't causing the shimmy, but you can check them and even grease them, which can't be a bad idea. Well unless these are really loose and I have my doubts they are.

Pull the forks at you and see if there is any looseness. Pull hard too.

If you use a harbor frieght like lift, be sure to set blocks under the rear tire and tie the rear brake to assist in keeping the bike stable.

Dropping any wheel off the other should be blocked and the brake tied. Just basic, and the hard way to find out could be with a bike on the deck...

Holding the forks turn them and feel for stiffness in the head bearings too.

Go over the ft wheel hard set up some sort of indicator. A few blocks anda stick whittled to a point will do, unless you have a dial indicator on hand.

Spin the wheel looking for side to side run out, repeat this test with the brake rotors too.

Look at the tire close while it is spinning as well.

Consider changing fork oil.

Looses and re-torque all the engine mounts incase it is the culprit and setting up a harmonic vibration.

I know this is a bit random sorry about that...

With the tire on the axel and no brake calipers spin it several times and mark the high point when it stops with no help. Do that many times to see if each stop will be random or the marks begin to gather at a point somewhere.
If the tire stops and rolls back wait till it stops to mark it.


When you let go of the bars and are slowing most Nomads do this shimmey, but you say it is a bad shimmey, so this is a matter if opinion and degrees.

I hate to say it, but most of the time you will find it to be a bad tire.

Your book should be ok for torque specs, but the 1600 book is WRONG with a foolish 46 inch pounds!

[psychocycle]

I have never experienced this shimmy on any bike I have ridden or previously owned. But I to have a 2002 Nomad with the Metzler 880's and have a shimmy in the front end when I remove my hands from the handle bar. You mention a rear shimmy, which would really give me a case of worry. I attribute my shimmy to cupping on the front tire but have not tore the front end down to do any further checking. Keep us posted on your findings.

[Cajunrider]

I just replaced both tires and the deceleration wobble is more pronounced now than it ever was. I had the shop check the torque on my steering head bearings and all was good when the tires were mounted. I'm at 32 psig in my car tire and 42 in the front Cobra. I'll try increasing the CT pressure to 36 to see if that helps. A couple of guys on the DS forum had the same problem and increased the CT pressure and the wobble stopped.

[macmac]

Why do guys remove their hands from both grips in the first place?

04 bikes and down are meant to be stable the faster you go and and not the other way around.

05 and up is a bit better at low speeds manouvers by the trail built in.

A rear wheel shimmy might well be explained with trashed swing arm seals. The entire set up at the swing arm pivot bolt is screwed.. Seals are used as thrust washers and seals make for poor thrust washers.

Any bike with no service in 7,000 to 10,000 miles IS going to have trashed seals back there and that means slop measured in tenths of inches!

[ringadingh]

The cause of the shimmy is most likely the tires, Ive had a bad wobble on my bike even after replacing with new tires. I replaced the tire again with another brand and the wobble disappeared. My old tire wasn't cupped and still looked good but had a broken belt inside.

[crapper]

Thanks for all the advice,,,got the front wheel balanced. it was out quite a bit.cost me 22$
also got at the steering bearing , cleaned and greased it , applied corect torque(14ft lbs for 1500).got wheel back on tonight but didn't have time to get the rest on, windshield etc etc
The bearing looked to be in fine shape and had plenty of grease on it. the previous owner must have had her done........front tire is as straight as an arrow when i rotate the wheel and hold a pointed stick against it,
looking foreward to see if there is any improvement in front end shimmy and handling...
I'm thinking it's the tire since everything else looks to be on the up and up...
Will tackle the back end soon(swing arm bearing )...........

[macmac]

The balance problem just might be the cause. I am not sure if my bike shimmys or not, since I do not let go with both hands at the same time. I have to zip my jacket up, but am not slowing at a time like that. I lock the throttle and am holding what ever speed.

On the rear end, I just had a idea , one I haven't tried, but maybe just maybe you can save the old seals and make shims of them. We'all' can discuss this better when you get to that point.

There is nothing in any book on this, not a word. So far as Ma Kawii is concerned there is no problem, but there is.

[oldbikers]

I didn't have a shimmy on my bike until I installed a new Metzler on the front.

[ringadingh]

Originally Posted by oldbikers

I didn't have a shimmy on my bike until I installed a new Metzler on the front.

Thats been my experience also, the next new Metzeler made it even worse. Im done with ME880's.

[macmac]

Metz was a good tire, was is the key word. They made a good rep and will loose it. Once they do they will have a hard time earning it back. Before i buy another I will need to see several years of guys raving about how great they are..

[claybuster]

I'm with ya there Mac. I'm about ready for my first tire replacement soon. I'll wait until November or December and probably order Dunlop E-3's. My stock stones have 9,980 miles on them and the rear is just about at the wear indicator. The front tire still has several thousand miles left on it. I was debating with myself over the E's and the Cobra's. I'm pretty much convinced on the E-3's.

[crapper]

metzler tires are out for me too...i also will try dunlop or avon's
come next spring.......tried the bike today for the first time after the bearing check and wheel balance and there was no diffirence in handling (shimmy still there) but i'm glad to have done it just the same for my own peace of mind
motor is much noisy 38000 ks and will probably try the extenders on chain adjuster this fall.one of my friends did it to his meanstreak and it did quiet down some.he said he would do it for me..
thanks everyone for the advice
PS saw a thread about no nomads in canada.....google lespac
it's a quebec site and i saw well over 100 nomads on that site.

[macmac]

Cam chain extenders are for strectched out chains, on bike with about 30,000 miles. I have no idea what kilcks are there... A way to hear the chain is to use a techs stethascope near them on the engine case, and on the sparkplug tube itself which the chain hits..


It is not a good idea to install them untill about this many miles. That would just act to cause the chain to stretch faster.

My 01 was stolen with 23,000 miles on it and was not needin cam chain extenders at that time.

Avon tires have been great tires for so long as i can remember, but they tended to wear quickly.. They were supposed to wear quickly.

E III's are a more touring tire and should last longer.

My personal fix was get a car tire on that woulod outlast any mc rear and pay for a few ft tires, which works better for my type of budget.

The ft tire as I see it needs to stick on the ground, steer, and stop. This past spring I chose the stock size for a 1600 in Dunlop D 251 radial. Loving that tire even if it wears out in 10,000 miles. I have only 1,500 on it now so it is too early to say how long it may last.