Sanity check part 2 - steering head play.

Whilst sticking the Raptor's forks back in after changing the oil, I
noticed a bit of a knock in the headstock. So I whipped it out, checked
the bearings (which were fine), shoved it back in & followed the
procedure in the manual for tigtening it - tighten the nut under the
top clamp, wiggle the steering a few times to seat the bearings, then
loosen the nut 1/4 - 1/2 a turn. I went for the 1/4 turn option, & the
knock came back. That would be an MOT fail, yes?

I tightened it again just enough to stop the freeplay, & they still
move freely & smoothly from side to side, which is good enough for me.
Just wondering if the procedure in the manual's wrong (factory workshop
one, not Haynes etc), or if something else is going on.

 

Dunno but when you find out let me know? If I tighten the Bandit's head
bearings to remove the slight knock I can feel there, then the bike
wanders from side to side. Just undoing it a 'smidgen' is enough to stop
the drunken weave, but bring back an ever-so-slight amount of play[1].
It's passed two MOTs like that.

[1] Can't say it knocks as such, ie can't feel any play with a finger
twixt fork'n'headstock, but it does fell like it rattles over bumps.

 

This is distinct freeplay & knock - you can feel/hear it when rocking
the forks back & forth. I don't know what effect tightening it's had on
the steering as I'm still waiting for some new front discs before I can
MOT it.

 

Yes, you could be right. 43K miles now - dunno if they've ever been
replaced or not.

<adds to list of things to do>

 

The scrutineer advised me that there was a bit of play in the steering
head bearings of the SO YZ hillclimber this weekend. I blamed the
slight sensation of movement on the 'floating' oversize disk and a
sliding caliper.
I don't notice anything when riding it. Then having all new bearings
in the swingarm and linkage and road race tyres instead of MX
knobblies makes it handle rather better than when I had ever ridden it
on the road before in France anyway.

I might have a fiddle with the adjustment before the nexr meeting, but
he has been the first scrute to notice it and MoT isn't an issue.

I thought the usual test was free enough to flop lock to lock with the
weight off the wheel with no notchiness and no fore and aft movement
when lunging the forks with the brake on.

Perhaps these newfangled taper roller jobs are more pernickety.