ticking sound from handlebar?

[franco6]

it started acouple of months back a single [ tick] at stop, moving the handle bar . now its more often .its a neat light metal to metal tick as one gets sometimes turning a bolt. is this indexing ?
i m gonna have to take everything a part anyhow as its time for inspection.
bearing preferences?
the big draw back is no rides!
funny! at the mid winter get together in Austin the other day,the only bike that would not start saturday morning was the    hardley .

[N8171S]

Check the pinch bolts at the top of the fork tubes.  I had one that was not tight and had same symtoms.

[Ricky-D]

I concur.  Try everything that has a bolt or nut. The whole front end from the risers to the wheel.

Make sure all is tight and correct. Don't pass up anything, thinking it's Ok!

There are too many other possible reasons for the "tick" before you start thinking the steering bearing are indexed.

That should be the very last possibility.

***

[RLD]

Not that it couldn't, but mine never "ticked" when it was indexed. It just found a "center" when on a lift.

[Thunderbolt]

underneath the tree.  I had one of the large riser attachment bolts that was a little loose, and seems like it made a noise when stopping.  I kept lifting/pushing things until I found it.

[franco6]

  :thanks guys i ll check everything first before going in.it happenned when braking hard, 2up ,mostly front brakes.now it does it whenever!

[Ricky-D]

It's a pad in one of the calipers on the front.

It is clapping against the rotor that causes the noise.

Could be they are worn to the point where they need replacing but that is not necessarily the end life of the pad.

Change the pads and the noise will stop.

***

[junior]

it couldnt be the handlebar bearings? i have heard they get flat spots in them from lack of riding 

[franco6]

 started from the top undid the 4 screws that old the handle bars and retightened them .next the 2 ,19 mm nuts for the risers the right one took a quarter turn     BINGO! no more noise !

[Thunderbolt]

thanks for posting the results.