What Are The Effects........

[Steve K (IA)]

What are the effects on handling when the steering head bearings are indexed?  Had my I/S up on the jack last week replacing the seals in the front end.  When I gently moved the handle bars to straight ahead, they "settled in".  If you moved the bars a little faster, you couldn't feel it, but I am sure the bearings and races will need replaced soon.  Just wondering if those "in the know" can tell me if there will be any ill effects if I prolong the change out.  Bike has almost 50,000 miles.

[fudgie]

What are the effects on handling when the steering head bearings are indexed?  Had my I/S up on the jack last week replacing the seals in the front end.  When I gently moved the handle bars to straight ahead, they "settled in".  If you moved the bars a little faster, you couldn't feel it, but I am sure the bearings and races will need replaced soon.  Just wondering if those "in the know" can tell me if there will be any ill effects if I prolong the change out.  Bike has almost 50,000 miles.

Can't answer your question but if you do change them, torque them the way the book says. Then go back later, say a few hundred miles, and toqure them again. I did mine about a year ago and this spring, with tire off, my bars would rock front to back. I got a full round or two out of the wrench in order to tighten them. Didn't notice it with the weight of the tire on the bike.

[Steve K (IA)]

The damage I have now could have been caused by a few years of the steering nut not being tight enough.  Was getting a wobble going through 30 - 40 mph...excell and decell.  Nut was tightened under warranty. Mechanic said it took a little more than a 1/4 turn to correct the torque.

[Daniel Meyer]

It effects handling...particularly it can cause "hunting"...where the bike really never feels stable (particularly in the wet). Hunting will have you drifting slightly...back and forth. This is caused because the normal micro-corrections the bike does on it's own are restricted until they overcome the resistance of the indexing...then they "snap" out of the index and overcorrect.

It is more pronounced at lower and very high speeds, and really produces that "this just ain't right" feeling at any speed and especially in the wet.

If you can feel it, they are severly indexed. I'd recommend immediate replacement.



edit:added pic

[Steve K (IA)]

It effects handling...particularly it can cause "hunting"...where the bike really never feels stable (particularly in the wet). Hunting will have you drifting slightly...back and forth. This is caused because the normal micro-corrections the bike does on it's own are restricted until they overcome the resistance of the indexing...then they "snap" out of the index and overcorrect.

It is more pronounced at lower and very high speeds, and really produces that "this just ain't right" feeling at any speed and especially in the wet.

If you can feel it, they are severly indexed. I'd recommend immediate replacement.



edit:added pic

Crap!  And I just got everything back together last week.   

[rugguy]

Daniel Mayer....that is the best description of what I have been feeling for a few weeks. Adjusted air pressure in tires, replaced rear shock mount bushings, etc. Those helped but handling still squirrelly. Will order parts and tear her back down this week. Thanks again....

[Ricky-D]

The race picture by Daniel is showing severe indexing.

Improper installation can cause indexing of the races. I don't embrace using the complete

bearing assembly to install the bearings. Any force of installation should be against the race itself.

Another cause of indexing can be through a frontal crash, which imparts unusual stress to the bearings

not normally encountered with usual riding habits.

With all of the electric wiring and the cables and hydraulic lines tying up the free movement of

the front end of the bike, it can be extremely difficult to determine if the bearings are indexed.

Unweighting the front end (lifting the bike) results in the forces in the steering neck to transfer

to the not normally used parts of the neck bearings and will not give a true and accurate picture

of the condition of the neck bearings. However this can help to determine if there is out of specification

looseness in the neck bearings assembly.

Finally: If you want to try to check if your neck bearings are indexed, there are a few things you can

do to aid you in testing for that problem.

One is to pump the air pressure in the front tire to a vey high number, like 60 psi.  Block the bike upright

without unloading the weight on the front end. Sit on the bike while doing the test.  Use a lubricant  under

the front tire for the test, like liquid detergent or some other slippery agent. 

To detect any indexing would involve moving the front end only slightly, back & forth. A couple of degrees

or less from absolute forward (straight ahead). If they are indexed you will feel a very slight notching while

making the movement of back & forth.  It's not easy and only a most sensitive feel (touch) will reveal

any indexing, especially if it is slight. Heavily indexed bearings will of course be more easily detected.

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