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xs650 > > Stock Bikes > > Original Equipment Restoration Projects > > Notchy steering fixed by loosening adjuster nut.


Notchy steering fixed by loosening adjuster nut.
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nudude53
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Joined: Apr 24, 2009
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PostPosted: October 26, 2009, 9:54 pm    Post subject: Re: Notchy steering fixed by loosening adjuster nut.

As a matter of fact I just saw a nice stand of bananas in a guy's yard right down the road from me the other day.
The politically correct term for them although is "banana plants", as like corn they are actually a grass. So perhaps in your preparation you should include some grass trees as well. Bananas are too difficult to roll.

y preperations include putting a set of 24" rims on my Buick, I can't think of a better way to blend in and not drawn attention to myself.

And oh yes........install tapered bearings.

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xjwmx
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Joined: Oct 15, 2008
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Location: KY '81 Special

PostPosted: November 1, 2009, 4:02 pm    Post subject: Re: Notchy steering fixed by loosening adjuster nut.

Well, made it there and back and had a great time. Explosion of Autumn colors and creeks and 75 degrees.

Pete, I wonder about the tapered bearings themselves (if you didn't know that's where I was going). Sure they're "better" bearings and I suppose make for a more rigid framework and all, but ...could be pushing some wobble inducing resonances around very arbitrarily.
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xsjohn
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Joined: Jul 30, 2006
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Location: North Carolina USSA

PostPosted: November 1, 2009, 4:15 pm    Post subject: Re: Notchy steering fixed by loosening adjuster nut.

Can't speak for everyone but with the XS and tapered bearings I would need some sort of steering dampner for higher speeds.......on mine with the old balls tightened properly and having a bit of a notch there is "no" high speed uneasiness.......and I have the stock plastic swing arm bushings..........and once the ball races are removed the straight line notch can't be retrieved without replacing the ball races and wait for another 10 thou to roll around....... the notch to me is as important as the crack in my ass.....guess I'm just weird....... Laughing

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xjwmx
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Location: KY '81 Special

PostPosted: November 1, 2009, 4:33 pm    Post subject: Re: Notchy steering fixed by loosening adjuster nut.

I'm thinking about taking mine apart and perhaps just greasing it, maybe just replacing parts of it that look damaged.
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xsjohn
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PostPosted: November 1, 2009, 4:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Notchy steering fixed by loosening adjuster nut.

Can just oil it with chain lube......blast it up in there top and bottom....then wipe off the mess.......I found that adjusting the nut in small incraments (marked) till I found a happy medium between low speed notchy and high speed stability..... found the happy medium for me......a bit of notchy at low controlable speeds is better that riding in fright at 60-70-80.....ect......


A customer sent me this photo..........one dead cyclist and 2 dead females on cell phones.......ouch..........guestimated cycle speed was 85...

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nj1639
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Joined: Aug 22, 2007
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Location: Switzerland County, Indiana

PostPosted: November 1, 2009, 4:52 pm    Post subject: Re: Notchy steering fixed by loosening adjuster nut.

Good grief.

Looks like it's a display at a m.c. convention, indoors perhaps.

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650skull
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PostPosted: November 1, 2009, 5:18 pm    Post subject: Re: Notchy steering fixed by loosening adjuster nut.

Shocked Damm thats nasty
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xjwmx
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Location: KY '81 Special

PostPosted: November 1, 2009, 6:15 pm    Post subject: Re: Notchy steering fixed by loosening adjuster nut.

xsjohn wrote:
.....a bit of notchy at low controlable speeds is better that riding in fright at 60-70-80.....
xsjohn

ine was never notchy at any speed, nor frightening at 70 or so. My experience with it is it's hard to imagine something minor setting it off. Going to try to stick with stock bearings if possible. How easy is it to examine all the races and balls? Is any wear at all to either allowed?
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xsjohn
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PostPosted: November 1, 2009, 6:40 pm    Post subject: Re: Notchy steering fixed by loosening adjuster nut.

"""""Mine was never notchy at any speed""""""

I'm confused..........how can you fix a notchy steering that isn't notchy....?


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xjwmx
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PostPosted: November 2, 2009, 5:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Notchy steering fixed by loosening adjuster nut.

Never notchy until recently. When I first got it it had a nervous ride at any speed over 35. I did the bronze swingarm bushings, and tightened down the steering adjusters as tight as I could get it (it still swung freely). Then it was fine except there was no damping in the rear shocks. Riding it around got the shocks pumped back up somehow. I was told by a mechanic it happens, because the fluid in the shock gets all on one side of the little hole in the shock if it sits long enough. I replaced the front fork oil with the min. spec amount of Yamaha 10 (?) weight. I set the adjusters to the middle position.

At that point all was good for a few months, no notchyness, good ride at 70. I don't like going that fast, but the bike still felt completely solid.

Then a hundred miles in a big storm washed out enough grease in the steering to cause notchyness (I suspect that's the cause).

Then loosening the steering adjusters from tight as hell to something closer to the spec got rid of the notchyness without affecting the ride at least 60. Still feels steady at 60.

But I want to get the bearings apart and if not replace them, at least lube them up (probably the first new grease they've seen in a long time). I would have greased them as soon as I got the bike were it not such a pain to do.
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yamaman
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Joined: Jan 04, 2007
Posts: 1638
Location: Perth Western Australia

PostPosted: November 3, 2009, 10:21 am    Post subject: Re: Notchy steering fixed by loosening adjuster nut.

There's not much wrong with the original ball bearings, hell they lasted 30 odd years! Of course after 30 years, some damage is likely.....If you want to re-use, I'd clean them all up & check each one with a magnifying glass. No chips or dents are acceptable, as they'll only ever get worse. But if they're all cool & you use the right amount of grease, no problem to re-install!

Only drama is, when you pull it apart, it's damn hard to stop the little blighters bouncing all over the floor! Also awkward (though completely do-able) to re install....

For the price of the tapered rollers, you can save yourself a few headaches......Also the tapered rollers are more forgiving to being over tensioned (the balls can easily be damaged by too much tension).

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gordo
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Joined: Oct 09, 2008
Posts: 559
Location: CT.U.S.A.

PostPosted: November 3, 2009, 6:45 pm    Post subject: Re: Notchy steering fixed by loosening adjuster nut.

I've got a little tip for using ball bearing's & installing them. Allot of manual transmission's have ball & needle bearings that surround a shaft. I use a good quality wheel bearing grease to hold them in place. No hassle's & they're lubed up.
When I was drag racing, I used ball bearing's instead of taper roller bearing's, less resistance. They take off about a tenth on the timeslip. That's allot for a bearing change.

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