[PALYDIN11]

My 2004 ZX-12r started to have some front end shaking after about 6500 miles. Nothing too serious though. When I took my hands off of the handlebars sometimes there was enough shaking that i had to put them back on. I changed to new tires because to old ones were worn (same type dunlop 208ZRs) and the shaking still happens but not all the time. The dealer changed them, not me. I took the bike back to the dealer thinking that the front tire was out of balance. The dealer rebalanced the front tire but the front still shakes sometime.
I did notice that the service tech have to use about 7-8 times as much counterweight to balance the new tire than what was on the rim for the old tire. He claimed that some weight had fallen off when I went back to the dealer to have them take a look at the shaking again. I found that odd that it would take that much more weight to balance the tire. I did notice that at lower rpm the front end doesn’t shake sometimes. Any suggestions a to where to start looking for the problem would be appreciated

[WOTEugene]

Your wheels may be out of alignment. I noticed that happening on my SV when my rear wheel wasn't perfectly aligned.

[skiierx]

Grab two cinderblocks and a small pipe and balance the wheel yourself. If the wheels are balanced properly when you spin the wheel it should stop in different places each time. Spin it 3-4 times each time it stops put a small piece of tape on the heavy spot. If the heavy spot continues to be at the bottom on the other spins then you wheel is out of balance.

Good luck

[stoinkythepig]

Check your steering head bearings for looseness. Be certain the front and rear wheel bearings are in good shape. Check for excess play in swing arm.

[PALYDIN11]

Thanks for the advice guys. I did notice that the rear wheel alignment notches are a little off. When I have service at 6500 miles the tech did say that he tightened the chain. could the rear tire being out on alignment cause this. I will puit it on the stand and check it.

[ChR1s]

I second the steering head bearings.

[Karaya One]

Steering head bearings and also check the front tire itself.

[neuthunder]

i also had shaking and it was the bearings in the neck..... and well i'm 99% sure it was the reason behind my "unexpected get-off"

[tls25rs]

I would bet that it is as others have said, your head bearings are loose.

A friend of mine, Dan, that has a ZX12R like yourself had bad head shake problems as you have described. He wound up taking it to the dealer and they told him they checked/adjusted his head bearings. When he got it back the bike shook just as bad as before he brought it to them. He rode it like this for months thinking well the dealer said they were ok they must be ok. During one of Tony's Track Days he was asking around and everyone there had the same comments that his head bearings might be loose, so we threw it up on a front end stand and checked them ourselves, with Degsy and a few others helping.

What do you know the head bearings were loose. We then decided to try to adjust them, well the dealer had tightened/adjusted something......they had taken the nut that goes above the top triple clamp off put loctite on it and tightened that nut as tight as they could. Needless to say this is not how to adjust your head bearings. After four guys holding the bike so it didn't fall over and a 300 lb'er yanking on a half inch breaker bar for all he was worth we finally got that top nut off, adjusted the bearings the proper way and put the bike back togther.

Dan has had no further problems with the front end of his bike shaking and ejoys riding it much more now.

Good luck with getting it fixed up, and as others have said, if you need a hand let me know.

L8R

Joel

[PALYDIN11]

I am taking my bike back after the new year and I will tell the dealer to have his tech check and adjust the head bearings. I did adjust the rear wheel so that the notches lined up on both sides (the left notch on the axle was slightly head of the right one) of the axle but I took the bike out today and I still hve that shake. Joel I might just give you a call next week if the dealer doesn't fix the problem. I don't have too much faith in the tech at the dealer. I have a friend that has a front stand. I might have to try to adjust my head bearings myself.

[OreoGitorio]

Damn, Joel, i missed that little episode. That sucks

[Rice-rocket1]

I remember that, thought that he was going to bend/break my breaker bar or socket.....

Would have been for a good cause....

[richw]

How I do it.

Head bearings assume tapered roller.

Pack bearings with grease I use waterproof but you pick

Snug the nut under triple tree well like 10 foot pounds
Usually a spanner type under the triple tree not the nut you see when your on the bike.

move head through complete arc a few times. This seats the bearings and squishes out excess grease.

Now without disturbing or moving anything back off the nut just a little and then hand tighten some people specify like 5 foot pounds but the point is just to close the space not to load the bearings.

Pop on the triple tree then you can tighten the triple tree nut as much as you like just make sure the nut underneath has not moved during the process.

The head should swing through its travel with little resistance and no clunk back and forth. If you feel like lump lump lump then the bearings are damaged (flat spots) and should be replaced.

Same procedure as the front wheels on rear wheel drive vehicles.

OK lets hear how I am wrong

[PALYDIN11]

Would compression damping force adjusters, sprinp preload adjusters or rebound damping force adjusters being not properly adjusted have anything to do with my front end wobble? My left compression force adjuster screw was a little off compare to the right 1? The idiots at the dealership said that I probably needed a steering damper. I never needed 1 before. Does anyone have any pics of the head bearings being adjusted? I can't verify that the dealer actually checked my steering head. I have a rear stand, I guess that I need to pick up a front stand to do this right.

[PALYDIN11]

Do any of you guys have steering dampers on your bikes? Just wondering if I did need one. I never had to have one before I took my bike to the shop.

[Paul_E_D]

It's just the bearings. That bike doesn't need a damper. Kawi is notorious for not gresing the head bearings. They all need repacking at like 5k miles!

[PALYDIN11]

RGR that man. Thanks for the advice. I wil get them checked and replaced. The dealer said that they were checked, but I can,t see any visible signs. There is another Kawa dealer in the area that said that he would take care of it for me. Does anyone have any photos of the bearings being done? It's probably something that I need to learn how to do myself too. I take it that I will need a front stand to drop the forks.

[OreoGitorio]

Actually u cant even use a stem stand to take the front end off. U gotta use jackstands on the engine case or some other means of holding up the front end w/o using the front end itself.

I had to take my whole front end off down at VIR... I'm relatively mechanically inclined, but it wasn't something I woulda have been able to do w/o some help the first time. I'm sure there's some guys on this board that would either help you or point you in the direction of someone who can...

[gmdboston]

Say, it's too bad you guys don't know any one that specializes in chassis and suspension.....

Wasn't there a guy on this forum who said he knew some one, whose best friend's, cousin's former collage room mate once help an ex girl friend's, boyfriends, mother's gardner, move some stuff to a new house where they found a phone number for a lady that used to drink at a bar where the bartender said his best customer was at party with this dude that used to fix trash compactors for a company that a 401k through a salesman that sold steering head bearings to this guy from GMD Computrack right in Bellingham????????

[GMAN226]

I know a guy, maybe the same person

G-man

[PinHead]

Would that be the same person that will be working on my bike next week? I heard about him from some guy I play darts with that has a funny accent. Says he is pretty good n'stuff. Might be him He told me to bring the bike to Bellingham

[OreoGitorio]

yeah, doesn't HesSoBroke owe that guy money?

[PALYDIN11]

Do you guys use a steering stem nut wrench to remove the steering nuts or will a regular pipe wrench do the job. I am going to do my own bearings. The guys at the dealership never checked my bearings or tightened my bearings like they said. I can't even see any sign of a socket or wrench on anything. I rocked my bike bike and forth with the front brake on and I can feel a dull thud through the handle bars while rocking back everytime.

[hessogood]

Originally posted by OreoGaborio
yeah, doesn't HesSoBroke owe that guy money?

He'llsobeatyouontwoflattires payed his debts to that guy.

[richw]

under the triple tree

there is a spanner nut that should only be like hand tight
so no wrench and or channel locks with a rag to remove.

I would block the bike up so front wheel can drop an inch.

remove triple tree. remove spanner nut

drop the fork tubes and steering shaft to expose the lower bearing for inspection and greasing.

In the mean time the uppers should have popped out also to inspect and grease. I use waterproof marine or trailer grease. white grease is water soluble and washes away.

Clean pack with grease reinstall the spanner.

drop the bike back on it front wheel

Now tighten the spanner lightly like 20 pounds at the end of the wrench or pliers with a wrench or channel locks.

Move the front end from full left right a dozen times to clear grease away and seat the bearings.

Now without shit moving and weight of the bike back on the front back the spanner out until loose then barely hand tight.

If something moves start again.

If you overtighten the steering stem spanner nut you will notice the bike hobby horsing under speed and load.

Mark where the spanner nut is the put triple tree back make sure that spanner hasn't moved

Check with rocking test clunk should not be ther enjoy