She likes to shake her head

Stormin Ben · Post by **Stormin Ben** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 11:45 pm

LSM,

Never had a problem with paddock stand and block of wood with 3 provisos

1. NEVER remove the rear wheel coz its the weight of it that keeps the whole shebang stable

2. Not keen on jacking an exhaust -I'd recommend removing the little belly pan and jack up from right at the front of the engine

3. Loosen all potentially tight bolts BEFORE jacking the front

WRT headshake, do it in the order it comes apart
First, check the wheel bearings (at 21k its likely they are on the way out)
Then check the head bearings

Ben

Post by **sirch345** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:42 pm

LSM,
It looks like most of the usual things to check have already been mentioned

but I would also check the rear wheel and sprocket carrier bearings, also the swingarm for any side to side movement

I know it's just been mot'd but I'd check it all the same

cupasoop · Post by **cupasoop** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:13 pm

Most bikes shake the bars under power but yours is doing it on the over-run you say, throttle closed slowing down all the weight on the front wheel. Check usual bearings, tyre pressure, any cables snagged? Anybody been pissing about with your front suspension when you weren't looking?

LotusSevenMan · Post by **LotusSevenMan** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:40 pm

Tyre pressures fine and I have those special indicating valve caps that show if the pressures are down.
Another advantage to having the bar risers is that the fiddly bits are covered from interfering fingers

No, it's either wheel bearings (which I very much doubt) or head bearings which I now reckon is favourite because in waggling the bars about slowly there is the tiniest but still a perceptible feel of something just around the straight ahead postion. Hardly anything........................ but defintely there now I am trying to find something!!!

Stormin Ben · Post by **Stormin Ben** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 11:44 pm

LotusSevenMan wrote: in waggling the bars about slowly there is the tiniest but still a perceptible feel of something just around the straight ahead postion. Hardly anything........................ but defintely there now I am trying to find something!!!

That'll be adefinite then!
If you havent got the time/ money at the mo you can get away with loosening the headstock nuts so the bottom race is exposed and move it round a touch
Then re-grease and retighten

I did this 18months ago and have 2 notches just before the steering locks but the straight ahead portion is perfect

Its my Scottish blood you see

LotusSevenMan · Post by **LotusSevenMan** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 12:20 am

LOL Ben!!!

Well, I have an aircraft engineering background so s*d the expense and do it properly.
Have found a source for taper roller head bearings at 25.99ukp delivered so thought that pretty good compared with the std Honda issue!!!

I remember going the tapered route on a Honda SuperDream 250 I had back in 1982 and that REALLY improved matters as a much larger bearing surface etc.
Just looked up the details of this bike at the DVLA and guess it has gone to meet its maker as it is long overdue taxing (or as the DVLA put it, 'liability').

The vehicle details for UOW 260T are:

Date of Liability 01 10 1987
Date of First Registration 02 02 1979
Year of Manufacture 1979
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 249CC
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type Petrol
Export Marker Not Applicable
Vehicle Status Unlicensed
Vehicle Colour RED
Vehicle Type Approval null

I swopped it with a chap for a full race fairing, clip-on and rearset etc Suzuki GT 250 X7. Sold that in turn to a guy who had it two days before destroying it on a right-turning milkfloat!!!!

alan · Post by **alan** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 12:33 am

Ahhhhhhhhh the 250 dream ................takes me back to when i was a nipper my dad had one took me all over on it then he got the 400 dream top box an all

LotusSevenMan · Post by **LotusSevenMan** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 12:43 am

Oy. You trying to make me feel old Alan?

I can feel that for myself (ooh err missus)

Here are some taper bearings

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... &rd=1&rd=1

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 3:54 am

A 250 dream...

I think I saw a black and white photo of one of those.

Soichiro Honda was riding one just after WWII.

Stratman · Post by **Stratman** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 8:01 am

I fitted taper bearings the winter before last. Bit of a bugger to get torqued right - you need to really tighten them down hard first, then slacken and re-torque. They have been fine ever since. I had done the other "dodge" several times i.e. loosen everything off, move them a bit, regrease etc, but it stopped working!

Incidentally, I found that a piece of plastic sink size waste pipe was the exact size for an outer drift to fit the bottom bearing to the headstock (after freezing the headstock and warming the bearing)

Stormin Ben · Post by **Stormin Ben** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 11:13 am

Stratman wrote: Incidentally, I found that a piece of plastic sink size waste pipe was the exact size for an outer drift to fit the bottom bearing to the headstock (after freezing the headstock and warming the bearing)

Good tip with the waste pipe, I'll be sure to use that one

Cr@p tip with teh heating and freezing though coz freezing the headstock makes it shrink and heating the bearing makes it expand so it'd be even harder to fit!
Also, getting the bike frame in the freezer could cause a bit of domestic disharmony (especially if the Haagen Dass melts

)

WRT bearings I've used http://shop.wemoto.com/index.dyn?oid=25299 a few times and found their stuff to be excellent
And although the bearings are Â£2.50 more than the ebay ones, the postage is Â£5.35 cheaper!!

LotusSevenMan · Post by **LotusSevenMan** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 4:46 pm

Ben.
I bought some of their variable footrests off them and my VTR owning mate having seen mine fancies some too. If he decides to buy then the two items together come postage free!!!!

LotusSevenMan · Post by **LotusSevenMan** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:46 pm

I had a look in my old pics and found these!

And I swopped the 'Dream for the racier X7

and last but not least me as a very young courier rider!

Just compare it with now (about twenty six years older!!!!!!!!!!). Mind you, these new 'highlights' are costing me a fortune. Maybe I'll just let my hair go back to its true dark colour............. I wish ha ha.

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 2:32 am

heh... I think the Guarda Civil want their rider back.

good pics

Pete.L · Post by **Pete.L** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 8:28 am

Kitch wrote:heh... I think the Guardia Civil want their rider back.

good pics

Never mind the Civil guard. The young courier one looks like LSM use to moonlight on the original Star Trek
Pete.l