My Bullet manual tells me how to tighten the steering head to get rid of play but I've tightened down the Stem nut all the way and it's still knocking/loose when I do the pull & breaks tests. (This is the new 850 Ruggerfield I've just got BTW).
If I can't tighten down anymore do I need new bearings? Does anyone have the procedure to hand? I'll have a go myself if it's straight forward enough.
Any help appreciated
(I did, of course, loosed the allen bolt under the stem nut and the two bolts on the forks before winding the stem nut down )
Stuart. M1030M1, Honda NC700S, Grom!, Toyota Corolla 1.4 Turbo Diesel. Favouring MPG over MPH.
Hi Stuart,
I had a similar problem and couldnt figure it.Eventually I removed the front wheel to fix another thing and found the big nuts on the axle were loose when I tightened them the knock stopped. Worth a look.
John.
Cheers guys,
I'll check around the wheel just incase. A mate at work reckons the stem might be bottoming out inside the domed stem nut on top when I try to wind it down. And extra large shim or washer might be called for as a temp fix to give me a little more room for manouve.
Stuart. M1030M1, Honda NC700S, Grom!, Toyota Corolla 1.4 Turbo Diesel. Favouring MPG over MPH.
When I restored a 1970 Triumph TR6 650, one of the many problems it had was about half the ball bearings in the head races were missing. To get round this the PO had tightened it up untill he ran out of adjustment, which in turn destroyed the cups.
I've put another washer under the stem nut and that allowed me to lose the slight amount of play I had. But was still getting a knocking so I did what John said and had a look at the wheel. Sure enough, there was play where the hub slots into the fork leg block. Only slight but annoying. I made an L shape shim and inserted it in whilst someone applied the front brake and pushed the bike forward. That seems to have taken up the play. Front end is now rock solid.
If anyone knows a permanent solution to this problem I'd lie to know it. A new hub?
Stuart. M1030M1, Honda NC700S, Grom!, Toyota Corolla 1.4 Turbo Diesel. Favouring MPG over MPH.
Glad to see you have it kind of sorted. Sometimes like previously mentioned you can loose some ball bearings and there is also another problem with both loose ball races and tapered ones = the surface can become peened forming grooves/ruts on the bearing surface causing play and making the steering feel notched when moving it side to side.
I wonder if there is a taper bearing kit out for Bullet steering heads? Its A.P.I.T.A to grease the loose bearings and slot them in at times.
I'm expecting to do another adjustment on the steering head myself - It cannot have anything to do with MX-ing it along the old wooden bridge here at Maitland YYYYEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAA! = Gotta have a bit of fun sometimes.
Cheers Larry but I've ordered one from my local Enfield dealer in Horley, T Northeast. Also ordered the chrome ring between the headlamp and casting. My one has a huge gouge out of it
)
YYYYEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAA! = Gotta have a bit of fun sometimes.