naughtyG
Well-Known Member
....and got my first US speeding ticket :bang head::bang head::bang head::bang head:
so here we go, having renewed my steering head bearings, my high speed straight line wobble is GONE!!!
I took my bike to an indicated 135mph today, and not a shake - it was as steady as a train. Also note that my new head bearings are tightened to just slightly over the Yamaha service manual's prescribed torque, that I removed the Furbur washer and went back to the OEM rubber one, and if I lift the front wheel with the bike on the center stand and do the bounce test, my steering does actually bounce a couple of times - yet no wobble.
Also note that I just put two new Shinko tires on , but that didn't help. I also just replaced my front wheel bearing (and added the spacer I was missing) and that got rid of the front end vibes I felt before. I also have a handlebars-mounted Hellfire windshield, but at 135mph it seems to have no ill effects.
This really makes me think that any Max that needs its steering bearings tightened or the Furbur fix actually has WORN bearings, and replacing them is a much safer bet than any adjustment. Not to say that adjustment won't help to start with, but that I believe the need for adjustment is an early sign of wear, and it's all downhill from there on.
I'm SO happy I've proven to myself that the Max has NO design flaw, and that even with rubber engine mounts, bone stock frame and swingarm, and the original '86 40mm forks (ok I do have Progressive springs, a beefier fork brace and old style 12.5" Progressive shocks) it is perfectly stable in a straight line at 135mph with new and factory-spec adjusted steering head bearings :clapping::clapping::clapping:
so here we go, having renewed my steering head bearings, my high speed straight line wobble is GONE!!!
I took my bike to an indicated 135mph today, and not a shake - it was as steady as a train. Also note that my new head bearings are tightened to just slightly over the Yamaha service manual's prescribed torque, that I removed the Furbur washer and went back to the OEM rubber one, and if I lift the front wheel with the bike on the center stand and do the bounce test, my steering does actually bounce a couple of times - yet no wobble.
Also note that I just put two new Shinko tires on , but that didn't help. I also just replaced my front wheel bearing (and added the spacer I was missing) and that got rid of the front end vibes I felt before. I also have a handlebars-mounted Hellfire windshield, but at 135mph it seems to have no ill effects.
This really makes me think that any Max that needs its steering bearings tightened or the Furbur fix actually has WORN bearings, and replacing them is a much safer bet than any adjustment. Not to say that adjustment won't help to start with, but that I believe the need for adjustment is an early sign of wear, and it's all downhill from there on.
I'm SO happy I've proven to myself that the Max has NO design flaw, and that even with rubber engine mounts, bone stock frame and swingarm, and the original '86 40mm forks (ok I do have Progressive springs, a beefier fork brace and old style 12.5" Progressive shocks) it is perfectly stable in a straight line at 135mph with new and factory-spec adjusted steering head bearings :clapping::clapping::clapping: