Member Contributer YoshiHNS Posted August 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted August 13, 2009 Just got new tires put on the 5th gen. PP front and PR2 rear. Feels much better than the previous tires, but now it feels almost unsafe at parking lot speeds. From a dead stop, it doesn't feel like I can just turn the wheel. Instead, it kind of jumps a few degrees, stops, moves a couple more, stops, so on. Accelerating from a top, it also feels like it favors the right side a bit. Coasting, if I let the bar go and sit up, I get the same thing where it starts to lean a bit to the right. Definitely didn't have the slow maneuvering problem with the old tires. I'm thinking it's the front tire not being centered correctly. Any other thoughts? It feels fine in a turn and at speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rice Posted August 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted August 13, 2009 I can't see how you would not center the front tire correctly... Or the rear for that matter. Are they turning freely when you spin them off the ground? Have the brake lines snagged on the tripples? Just shots in the dark here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer BusyLittleShop Posted August 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted August 13, 2009 If your steering head bearings are too tight the bike will not track in it's center... it will feel unbalanced... If your tire pressure is too low the side wall will give out under the weight and cause the front to wander... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tightwad Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Also be sure the front fronts remain aligned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer ki-speed Posted August 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted August 13, 2009 That sounds like the same feeling I get every time I put new tires on the bike. The worn tires are usually flat spotted and take more effort to turn-in. The new tires are so round they feel like wooooooo I'm going to tip over / fall over (at first). Then after a few miles of break-in you remember that this is what tires are suppose to feel like. In fact for the Summit meet next week I just had new tires (PR2 rear and PP front) mounted on my spare rims and installed them on the bike for the trip. I rode the bike yesterday with new tires and had that exact feeling at first. Concerning the pull to one side, did you set the axle before tightening the left side pinch bolt (it's in the service manual). That helps set / center the axle evenly. Later, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monk Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Also be sure the front fronts remain aligned. Tightwad's... on to something with the "front forks"..... Since you just changed the tyre, loosen the front axle and pinch bolts. Tighten axle till it spins and won't tighten.... Then tighten axle head with pinch bolt.... Then torque the axle nut..... Then tighten the nut side with the pinch bolts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Also be sure the front fronts remain aligned. Tightwad's... on to something with the "front forks"..... Since you just changed the tyre, loosen the front axle and pinch bolts. Tighten axle till it spins and won't tighten.... Then tighten axle head with pinch bolt.... Then torque the axle nut..... Then tighten the nut side with the pinch bolts. Actually, it's insert & torque axle to 42ftlbs, torque L side pinch bolts to 16ftlbs, roll bike forward & pump front brake 5-6 times to "settle" the parts, then torque R side to 16ftlbs. Also check to see if your handlebars are straight. If one or both are bent, they'll make the handling feel weird. Or, if yours are bent on the bike you normally ride, and these are straight, that might contribute too! edit: I could be wrong on which side to do first, regarding the pinch bolts, but the important part is pumping the forks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer AZrider Posted August 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted August 13, 2009 I don't know about the front pulling to one side, but when I had PR2's put on my bike after running Metzler z6 Roadtecs, I found the handling so foreign I pulled over. I thought for sure my tires were both under inflated. The front felt very grabby and wandering and the bike felt like it wanted to tip over. But they were fully inflated, and at speed, the sensation was not as noticeable. Also, even though they made the bike feel like it was falling into the turns, once over and at angle the tires felt very stable and planted. After a couple hundred miles, that wandering sensation diminished and I also found myself enjoying the quicker turn ins. They've been wearing great too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileyrock Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Probably just those shitzy tires you bought! :beer: :beer: j/k of course! Who did the work? :fing02: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enzed_viffer Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Actually, it's insert & torque axle to 42ftlbs, torque L side pinch bolts to 16ftlbs, roll bike forward & pump front brake 5-6 times to "settle" the parts, then torque R side to 16ftlbs. edit: I could be wrong on which side to do first, regarding the pinch bolts, but the important part is pumping the forks. Interesting, Seb. I was quizzing my local Ohlins fork expert about forkbraces, and he said it was VERY important that the brace not squeeze the sliders at all, thus pinching the seals and causing stiction. He then went on to say that by the same token it is very important that every time you remove/refit your front wheel, you ensure when tightening the axle bolts that the sliders aren't pinched in/out at all, coz that can cause stiction too. When I told him I'd loosened the axle pinch bolts off and bounced the front end up and down, he replied, "Make sure you don't use the front brake while doing it, as even the pads pressing on the disks can move the wheel slightly one way or the other." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Actually, it's insert & torque axle to 42ftlbs, torque L side pinch bolts to 16ftlbs, roll bike forward & pump front brake 5-6 times to "settle" the parts, then torque R side to 16ftlbs. edit: I could be wrong on which side to do first, regarding the pinch bolts, but the important part is pumping the forks. Interesting, Seb. I was quizzing my local Ohlins fork expert about forkbraces, and he said it was VERY important that the brace not squeeze the sliders at all, thus pinching the seals and causing stiction. He then went on to say that by the same token it is very important that every time you remove/refit your front wheel, you ensure when tightening the axle bolts that the sliders aren't pinched in/out at all, coz that can cause stiction too. When I told him I'd loosened the axle pinch bolts off and bounced the front end up and down, he replied, "Make sure you don't use the front brake while doing it, as even the pads pressing on the disks can move the wheel slightly one way or the other." Interesting. The method I described above is how Honda lays out the procedure in their shop manual, I'll try without the brake next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monk Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Good on both of ya'.... More brain food Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer YoshiHNS Posted August 25, 2009 Author Member Contributer Share Posted August 25, 2009 okay. dad ran the tires at the summit, so the tires are 'broken in' or at least well scuffed, and it is still awful at slow speeds. But I have a new symptom. I hear a metallic click when turning the handlebars from side to side. If I hold the front wheel and try to turn the handlebars, I hear pretty much the same click. The steering head bearing already felt like the middle was pitted, so here's to hoping that replacing the steering head bearing fixes that feeling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enzed_viffer Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 The steering head bearing already felt like the middle was pitted, so here's to hoping that replacing the steering head bearing fixes that feeling. More'n likely. I was going to suggest head bearings, as not long after I got my VFR, the bearings needed replacing. Coming up to a slowish corner, it would be reluctant to tip in (more pressure on the bars required than usual), then it would sort of flop into the corner. It was all caused by a notch in the straight-ahead position that I wasn't aware of (but which seems obvious now). It's very common Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checksix Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Actually, it's insert & torque axle to 42ftlbs, torque L side pinch bolts to 16ftlbs, roll bike forward & pump front brake 5-6 times to "settle" the parts, then torque R side to 16ftlbs. edit: I could be wrong on which side to do first, regarding the pinch bolts, but the important part is pumping the forks. Interesting, Seb. I was quizzing my local Ohlins fork expert about forkbraces, and he said it was VERY important that the brace not squeeze the sliders at all, thus pinching the seals and causing stiction. He then went on to say that by the same token it is very important that every time you remove/refit your front wheel, you ensure when tightening the axle bolts that the sliders aren't pinched in/out at all, coz that can cause stiction too. When I told him I'd loosened the axle pinch bolts off and bounced the front end up and down, he replied, "Make sure you don't use the front brake while doing it, as even the pads pressing on the disks can move the wheel slightly one way or the other." Interesting. The method I described above is how Honda lays out the procedure in their shop manual, I'll try without the brake next time. Just did my front tire this morning -- the manual says to torque the LEFT pinch bolt last (after bouncing the front end to align the axle). Makes sense because the right side has already been fixed in position by torquing the axle bolt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFR4Lee Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 If I hold the front wheel and try to turn the handlebars, I hear pretty much the same click. The steering head bearing already felt like the middle was pitted, so here's to hoping that replacing the steering head bearing fixes that feeling. Sounds like your steering hear bearing has been shot to hell for a while. Bet a replacement helps. :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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