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Posted by mbk
- September 10, 2012, 09:37:24 AMThanks so much - if it's the worst-case scenario like that with the bearings, is that an expensive fix? Sounds like it.
Posted by Troll
- September 10, 2012, 08:42:14 AMThe front end is a critical part of any motorcycle. I would suggest that you raise the front wheel off the ground and check for any looseness in the steering head bearings. My 1500 now has 71,000 miles on it and when I got it, the small, sharp edged bumps really transmitted up to the bars. The dealer told me that it was worn slider bushings...I kind of doubted that, since I had never had to replace slider bushings in anything I owned for the last 50 years, so that Winter I disassembled the fork, replaced the springs with progressive wound ones, adjusted the preload to my liking, and replaced the fork oil with Dexron 3 synthetic ATF...problem solved. You might also check the front tire pressures...for some odd reason, people have been running way too high a pressure in tires lately.. My 1500 manual calls for 28 psi cold in the front, and that's just fine...
Posted by mbk
- September 10, 2012, 08:29:51 AMI posted elsewhere about getting my "new-to-me" 2004 Drifter 800, but I wanted to ask specifically about the front suspension issue I mentioned in that post. When I hit some bumps in the asphalt on my back-roads ride home -- the bumps were kind of like little mini speed bumps but not nearly as high-more like some faults in the rode where the asphalt kind of rippled upwards like folds in a sheet -- I noticed that I could really feel that front fork not just compress, but could feel slight slop/movement in the fork tube. The bike is in excellent shape otherwise and only has 4,000 miles on it (a 2004) so is this just a real soft front suspension or something I should be concerned with? Mike