Tank Slap - Motorcycle Forum

After mine and Kwacky's short flight and subsequent hard landing my bike has developed a knock when I brake. Could be the pads moving in the callipers but thinking the headstock bearing might need adjusting.

Anyone know a way of testing the bearings without lifting the front wheel off the ground?

Nope. I had the same thing on the Daytona, I was sure it was the headstock bearings. Finally got around to lifting it and they were fine. Turned out to be the brake discs moving on the rivets

Haven't you got a front paddock stand (or is the Daytona using it?)

kiwikrasher wrote:Nope. I had the same thing on the Daytona, I was sure it was the headstock bearings. Finally got around to lifting it and they were fine. Turned out to be the brake discs moving on the rivets

I had the same on the Daytona. Ive just tried pushing the bike with the front wheel pushed up to the garage wall (no brakes on) and it's still knocking. Going to see if Sarah is strong enough to lever the front wheel off the ground on the side stand!

Kwacky wrote:Haven't you got a front paddock stand (or is the Daytona using it?)

Yes but the bearing is still loaded on the front stand

Monty wrote:

kiwikrasher wrote:Nope. I had the same thing on the Daytona, I was sure it was the headstock bearings. Finally got around to lifting it and they were fine. Turned out to be the brake discs moving on the rivets

I had the same on the Daytona. Ive just tried pushing the bike with the front wheel pushed up to the garage wall (no brakes on) and it's still knocking. Going to see if Sarah is strong enough to lever the front wheel off the ground on the side stand!

Oh..

Stop jumping your bike then!

Monty wrote:Going to see if Sarah is strong enough to lever the front wheel off the ground on the side stand!

She's not, bloody women!

kiwikrasher wrote:

Monty wrote:

kiwikrasher wrote:Nope. I had the same thing on the Daytona, I was sure it was the headstock bearings. Finally got around to lifting it and they were fine. Turned out to be the brake discs moving on the rivets

I had the same on the Daytona. Ive just tried pushing the bike with the front wheel pushed up to the garage wall (no brakes on) and it's still knocking. Going to see if Sarah is strong enough to lever the front wheel off the ground on the side stand!

Oh..

Stop jumping your bike then!

Good advise! To be fair it would have been OK if I hadn't shat my pants, closed the throttle and landed on the front wheel!

Schoolboy error

Do you have an Abba stand.?

Should be fairly easy to see where the movement is, again enlisting Sarah's help will make it easier.: Have someone apply the front brake & rock the bike back & forwards against the brake (enough so that they can feel that knock). You can the visually inspect the headrace to yolk & front disc play etc to identify the source.
Have you checked the front spindle & it's clamps are all fully tightened,?
Another source of this can be the bushes in the front forks themselves.
Good luck mate.

Booked it in at the local garage on Saturday morning, don't have any c-spanners and don't fancy using a drift on it. Plus I can't be arsed!

StMarks wrote:Do you have an Abba stand.?

Should be fairly easy to see where the movement is, again enlisting Sarah's help will make it easier.: Have someone apply the front brake & rock the bike back & forwards against the brake (enough so that they can feel that knock). You can the visually inspect the headrace to yolk & front disc play etc to identify the source.
Have you checked the front spindle & it's clamps are all fully tightened,?
Another source of this can be the bushes in the front forks themselves.
Good luck mate.

No, no stands other than standard under fork type.

I checked and re-aligned the the front spindle a few weeks ago when I got the bike just to make sure there was no friction in the fork tubes. Undid the clamps and spindle and pumped the forks up and down with the brakes off.

Fairly certain it's the bearings as it still knocks with the wheel clocked up against the wall.

Monty wrote:Booked it in at the local garage on Saturday morning, don't have any c-spanners and don't fancy using a drift on it. Plus I can't be arsed!

"What appears to be the problem with your bike?"

"So there I was, out with a couple of mates, when I got this idea into my head that the bike was just like a BMX, so I hit this blind crest at about 80 mph........"

Nah I'll just tell him I bought it like this!

Monty wrote:

Monty wrote:Going to see if Sarah is strong enough to lever the front wheel off the ground on the side stand!

She's not, bloody women!

LMFAO....I once had the ex and the boys holding up the front of my bike while I went inside to the bathroom.

Then I made a drink and sat down to watch TV...took them about 15 minutes to figure it out....came inside all knackered and pouring sweat!!!

cruel but funny

Monty wrote:

Nah I'll just tell him I bought it like this!

Was it a dealer sale? If so, surely you could hit them up?

Took it in to DK (Stoke) today and they checked the headstock bearing, nothing wrong with it. Still got the knock so thinking it might just be the shim stacks in the forks. Will get MCT to look at it when I get around to upgrading the suspension.

Really glad I took it in though, the mech took it out for a spin and came back saying that front tyre is horrible why are you riding around on that. School boy error, on closer inspection (read first inspection) the treads have stepped!