Got some questions about pre-gen front forks. One or both of the forks on my ’03 “clunk” when the fork goes from no load (no weight on the front wheel) to loaded with the weight of the bike. I can make it make the noise at will when the bike is on the center stand and I lift and drop the front wheel. It’ll make the noise on the road conditions are right (coming off a bump at a certain speed).

Is this common for higher mileage Ninjettes (mine has 26K mi)? Is the fix to add spacers between the springs and the fork caps? Or is it time for new fork springs and oil? And what brands of springs are good for these bikes?

Your thoughts and ideas are appreciated.

If you put some weight on the seat and loft the front wheel, you can check for play.

If you put some weight on the seat and loft the front wheel, you can check for play.

Good idea. Wife does a fine job of that, but doesn't like being in the cold garage. Was able to isolate noise to axial loading of fork tube, but only had about 30 seconds to do it.

Will try to coax her to spend 5 minutes out there with me so I can verify and repeatedly demonstrate noise.

It could be loose steering head bearings

It could be loose steering head bearings

I was thinking that too, but I can't get any clunking with weight on the wheels or by pusining the bike with the front wheel against a wall.

I really do need to get someone to sit on the seat with the bike on the centerstand so I can wiggle and push the wheel up and down to absolutely determine exactly where and which side the noise is coming from.

Try walking the bike forward and playing with the front brake. If it's the stem bearings, that will replicate the noise. That's how I knew my head bearings needed replacement.