Tighten the steering stem nut, please tell me how

[coelgrim]

eerrr suddenly my bike is felt wooble again (felt a lot vibration on hand) , especially when riding on bad road.

it happened before when I still had a free maintenance from kawasaki, well, the mechanic there fixed this problem by tightening the steering stem nut (just below the ignition key), then the problem was gone.

Now it is happening again , I asked the kawasaki , and they are going to cost me a lot for this (I dont want to spend a lot of money just for fixing small trouble).

so please anyone help me how to fix this (tighten the steering stem nut/bearing)
or may be you could give me the DIY thread ? (I checked in this forum but couldn't find one)

Merry X-Mas by the way.

[Mountain Dew]

Grab a wrench, put it on the nut, and turn clockwise.

[coelgrim]

Steering Stem Nut Wrench? where can i get this? thanks btw , and how to check the looseness or tightness of the nut? i am confused , seems a bit fine for me

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by coelgrim

eerrr suddenly my bike is felt wooble again (felt a lot vibration on hand) , especially when riding on bad road.

it happened before when I still had a free maintenance from kawasaki, well, the mechanic there fixed this problem by tightening the steering stem nut (just below the ignition key), then the problem was gone.

Now it is happening again , I asked the kawasaki , and they are going to cost me a lot for this (I dont want to spend a lot of money just for fixing small trouble).

so please anyone help me how to fix this (tighten the steering stem nut/bearing)
or may be you could give me the DIY thread ? (I checked in this forum but couldn't find one)

Merry X-Mas by the way.

Originally Posted by coelgrim

Steering Stem Nut Wrench? where can i get this? thanks btw , and how to check the looseness or tightness of the nut? i am confused , seems a bit fine for me

I'm not sure but I think " tightening the steering stem nut (just below the ignition key)".

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by coelgrim

eerrr suddenly my bike is felt wooble again (felt a lot vibration on hand) , especially when riding on bad road.

If after lifting the front tire you are able to note some back and forth movement of the forks while forced by your hands, then your head bearings are loose.

I would dissemble the whole thing and clean and lubricate the bearings, since that is part of the regular service.

This article will show you how:

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Steerin...ng_replacement

Note that a properly torqued stem head bolt is what prevents the stem lock-nut from rotating counterclockwise loosing the proper adjustment.

I would also check other possible problems like out of balance wheels, bad shock absorbers, under-torqued wheel shafts (front and rear) and loose pivot of the swingarm:

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Servicing_the_swingarm

Merry Christmas to you !!!

[Mountain Dew]

^Or that too.

[Lychee]

you can do it using a large adjustable wrench if take off the handle bars and triple tree first.

[coelgrim]

Originally Posted by Motofool

If after lifting the front tire you are able to note some back and forth movement of the forks while forced by your hands, then your head bearings are loose.

I would dissemble the whole thing and clean and lubricate the bearings, since that is part of the regular service.

This article will show you how:

http://www.msgroup.org/articles.aspx

Note that a properly torqued stem head bolt is what prevents the stem lock-nut from rotating counterclockwise loosing the proper adjustment.

I would also check other possible problems like out of balance wheels, bad shock absorbers, under-torqued wheel shafts (front and rear) and loose pivot of the swingarm:

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Servicing_the_swingarm

Merry Christmas to you !!!

stem head bolt, where is it? the bolt just right below the ignition key??

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by coelgrim

stem head bolt, where is it? the bolt just right below the ignition key??

Yes, the big black hexagonal head between the two handlebar supports.

The provided links have diagrams that show and name each part.

[coelgrim]

Originally Posted by Motofool

Yes, the big black hexagonal head between the two handlebar supports.

The provided links have diagrams that show and name each part.

thanks,
just have tightened my nut ( i means the ninja steering nut ), and it went back normal again, except when I tested riding it , when I was about to lean for turning , the bike was felt a little heavy, was it the indicator that the nut is too tight ?

[Motofool]

We are talking about two nuts that need to be adjusted and properly torqued, not only one (the stem locknut and the stem head bolt as shown in attached diagram).

Yes, too much torque on the stem locknut will damage the bearings and the handle of the bike.

The stem head bolt needs a lot of torque to fix the stem locknut (below it) in place.

"...torque the stem nut once to 14 ft-lbs to seat the bearings, then back it off so there is no preload.

Now you have to adjust the tightness of the stem nut. Tighten the nut until it gets a bit of resistance, then back off a tad. You want it tight enough so the bars turn freely lock-to-lock with just a push of your hand (front end is still in the air). No tighter, no looser. Torque the stem head bolt to 35 ft-lbs."

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Steerin...ng_replacement

[coelgrim]

Originally Posted by Motofool

We are talking about two nuts that need to be adjusted and properly torqued, not only one (the stem locknut and the stem head bolt as shown in attached diagram).

Yes, too much torque on the stem locknut will damage the bearings and the handle of the bike.

The stem head bolt needs a lot of torque to fix the stem locknut (below it) in place.

"...torque the stem nut once to 14 ft-lbs to seat the bearings, then back it off so there is no preload.

Now you have to adjust the tightness of the stem nut. Tighten the nut until it gets a bit of resistance, then back off a tad. You want it tight enough so the bars turn freely lock-to-lock with just a push of your hand (front end is still in the air). No tighter, no looser. Torque the stem head bolt to 35 ft-lbs."

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Steerin...ng_replacement

thanks then should I loosen the nut again till it fells right? till no heavy feels when leaning the bike at all (I dont have torque wrench , maybe i should get one )

[Motofool]

Yes, loosen the bolt first (which liberates the stem locknut to rotate).

Then adjust the locknut in a way that allows free rotation of the forks from lock to lock (not to hard not too easy).

After you reach that ideal point of adjustment, tighten the stem head bolt (with a manual force equivalent to lifting ~35 lb or ~16 Kg) with a regular wrench (which will prevent the stem locknut to rotate and loose the adjustment).

[coelgrim]

Originally Posted by Motofool

Yes, loosen the bolt first (which liberates the stem locknut to rotate).

Then adjust the locknut in a way that allows free rotation of the forks from lock to lock (not to hard not too easy).

After you reach that ideal point of adjustment, tighten the stem head bolt (with a manual force equivalent to lifting ~35 lb or ~16 Kg) with a regular wrench (which will prevent the stem locknut to rotate and loose the adjustment).

thanks then not too loose and to tight

I tell u again later if I experience any more problem

Happy new year !

[Motofool]

Please do.

Happy New Year !!!

[rojoracing53]

Good way to check if your steering stem nut is to tight and is causing drag it to ride with no hands. If its free then the bike will go strait a d you can control it, if its sticking then it will not want to go strait and be hard if not impossible to correct with no hands.

This trick requires you to be able to ride with no hands comfortably and keep it below 30mph so you don't get the infamous ninjette head shake. It you get get the bike in neutral that works best.

[coelgrim]

Originally Posted by rojoracing53

if its sticking then it will not want to go strait and be hard if not impossible to correct with no hands.

what do u mean by sticking ?

and the meaning of "correct with no hands"?

thanks

[Lychee]

Originally Posted by rojoracing53

Good way to check if your steering stem nut is to tight and is causing drag it to ride with no hands. If its free then the bike will go strait a d you can control it, if its sticking then it will not want to go strait and be hard if not impossible to correct with no hands.

This trick requires you to be able to ride with no hands comfortably and keep it below 30mph so you don't get the infamous ninjette head shake. It you get get the bike in neutral that works best.

By "sticking" he means the nut is too tight and causing your handlebars to resist the gyroscopic effect of straightening up.

By "impossible to correct with no hands" he means if your bike starts to veer in a direction you cannot get it to go straight without touching the bars.

[rojoracing53]

Originally Posted by Lychee

By "sticking" he means the nut is too tight and causing your handlebars to resist the gyroscopic effect of straightening up.

By "impossible to correct with no hands" he means if your bike starts to veer in a direction you cannot get it to go straight without touching the bars.

^ Exactly thanks

[coelgrim]

Originally Posted by rojoracing53

^ Exactly thanks

you guys are amazing , I just dont know how to able to control my direction without my hands on the bar

[Lychee]

Originally Posted by coelgrim

you guys are amazing , I just dont know how to able to control my direction without my hands on the bar

shift your body weight toward the side you want to turn to.

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by coelgrim

you guys are amazing , I just dont know how to able to control my direction without my hands on the bar

Somehow I just believe Garry is yankin everyone's chain

[coelgrim]

Originally Posted by Lychee

shift your body weight toward the side you want to turn to.

it really goes to the direction I shift !
and it just goes to left when I want to left and to right when I want to go right (without hand)
-> which means the steering is already good

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

Somehow I just believe Garry is yankin everyone's chain

maybe because I'm not very good at english -> I also doesnt understand what "yankin" means

I would like to say Sorry if I am bad
please dont ban me
Thanks.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by coelgrim

..........maybe because I'm not very good at english -> I also doesnt understand what "yankin" means

I would like to say Sorry if I am bad
please dont ban me
Thanks.

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/yank+chain

Don't worry, you are OK.