So i was riding my bike (99 FXDL)today and noticed a vibration coming from front wheel at slow speeds. So when bike is parked i grabbed front wheel and pushed/pulled and front wheel moves slightly side to side? Does anyone know if this would be bearings or maybe someone installed incorrect spacers? I read somewhere that the wheel has a given amount of play but that doesn't sound right to me.

 

I've never had a bike that had any side to side play in the wheel. My first guess is bearings. It should still not have side to side play with the wrong spacers. The forks wouldn't look right (parallel)when looking at them from in front of the the bike.

 

Sounds like brgs to me

 

Around 4 thou is the most you should put up with.

 

Also jack the front end up while you're at it, grab the forks and see if you can move them front to back to see if theres any play in there, if there is then most likely the roller bearings on the fork stem are shot too. This will cause a slight vibration as well, so won't an unbalanced wheel. I had all the symptoms you speak of, checked everything out my local indy told me to, but new tires F/R solved it. Not saying this is your case but it was mine.

 

Took it to the shop I got it from we jacked it up and there was a very small amount of play he balanced tire in front of me said bearings were in good shape rolled well no sounds he said if I wanted he would do new bearings but that he didn't think it needed them. I will trust him on it for now and when I get new front tire will have bearings changed.... Also while there figured out my accelerator pump was not working so it will cost me a little bit but will hopefully fix the small hesitation I've been having when rolling on throttle out of turns

 

Your wheel should really have no perceptible movement side to side, or forward/backward. If you had wrong spacers, you would have known it way before now.

The thing is, if your wheel bearings are good, then your steering neck bearings are possibly not, as that is the only other source of possible movement. Check your 'fall-away' adjustment.

 

Well I will check fall away but the wheel even felt that way off the bike on tire balancer but mechanic basically said I was being to picky as there is not much movement at all like maybe a millimeter. So not sure guess will just ride it until next tire change and get bearings done then. It has the old style timiken bearings so have to find someone that really knows what's they are doing

 

Archer, just as a reminder... he has tapered roller bearings. He will have perceptible movement side to side.

 

The timkens have to be shimmed to achieve the proper end play. The factory doesn't always get them right. Remove the brake caliper first & check the end play with a dial indicator. You can't get an accurate measurement with the caliper in place.