Hey gang - for those who have springers, I've got my first maintenance question for you. I've looked through the forum, and would like a little more input: The front end, while appearing to provide the right amount of resistance (shock absorption), tends to want to "drift" at a lower speed, until I get going up to about 45/50mph. Now, this is the first springer I've owned, and the first bike with a fatter front tire (used to have skinny 21"), so I wonder if that could be the fatter front tire? The bike tracks straight just fine when I drop my hands off the bars, but the drifting and slow cornering shimmy makes me wonder. . .

My first two thoughts were: the shock absorber between the springs and/or the springs themselves. Bike is a 1999 with 40,000 miles. Then, looking through my repair manual, I'm thinking it may be a rocker and head bearing issue. Think I just need to re-torque them? This looks to be about a 4 hour job, so I thought I'd get some opinions before I commit a morning to doing it. I have no idea the last time this was done, so it may be needing it.

Thanks,

Ben

 

Fatter tires usually drift less than the thinner ones, so having a wider front is not the cause of that feeling.

First take care of the easy stuff:
1. Make sure the steering head is well lubed. Tip: Wrap a bunjee or rope around the space below the steering head where it meets the forks. This does not allow the bearing grease you are injecting through the grease nipple on the side of the steering head to squirt out the bottom before it fills up and eventually oozes out the top bearing gap. When it does, the steering head is fully lubed. Then remove the rope or bunjee.
2. Make sure the wheel is balanced well and is evenly worn.
3. Make sure wheel bearings and fender support bearings are free and well lubed.

If not better, then:
1. Check and adjust fall away
2. Ensure all rocker pivots are free and lubed. Replace any frozen ones.


If your steering head bearings are bad, you would feel a flat spot in the center. If you are not feeling that, they probably do not need replacing. If they are kept well lubed, they can last 100,000 miles.

The front shock may, indeed, need replacing. Progressive($) and Fornales($$$) both make them.

 

Good tech on wraping the rope around to stop the grease from coming out !!!