Steering Head bearings???

Went for a ride today ,for the first time since I've had the bike .

I brought it for a commuter so for the last month, six weeks, have been commuting from West Pennant Hills to Campbelltownvia Woodville rd. So 55ks each way 35 - 40 Mins traffic, 15 - 20 Hume Hwy.

Today I rode via Dural, Old Northern rd to Wisemans, crossed on the Ferry, followed the river along Wisemans Ferry rd and up to Kulnua for lunch, then back down the OPH.

On rough road conditions, like from Wisemans Ferry along the river, the bars felt as if I was hanging of an old Bren gun we used to use in the Cadets many years ago.

I could feel it through the grips and hear the rapdi fire "metal on metal"noise. The bike handled like a pig, nothing like the 1100.

When I got home I pulled off the inner fairings and could see black deposits, grease, metal, both? around the steering head. I took some pics but cant load them until tomorrow, but I GUESSING, and it is a guess 'cause I certainly aint' no expert that I might be the steering head bearings or similar.

The bike certainly needs a service and or a tune, but before I try to pull it apart, I'd be greatful for some suggestions.

Cheers

Rusty

sure sounds like steering head bearings. Easy test is to suspend the front of the bike off the ground (couple of big ratchet straps around the frame and up to a solid shed roof truss will do it) - or use a head-stem stand if you can borrow one. Grab the forks at the bottom and just try to move them forwards and backwards - any play in the steering head bearings will become immediately apparent. You will also be able to feel this if you move the bars from side to side with the front wheel off the deck.

All Balls on ebay have the best value kits on the market

IIRC the 1200 runs balls in the steering head rather than rollers and they are sensitive to adjustment

Cheers
thanks fellas.

I've got between easter, ANZAC Day and the week in between off. I intend to give it a good cleaning, oil change and air filter clean, so might give it ago.

I guess I'll try and adjust it first?

you could try and tighten up the top race - but if you can see grease and metal flecks - my guess is that the top race is well on the way out. Tightening it up might help in the very short-term, but better to just bite the bullet and do a full replacement of top and bottom races.

I haven't done a ZZR1200 front end before - if Bonester is on the money about ball-race bearings being used, it would be worth seeing if there was a tapered bearing replacment kit available.

Here are the pics. Not sure how long it took to get to this point

I havn't yet checked by trying to move the forks as Gos suggested. Will do that this weekend

bit of a wipe with finger