Bike is falling apart? By rosiemoto (Read 671 times)

[rosiemoto]

I've got 2 problems that are making my bike feel like it's about to fall apart!

One is the front end feels loose and is rocking/vibrating back and forth a little when I hit the brakes. This was fixed before by a local shop, but I wish I looked closer to see where exactly he was working on. All I know is he had to loosen the "steering alignment", then tighten the front end, then realign the steering, tighten, then put it all back together.. I hope that's a good enough description; what is needed for me to do to tighten the front end?

The other problem just started; it's a random scraping sound that can be felt by my passenger "underneat the seat", and I can feel it at the floorboard where your feet go. It has only happened at "parking lot" speeds. I killswitched the engine and it still does it while coasting. It's not really loud, but hearable over the stock exhaust, and can be felt. It's not a constant scrape, but it happens at least every 3 secs randomly "scrape.........scrape..scrape...........scrape..........." The bike doesn't seem affecting during the scrape at all. I don't see anything wrong from the outside, but I'm going to take out the seat and have a look.. I just have no idea what it could be.

All help is appreciated, thanks!

[trashtruck12172]

if you remove the front panel you should see the steering head nut that may need to be re-tightened. that should fix the rocking/vibrating front end. please don't ride it like that. scraping from the rear could be a bunch of things. does it happen both hot and cold? single or double riding? does it change with rpm?

[rosiemoto]

Oh, is there just 1 nut for the front end then?? For some reason the way he did it made me think there was 2 different nuts, but then I wasn't looking!

On the scraping, so far it's been while 2-up, and we both notice it while going slow in a parking lot. I haven't ridden solo since it started, but will do. It doesn't seem to be affected by engine RPM (happens with engine off too!). I didn't notice it at road speed at all... only scrapes in parking lot. I tried rocking the bike and jumping on the bike to bounce it, and I didn't hear any weird sounds there.

I forgot to mention, I tried manually spinning the rear wheel with bike on center stand, and it sounded normal. 

[trashtruck12172]

hopefully it's something simple like the rear wheel hitting something. might be wheel bearings, brakes or something deeper inside.

[rosiemoto]

Just took it for a ride and really tried to figure it out, and I believe now it was simply the center stand's wheel that presses up against the CVT cover! I had just tightened the nut to it (it keeps coming loose) this morning.

First I figured out it happens only when the bike bounces. Then I figured out that I hear it on the left side near the CVT, then I bounced the bike while keeping the center stand away from the frame, and the sound was gone. I let center stand back and bounced, and the grinding was back again. Repeated about 4 times to make sure and yep that's all it was! Seems like that little wheel and its nut PREFERS being loose and about to fall off.

I'm so glad that's all it was. One more question! My front tire for at least a year now has been making a humming sound that increases in pitch as I go faster. It's still the original tire and I'm at 15,000 miles. It sounds obvious that it probably needs replaced, but the tire doesn't really look all that bad? What's the humming mean?

[hobbles]

Evening rosiemoto,

"One is the front end feels loose and is rocking/vibrating back and forth a little when I hit the brakes"


1st.
Check this nut to see if it's tight.




2nd.
Then make sure this nut and bolt is tight. On this one my handle bars were crooked so I had to replaced it with one that wasn't so thick.






This just shows you what is under it all, Don't pay any attention to my babbling.

clicky

[cyborg]

15000 miles out of a scooter tire!!!!? How you do dat???

[rosiemoto]

Hobbles,

Thanks for the pictures! Mine seems to be a little different than yours and the one I saw on YouTube by Rolling Wrench. I'm not sure how to proceed... I don't have any wrenches that big. A video said use a spanner wrench, but I don't know the first thing about those, what size to get, etc.





I'm assuming I'd loosen the top nut, then tighten that huge white one, then tighten the top nut back to it?

[cyborg]

You need to get the front end up in the air securely,,then with the wheel pointing straight ahead you need to grasp the wheel/ tire and pull it forward or back,,,if you feel "play" or clicking the steering stem is loose,,,then yes you need two wrenches one for the top lock nut and one for the adjuster nut which is on the bottom,,,DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN the bottom nut,,,it will make the steering feel heavy and slow and will not be good for the bearings ,,,just snug up that lower nut till you feel no more play with the swept travel of the steering lock to lock feels fluid and smooth,,, then hold the bottom nut with your wrench so it won't move and tighten brown the lock nut,,,,then you be done

[jaxrhapsody]

Jun 19, 2016 18:50:58 GMT -6 rosiemoto said:

Hobbles,

Thanks for the pictures! Mine seems to be a little different than yours and the one I saw on YouTube by Rolling Wrench. I'm not sure how to proceed... I don't have any wrenches that big. A video said use a spanner wrench, but I don't know the first thing about those, what size to get, etc.





I'm assuming I'd loosen the top nut, then tighten that huge white one, then tighten the top nut back to it?

If you are aware of a motorcycle shop, or a bicycle co-op, you might be able to have that spanner nut tightened(free at the co-op, probably).

[rosiemoto]

Jun 19, 2016 19:52:59 GMT -6 jaxrhapsody said:

If you are aware of a motorcycle shop, or a bicycle co-op, you might be able to have that spanner nut tightened(free at the co-op, probably).

Hey that's cool! Thanks, I might just try that since I don't have the tools. So I could just take the bike apart and they spend 10 seconds tightening the nuts and bam!

[rosiemoto]

Yeah Cyborg, I think it has that play. I definitely get it when doing the front brake.

Do I have the procedure right in this picture?

[cyborg]

Yep

[richardv]

If you don't have a wrench big enough a large slip joint pliers will work on the larger, bottom, nut and maybe even the smaller lock nut. It can be used for many other things as well so, it' can be a good investment.
A medium pipe wrench would work to and then you could do some plumbing repairs.

[rosiemoto]

Thanks everyone!