Sidecar Flip
Living Legend
The Rocket frame/headstock geometry is such that the angle of the headstock in relation to the centerline of the front axle allows for more trail than sport bikes and thus slower, heavier steering. Most touring type bikes are built that way.
You don't want quick responsive steering because the bike isn't meant to be a corner carver. It will, but it takes effort on the handlebars.
It's imperative that the headstock bearings are set within Triumph Specification as outlined in the shop manual.
One thing that all manufacturers have done is eliminate the alemite fittings on the headstock and just apply a little grease to the races prior to assembly. A problem arises when you wash the bike. The seals (especially the top seal) is little more than a dust excluder. When you wash the bike, water gets under the seal and into the upper bearing and causes rust, the bearing looses it's pre-load (as specified in the shop manual) and the headstock races get loose.
Loose headstock bearings will cause head shake or what you feel as vibration and that can be amplified by incorrect tire pressure, a worn or cupped tire or even the wind passing over the front of the bike at speed.
First thing I'd check is tire pressure.
Then I'd inspect the tire for uneven wear (under inflated tires will cup and that adds to the problem). If the tire is inflated to specification and not showing uneven wear, the next thing to check is the pre-load on the headstock bearings
You need to get the weight off the front end (My Paddock Stand works well for that...a little shameless plug...
)... Get the weight off the front end, preferably with the front suspension fully extended and the front wheel off the ground and center the handlebars.
Then, with your finger and just your finger, lightly push the bar either left or right. Do the front forks swing to either side with no apparent resistance?
If they do, there is no pre-load.
Do they move to a point somewhere between centered and full lock and stop before they reach the full lock stop?
If so, the headstock bearings are either flat spotted or corroded from moisture and you'll need to disassemble the headstock and inspect or replace/repack the bearings with a good quality water resistant bearing grease. My suggestion is adding alemite fittings (one upper and one lower) at this time. You'll have the front end removed anyway and it's a simple matter to drill and tap the headstock for fittings and then maintaining the bearings is simply a matter of keeping the headstock greased.
If, the handlebars don't move to either side with light pressure but do move smoothly when you move them with additional force, then the headstock is pre-loaded properly. The effort to move the bars is called starting torque. The procedure in the shop manual explains the proper procedure for setting the starting torque to specification.
Headstock bearings flat spot from riding mostly in a straight line (like freeway riding) with little side-to-side handlebar movement. remember, all the road shock you feel, that isn't absorbed by the suspension, is transmitted directly to the frame via the headstock and through the bearings.
Probably the one thing (besides the battery) that's the most neglected item on a bike is the steering head (or headstock) bearings. No preload or corroded bearings cause what appears to be other problems like vibration, handlebar shake, poor tire wear and high speed instability, when it can all be traced to the upper and lower bearings in the steering head.
Every time you was the bike, you spray water around the headstock and the seals are only marginally effective at keeping it out.
Check the bearings before anything else.
I read a lot of posts on here about poor handling and tire wear and most of them lead right back to the bearing sets in the steering head.
Pigger might want to sticky this. If anyone requires it, I can note the procrdure from the shop manual for setting the pre-load and inspecting the bearings.
You don't want quick responsive steering because the bike isn't meant to be a corner carver. It will, but it takes effort on the handlebars.
It's imperative that the headstock bearings are set within Triumph Specification as outlined in the shop manual.
One thing that all manufacturers have done is eliminate the alemite fittings on the headstock and just apply a little grease to the races prior to assembly. A problem arises when you wash the bike. The seals (especially the top seal) is little more than a dust excluder. When you wash the bike, water gets under the seal and into the upper bearing and causes rust, the bearing looses it's pre-load (as specified in the shop manual) and the headstock races get loose.
Loose headstock bearings will cause head shake or what you feel as vibration and that can be amplified by incorrect tire pressure, a worn or cupped tire or even the wind passing over the front of the bike at speed.
First thing I'd check is tire pressure.
Then I'd inspect the tire for uneven wear (under inflated tires will cup and that adds to the problem). If the tire is inflated to specification and not showing uneven wear, the next thing to check is the pre-load on the headstock bearings
You need to get the weight off the front end (My Paddock Stand works well for that...a little shameless plug...
)... Get the weight off the front end, preferably with the front suspension fully extended and the front wheel off the ground and center the handlebars. Then, with your finger and just your finger, lightly push the bar either left or right. Do the front forks swing to either side with no apparent resistance?
If they do, there is no pre-load.
Do they move to a point somewhere between centered and full lock and stop before they reach the full lock stop?
If so, the headstock bearings are either flat spotted or corroded from moisture and you'll need to disassemble the headstock and inspect or replace/repack the bearings with a good quality water resistant bearing grease. My suggestion is adding alemite fittings (one upper and one lower) at this time. You'll have the front end removed anyway and it's a simple matter to drill and tap the headstock for fittings and then maintaining the bearings is simply a matter of keeping the headstock greased.
If, the handlebars don't move to either side with light pressure but do move smoothly when you move them with additional force, then the headstock is pre-loaded properly. The effort to move the bars is called starting torque. The procedure in the shop manual explains the proper procedure for setting the starting torque to specification.
Headstock bearings flat spot from riding mostly in a straight line (like freeway riding) with little side-to-side handlebar movement. remember, all the road shock you feel, that isn't absorbed by the suspension, is transmitted directly to the frame via the headstock and through the bearings.
Probably the one thing (besides the battery) that's the most neglected item on a bike is the steering head (or headstock) bearings. No preload or corroded bearings cause what appears to be other problems like vibration, handlebar shake, poor tire wear and high speed instability, when it can all be traced to the upper and lower bearings in the steering head.
Every time you was the bike, you spray water around the headstock and the seals are only marginally effective at keeping it out.
Check the bearings before anything else.
I read a lot of posts on here about poor handling and tire wear and most of them lead right back to the bearing sets in the steering head.
Pigger might want to sticky this. If anyone requires it, I can note the procrdure from the shop manual for setting the pre-load and inspecting the bearings.
