head shake?

[crkid]

i'm riding a 2001 CR250 and we have some trails that are wide open and just rolling hills, problem is as soon as i reach about half throttle in 4th the front end gets out of control and wobbles around. i've tried keeping my weight to the back to lighten up the front and messing with the suspension but to no avail. i was gonna get a steering damper but am low on funds right now. does anyone have any suggestions cause i don't want to eat it in 4th.:p

 

[yzeater]

I know what you're talking about. I just hold on tight and open the throttle even more. I rode an xr400 right after doing some wfo stuff on my cr. It was amazing!! Almost no headshake at 65 mph. If I were you, I'd get the damper or just live with it.

 

[High Lord Gomer]

The first thing I would do is check to make sure that nothing is loose and wobbling. Check that the steering stem is properly tightened, that the pinch bolts are snug on the axel, and that there isn't any play in the wheel bearings (by trying to move the top of the tire side to side).

Also, dropping the forks to their lowest acceptable level in the triple clamps might give it a little more high speed stability.

If you don't find anything loose, I'd check with the guys in the Suspension forum to make sure that what you're trying with the suspension would help rather than hurt. I'd like to help, but I don't know enough to even start.

 

[Saratoga]

Lighten or speed up the rebound. This lets the forks extend and helps reduce headshake. Also with the bike on a stand, adjust the steering head so that it is tight without causing any binding. The steering head should have just enough freeplay to rotate to the side yet enough resistance so that they do not just flop over. Finally extend the fork legs down as noted above.

If this doesnt do it then maybe firmer springs will help. I got so scared with Honda headshake that I went to a dampner.

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

I ride KTM and went with a damper myself. Before I did I tried several things and the one that seemed to help the most was setting my rear sag and my shock settings. I think in my case the rear end was hopping around so much I was riding more on my front wheel and it was taking all the deflection. Sounds crazy I agree but it did make a big improvment.

 

[agitt73]

YOU THINK YOUR HEADSHAKE
TRY KDX'S

 

[motojunkie]

I agree with Jeff Gilbert on this. Sag is the most important adjustment on your bike. Try thing in this order:

1. Set sag - test ride, if it helps, then play with your clickers. Jeremy Wilkey has a good tuning guide on his website. www.mx-tech.com

2. Set forks as low in the triple clamps as you can. This is usually flush. If you do this, double check your sag.

3. Tighten your steering stem. Saratoga gave good advice on this - don't make it too tight.

4. Talk to an experienced suspension tuner. They may be able to give you some pointers. Our own suspension forum is a great place for this.

5. If needed re-spring/re-valve your suspension. Use a reputable suspension builder, not some shadetree mechanic.

6. Add a dampener. Dampeners should be a last resort. Your bike should handle fine with a good suspension set-up. Dampeners don't fix the problem they just cover it up.

Good luck, I hope this helps.

 

[motojunkie]

I forgot to include - if you didn't know always set your sag with all of your riding gear on. Riding gear adds 20-25 lbs, which will greatly affect your adjustment.

 

[wizard69]

20-25lbs? what weighs so much?
I thought it was maby 10lbs boy was I wrong.

 

[motojunkie]

I thought about 10 also. A buddy of mine just weighed himself with gear on before having his suspension done, and it added 20lbs. He said his tech 8's weighed close to 5 lbs each!:mad:

 

[wizard69]

thats weird it doesn't feel like that much.
anyone know about how much baggy shift pants weight?
last time I weighted myself I was wearing them but didn't think to add any.

 

[MX823]

A simple often over looked item is front tire pressure, make sure it is properly inflated. An underinflated tire may give some head shake.

 

[Boozer]

i noticed my bike developed some headshake when i fitted a heavy duty front tube.

 

[crkid]

i slowed my rebound and set up my suspension to what i thought would help, however, bad weather has prevented me from testing. thanks for the tips guys.