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Old 11th October 2010, 16:41   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aargee View Post
Hmmm...quite interesting; I'd like to see this issue, if you're willing to.


Same wheel truving shop, but remember...
1. He should be a member of motor wheel balancing association (there's one in Chennai)
2. Most importantly, he should be a person who knows how to work with alloy wheels; he shouldn't experiment. So start enquiring this with local mechanic or garages & they should guide you to the right person. State as if you're asking for a different vehicle otherwise, the mechanics will ask you to bring the vehicle to them for inspection.
3. Last but not the least, show this issue to 4-5 independent mechanics & take their opinion as what needs to be fixed & finally take a call.


Can't really say
Can wheel truving be done for alloy cast wheels?Because AFAIK truving is carried out on spoke wheels by rotating them on a stand and adjusting them.Why i am asking this is because the alloys are very rigid.They will crack or break under high impact but will not bend(atleast the bike alloys).And i ride 80% on highways(Bangalore-Mysore highway which has very good road surface) daily the 20% city part contains few pot holed roads thats very normal in any city.
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Old 12th October 2010, 12:59   #17
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@Sagar - That's why I said, give it to the person who knows the job. Yes, it CAN BE done on alloys; I've personally heard (not seen) from my regular wheel truving guy who said he fixes alloys which is difficult & takes upto a day for him, but for rims, he does in couple of hours.

Also I've noticed a common issue of bends with FZ's rear allow wheel where people have fixed it with Y.A.S.S.
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Old 12th October 2010, 17:49   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aargee View Post
@Sagar - That's why I said, give it to the person who knows the job. Yes, it CAN BE done on alloys; I've personally heard (not seen) from my regular wheel truving guy who said he fixes alloys which is difficult & takes upto a day for him, but for rims, he does in couple of hours.

Also I've noticed a common issue of bends with FZ's rear allow wheel where people have fixed it with Y.A.S.S.

Tomorrow i am leaving my bike the the service center and will ask them to thoroughly check all the causes for wobbling.Will update on the outcome
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Old 13th October 2010, 10:35   #19
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UPDATE: Took the bike to service center today.The front tire is responsible for the wobbling.The tire is wobbling nearly half a centimeter along the center groove when rotated.There are no bends in the alloy,both front and rear.The SA also said that i will be having wobbling at 50-60 kph speed which is exactly what i am experiencing.According to him,i would have to change the tire.

Also the cone set is a bit weak.He came to know that just by turning the handle bar subtly.Wheel bearings are fine since the front wheel is rotating smoothly.
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Old 13th October 2010, 11:06   #20
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Good to see your issues getting solved @Sagar; things were much simpler than what we'd discussed here. Do not think twice, replace the cone set even though its little expensive; leave the ride at A.S.S only so that they hammer the stuff underneath the fork properly. Do not take chances with local garages.
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Old 13th October 2010, 12:54   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sagarpadaki View Post
The front tire is responsible for the wobbling.
Also the cone set is a bit weak.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aargee View Post
Do not think twice, replace the cone set even though its little expensive; leave the ride at A.S.S only so that they hammer the stuff underneath the fork properly. Do not take chances with local garages.
What type / make of tyre are going for now? Please post the bikes behaviour after the new tyre.

As regards replacing the cone set, I agree with aargee. Should be less than Rs. 500, I think.
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Old 13th October 2010, 12:57   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vrprabhu View Post
What type / make of tyre are going for now? Please post the bikes behaviour after the new tyre.

As regards replacing the cone set, I agree with aargee. Should be less than Rs. 500, I think.

Yes the service center also told it would cost around 500-600 rupees including labor.

About tires,even i am in a fix.I don't want to go with MRF again because they are very hard compound and don't offer good grip.Have started a new thread for the same.Here

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...ns-please.html

Which ones do you suggest?Please give your suggestions there.
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Old 23rd October 2010, 23:30   #23
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First make sure that your tyres are not problematic.

Next, check the rims for any damage(like bend.)

Also check the swingarm bushes.
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Old 11th November 2010, 10:51   #24
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As if it was waiting to happen, it has happened.

I'm not able to ride between 50-70 kmph on my P180 UG3. The front end wobbles crazily and it has increased the last 2 days.

There is also a click sound near the triple clamp when I brake hard.

It happened a month before but it was not intense. I took it to the usual service center (Castrol Bike Zone) and he adjusted the steering and re-fit the front wheel.

It was gone for a few days but now it's back and worse than before.

Last evening, I took it to an independent mechanic nearby.

He checked the tyre and found no signs of uneven wear and ruled out tyre issues. I'm riding on Zapper FY - 80/90 x 17.

He rode and found told me the following would solve the problem.

- Replace the bearings in the cone.
- Re-cycle the Fork oil.
- Check and tighten the joints around the triple clamp.
- Adjust the steering

I'm also contemplating on replacing the handle bar.

Any other pointers and things that I should check
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Old 11th November 2010, 11:29   #25
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para_7k,

There is also a click sound near the triple clamp when I brake hard.
It means that the steering race / alignment with the steering stem is gone.


It happened a month before but it was not intense. I took it to the usual service center (Castrol Bike Zone) and he adjusted the steering and re-fit the front wheel.
No matter how hard one tries, steering cone can't be adjusted. If the cone set and bearings are worn, it is better to be replaced. Adjustment usually makes it worse - because by tightening the collar, you are only restricting the free movement and putting more pressure on the joints!!


He checked the tyre and found no signs of uneven wear and ruled out tyre issues. I'm riding on Zapper FY - 80/90 x 17.
How old is the tyre? How many kms has it run? Have you checked the tube? Is it perfectly round? If the tube is slightly oval or out of shape, wobbling will occur.


Re-cycle the Fork oil.
Please don't. The best thing is to remove the forks, clean them, put on new oil seals and use FRESH oil. Fork Oil is a special type, designed to foam less (because of the constant churning it undergoes), and over a period of time loses its ability to dampen. Better replace the oil if you have done more than 25000 kms or the oil is more than 2 years old.


Check and tighten the joints around the triple clamp.
For servicing the steering cone, the triple clamp has to be removed. Ensure that this is done professionally (that is, no hammering)


I'm also contemplating on replacing the handle bar.
Don't think it'll be needed, unless you had a fall and the handle bar is bent.


Any other pointers and things that I should check.
Find out the present status of sagar's bike.....
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Old 11th November 2010, 11:39   #26
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Quote:
para_7k,

There is also a click sound near the triple clamp when I brake hard.
It means that the steering race / alignment with the steering stem is gone.


It happened a month before but it was not intense. I took it to the usual service center (Castrol Bike Zone) and he adjusted the steering and re-fit the front wheel.
No matter how hard one tries, steering cone can't be adjusted. If the cone set and bearings are worn, it is better to be replaced. Adjustment usually makes it worse - because by tightening the collar, you are only restricting the free movement and putting more pressure on the joints!!
Thanks! I will keep these in mind.

Quote:
How old is the tyre? How many kms has it run? Have you checked the tube? Is it perfectly round? If the tube is slightly oval or out of shape, wobbling will occur.
It is a tubeless tyre about 6000 kms old and the rim is perfect. These are already ruled out.

Quote:

Re-cycle the Fork oil.
Please don't. The best thing is to remove the forks, clean them, put on new oil seals and use FRESH oil.
Sorry, I did mean replace the oil.

Quote:
Check and tighten the joints around the triple clamp.
For servicing the steering cone, the triple clamp has to be removed. Ensure that this is done professionally (that is, no hammering)
Thanks. I'm getting everything done in my presence.

Quote:

I'm also contemplating on replacing the handle bar.
Don't think it'll be needed, unless you had a fall and the handle bar is bent.
I had a nasty fall 1.5 years back and when I got everything repaired, the Service center told me handle bar was good.

I have been having a slight doubts on it. This time I'm going to get it checked and replaced if needed.

Thanks for the inputs Prabhu
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Old 16th November 2014, 20:58   #27
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TVS Apache - Wobbly handlebar

I have been facing this issue of a wobbly front end in my December 2011 model TVS Apache RTR 160 for the past 5 months. I have tried a lot of things to fix the issue, but to no avail. The vehicle had done about 13.5K KMs when the problem surfaced.

The wobble occurs at all speeds (right from the word go), but it is very much pronounced above 50 KMPH. It's almost as if the handlebar has a mind of its own!

Here's the exact history of the fixes tried and parts changed (based on recommendations in other threads for similar problems):

1) Changed tyres in June from the stock TVS ones to MRFs (thinking the poor grip from the TVSs could be a reason). The front was changed to Zapper FS (90/90 17 - same as stock) and the rear to Zapper Y (100/90 18 from the stock 100/80 18). The original tyres were tubed; the MRFs are tubeless. The dealer put in special valves on the rims for accommodating tubeless tyres.

Grip improved a little, but the problem persisted.

2) Changed the steering cone set a few days later. Asked the ASC to check front forks, they claimed it to be fine.

3) Changed the wheel bearings on both wheels during the last week of August.

4) Came to know that wheel imbalance could also create wobble. Since I had done a tube to tubeless conversion and since a special valve was fitted, felt it could have created an imbalance. Hence, after a prolonged search for a store that could balance motorcycle wheels (there are only 2 such stores in Chennai, but only one had the equipment ready), got it done during the 2nd week of September. There was a huge imbalance on the front wheel (40 grams) and a small one on the rear (15 grams).

Problem did not go away.

5) Came to know that tubeless tyres require special beading on the rim and tyres could slip in the absence of this beading. Since I was not sure if my rims had those, put in tubes in October. Removed the wheel weights as I had reverted to the initial setup (tubed tyres).

6) Since the tyre change in June, I have tried different pressures ranging from 22-28 for the front and 28-35 for the rear (dealer suggested 30 for the front and 40 for the rear, but I felt it was way too much). But tyre pressures also don't seem to be a cause for the problem.

The bike has done around 15K KMs now. But for this issue, the vehicle has otherwise been very kind to me. It is serviced regularly (every 3 months), and I try as much as possible to keep it in top shape. However, this particular problem is too unnerving, especially since I use it to commute to office in heavy traffic everyday. I had almost decided to exchange it for a new two wheeler (preferably a scooter), but have an emotional attachment to it as it is the first "big purchase" since I started earning, and as a result do not want to let go of it this soon.

I would love to hear from the experts on this. I am ready to do anything to get my bike back to its initial glory!

Mods: A similar thread exists for a Pulsar, but since it's a different bike, thought of creating a new one. Please merge to that thread or any other thread if required.
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Old 17th November 2014, 09:45   #28
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Re: TVS Apache - Wobbly handlebar

check your swing arm bushes. if you have access to a service manual, use a torque wrench to tighten the swing arm axle to the correct torque.

Last edited by GTO : 17th November 2014 at 17:39. Reason: Typo
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Old 17th November 2014, 13:58   #29
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Re: TVS Apache - Wobbly handlebar

Check for a independent mechanic who is good. Need not be a TVS specialist but in general a good mechanic. Service centers do not spare time to do in depth analysis of the problem. They are least interested.

And tyres , be it tube or tubeless, do not cause wobble. I have converted from tube to tubeless with the tubeless neck and i have faced no problems with wobbling.

Cone set would usually be the main culprit but you have got it changed. Check the swing arm bushes . Worn out or broken bushes also cause wobble.

Before all that find a competent mechanic.
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Old 17th November 2014, 19:27   #30
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Re: Wobbling Handle Bar

Quote:
Originally Posted by the_trooper View Post
check your swing arm bushes
Thanks trooper! I will get it checked. Also, can this influence the wobble in the handlebar?
Quote:
Originally Posted by sagarpadaki View Post
Check for a independent mechanic who is good.
Thanks sagarpadaki! I have been skeptical about taking my bike to independent mechanics (have never got it serviced/repaired anywhere outside of ASCs). However, this time I will try to find a good mechanic.
Quote:
And tyres , be it tube or tubeless, do not cause wobble.
Phew, that is relieving! Have been largely suspecting the tyres ever since I changed them.
Quote:
Check the swing arm bushes . Worn out or broken bushes also cause wobble.
I will check this too.
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