I have a 5th Gen 2000 model, when i am travelling up to about 40 mph my bike wallows from side to side and when I start going faster the problem disappears, could it be anything to do with the head bearings or has anyone experienced this or know what the problem is, I should add I have had the bike about 6 months now and it has only started behaving like this.
yes it could be some head bearings that need to be replaced. how many miles are on your bike? have you checked tire pressures? what condition are your tires in? there is a somewhat easy way to check your head bearings. pit the bike on the center stand and get the front tire in the air. either put a sandbag over the rear tire or have someone sit on it. grab the tire and turn the forks slowly to see if there is a flat spot or a spot where it feels like the it wants to stick. if you feel this or anything other than a perfectly smooth friction free turn while turning the forks you will more than likely find you need to replace them.
Do your tires happen to be Conti Road Attacks? those tires are known for creating the head shake at low speeds. if not, then yes it sounds like the bearings need to be replaced like Meatloaf said.
I have just fitted new bridgestones and my pressures are correct, I will try the test tomorrow and check my head bearings, Thanks
Logic says if something new is happening immediately after a change to something new, then whatever was changed would be the first culprit to rule out. Especially if it goes away when under or over a certain speed I would suspect a bad balance. If you did them yourself, double check your balance. If you had a shop do it, go talk to the shop and explain what is going on. Perhaps a weight didn't stay on very well and fell off on the way home, someone read the balance machine incorrectly, or grabbed the wrong weight. If they are hesitant to check, as them if they will do it if you just bring in the tires provided you have the tools to remove them. Any shop should treat this as a serious safety issue and be more than happy to give you five minutes of their time to make the customer happy, safe, and prevent a possible lawsuit. I'd still check the head bearings just to peace of mind considering it is free and easy.
My bike has done 34,000 miles and there is no mention in the service history of the bearings ever being replaced, A local garage is going to check these in the morning thanks
