Is this normal?

[that1mexguy]

Please forgive my ignorance but since this is my 1st bike ever, I am pretty clueless when it comes to what is normal and what is not so I figured I ask the experts. I was washing the bike today and when I was moving the bike and turning the handle bars left to right or viceversa, I noticed the front of it slides from side to side just a bit and I am not sure if this is normal or not. I attached some pics for you guys to check it out and tell me. I had not noticed this before and I just got the bike back from its initial 600 mile service so I want to make sure they didn't mess anything up, thanks guys!

This is a front pic

Here there is a small gap

Here there is no gap when I move the handle bars to the opposite position

Same as above, opposite side

And after rotating the handle bars

[Louis]

I'm no expert but I do no think it would be normal.

Anyone else would care to jump in?

[enjoyIT]

NO it is not your front tire is loose and sliding from side to side NOT GOOD !
mine did that to your axle is loose
Just loosen the 10mil pinch bolt and tighten the axle shaft then tighten the pinch bolt back up !
simpal and easy !

[that1mexguy]

Ok now I'm puzzled even more, I read your replies above and I was checking out some of the other threads in the forum and was looking at BlaznBlu50's thread where he got some flames on his bike and his 1st pic caught my attention... I'm attaching it below (BlaznBlu please dont get mad at me, it's only for research purposes only - btw, ur bike looks bad @zz!) and if you guys look up close, he seems to have the same gap that I show above (where the axle goes - right side). Unfortunately I am only able to see one of his sides but still.... can you see why I'm confused? This is really bugging me cause it may interfere with my riding time!

http://www.motorcycle-journal.com/fo...0&d=1146272814

[Danr]

Originally Posted by that1mexguy

Ok now I'm puzzled even more, I read your replies above and I was checking out some of the other threads in the forum and was looking at BlaznBlu50's thread where he got some flames on his bike and his 1st pic caught my attention... I'm attaching it below (BlaznBlu please dont get mad at me, it's only for research purposes only - btw, ur bike looks bad @zz!) and if you guys look up close, he seems to have the same gap that I show above (where the axle goes - right side). Unfortunately I am only able to see one of his sides but still.... can you see why I'm confused? This is really bugging me cause it may interfere with my riding time!

http://www.motorcycle-journal.com/fo...0&d=1146272814

What you are looking at on this link is normal the axle is machined down but it is not a space as it appears. But your left side looking at your picture is NOT normal, No way should the tire slide back and forth. Don't ride it until you tighten up the axle bolt.

Loosen the pinch bolt # 6 in picture, tighten the axle bolt # 5 to 47 ft lbs, then tighten the pinch bolt to 24 ft lbs. If that doesn't eliminate the space then you have another problem. BTW don't mess with it unless you have a torque wrench and the proper sockets.

[djump]

Holy flipping bat cr*p! I'd freek if I was that on my bike. Take her back to your dealer and tell him that your bike has a dangerous fault and get him to fix it!
Sorry but that is really not normal!

[that1mexguy]

Yeah i called the dealer and this weekend they are going to let me borrow a trailer to tow it back so they can check it out and fix it. What freaks me out is that I've been riding all my 700 miles like this i could probably just ride the 10 miles to the shop but my luck, it will probably fall apart then.

[Danr]

Originally Posted by that1mexguy

Yeah i called the dealer and this weekend they are going to let me borrow a trailer to tow it back so they can check it out and fix it. What freaks me out is that I've been riding all my 700 miles like this i could probably just ride the 10 miles to the shop but my luck, it will probably fall apart then.

Tell them you want the bearings checked out too, and if the front tire shows an abnormal wear pattern then demand a NEW one.

You are being to nice to them, I would have had them pick it up. When they assembled the bike they screwed up and as a result let your rear end swing in the breeze so to speak. .

[that1mexguy]

well check this out... i havent done anything to it, and i was trying to show my neighbor and it just so happens that it wont do it anymore!! i was like wtf, i cant get it to do it anymore and my neighbor thinks i'm crazy LOL. Should i still take it to the dealership? I took the bike out for a spin around my subdivision and back to my garage... nothing, as if nothing ever happened... i'm a bit puzzled here

[outlaw]

i was looking at mine today and it looks like your missing a spacer on the left side of the bike. the spacer i have is about the size of your gap. looks like the dealer failed to install a part.

[Danr]

Originally Posted by that1mexguy

well check this out... i havent done anything to it, and i was trying to show my neighbor and it just so happens that it wont do it anymore!! i was like wtf, i cant get it to do it anymore and my neighbor thinks i'm crazy LOL. Should i still take it to the dealership? I took the bike out for a spin around my subdivision and back to my garage... nothing, as if nothing ever happened... i'm a bit puzzled here

YES !

[outlaw]

they need to replace that front axle, bearings and maybe even the forks, depending on the amount of "slop"

[that1mexguy]

alright guys, i'll take it in tomorrow! LOL thanks!!!

[VolCntry]

Mex,

You could always take the pictures in just in case they don't believe you.

[Clint]

I'm trying to figure out why they'd have had the axle out for a 600 mile service.

[that1mexguy]

Originally Posted by VolCntry

Mex,

You could always take the pictures in just in case they don't believe you.

yea i thought of that too, i just downloaded them to my phone so i can show them, im about to go, hopefully i can get this fixed today, i dont want to go another weekend without riding!

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

I'm trying to figure out why they'd have had the axle out for a 600 mile service.

I dont think they did, they say they dont which freaks me out because that means I've been riding like this all the time

[that1mexguy]

I didnt have to take it to the shop, i went there and looked at one of their M50s and i pointed it out to them, showed them pics in my phone and they said they would have someone pick it up next week, i am a Gemini and my evil twin snapped so i showed my bad side and they sent a guy to my house to get it fixed... it turns out i was not missing a spacer, the bold on the left side was loose and after tighting it up the spacer now shows (it was so loose it seemed there was no spacer, but it was there, hidden). So now it's all good and the guys at the dealer were actually pretty nice even though i wasnt.... so yeah, i went riding for a while and everything seems back to normal, thanks guys!

[Danr]

Originally Posted by that1mexguy

I didnt have to take it to the shop, i went there and looked at one of their M50s and i pointed it out to them, showed them pics in my phone and they said they would have someone pick it up next week, i am a Gemini and my evil twin snapped so i showed my bad side and they sent a guy to my house to get it fixed... it turns out i was not missing a spacer, the bold on the left side was loose and after tighting it up the spacer now shows (it was so loose it seemed there was no spacer, but it was there, hidden). So now it's all good and the guys at the dealer were actually pretty nice even though i wasnt.... so yeah, i went riding for a while and everything seems back to normal, thanks guys!

Like I said earlier it was your A*s swinging in the breeze, so don't be apologetic about it, but give them Kudos for fixing it.

[Everett Keith]

Who was the dealer?????

[yukaputz]

HOLY SHMOLY. I'm going out to check mine now.