Boxerworks.com

SALTYFRIES, "I'm not sure what I wrote to imply otherwise. "

You didn't imply it, I inferred it from your "I found excellent instruction at the link below. " and how totally different it is from the articles on my site related to forks, alignment and such.

To learn something about high speed wobbles, go to http://w6rec.com/duane/bmw/wobbles.htm

Since that article is for the same year that you have, at least the parts should be the same. For any other year, you would run into differences that would be a bit confusing. From that article, one can't see or know what isn't there and just about every important aspect is ignored. The author didn't even get the nomenclature of the parts correct.

For any person to consider that article to be useful, just shows that they don't yet have the required understanding to consider doing the procedure.

The really good thing that you did was to ask here first. THAT article is so bad that it should be pulled from the Internet. Even BMW didn't know what to do about the spate of high speed wobbles occurring all around the world that were causing serious injury and death.

Read about the politics of the time here http://w6rec.com/duane/bmw/citybike.htm

I guess what I should have written is "I found CLEAR instructions". I did read your article about "wobbles" before I wrote my post, and it's why I asked the question about doing the procedure. Your article stated that: "The BMW spec was .004" and so it was very close. We had been aligning forks for about a year to .002", but we had never suspected that such a small error could cause such a wild wobble. We changed our previous spec to .001" or better." As a machinist, whenever I see a tolerance of .001 on an assembly, I take it seriously, and it didn't quite "square" with the "bounce the front end several times to center everything" method recommended in the Motorcycle Classics article. As I said, I've been doing a lot of reading all over the place over the past couple of weeks on all sorts of subjects related to airheads and because the bearing only became an issue after the lock, I missed your other writings on the subject of steering bearings and wobble. Anyway, I'm sorry if it rubbed you the wrong way...I will go back and read some more.

Duane Ausherman wrote:
The really good thing that you did was to ask here first.

Hang on, wait a minute. Salty did exactly what you always suggest, use google to find the answer before asking on Boxerworks? And he found less than ideal information via the link he posted.
Your website is not the centre of the universal joint, and will not always come up first in line in a google search.
Most other curmudgeons on Boxerworks suggest asking here first.

SALTYFRIES wrote:I guess what I should have written is "I found CLEAR instructions". I did read your article about "wobbles" before I wrote my post, and it's why I asked the question about doing the procedure. Your article stated that: "The BMW spec was .004" and so it was very close. We had been aligning forks for about a year to .002", but we had never suspected that such a small error could cause such a wild wobble. We changed our previous spec to .001" or better." As a machinist, whenever I see a tolerance of .001 on an assembly, I take it seriously, and it didn't quite "square" with the "bounce the front end several times to center everything" method recommended in the Motorcycle Classics article. As I said, I've been doing a lot of reading all over the place over the past couple of weeks on all sorts of subjects related to airheads and because the bearing only became an issue after the lock, I missed your other writings on the subject of steering bearings and wobble. Anyway, I'm sorry if it rubbed you the wrong way...I will go back and read some more.

I wasn't "rubbed the wrong way" at all. I am so concerned about the risk of wobbles that I get excited.

BMW not only recommended "bounce the front end several times to center everything" but they also did it that way on the assembly line. I watched it. They also ran bikes on rollers at high speeds. That could test shifting and brakes, but it revealed nothing for wobbles. There was no wind in the equation, so it wouldn't do anything.

ME 109 wrote:

Duane Ausherman wrote:
The really good thing that you did was to ask here first.

Hang on, wait a minute. Salty did exactly what you always suggest, use google to find the answer before asking on Boxerworks? And he found less than ideal information via the link he posted.
Your website is not the centre of the universal joint, and will not always come up first in line in a google search.
Most other curmudgeons on Boxerworks suggest asking here first.

Yeah! I'm one of those curmudgeons! Duane and I have frowned at each other in the past on this point.

And while I'm at it, despite Duane's protestations, I still maintain that the principle of counter steering is a valuable principle to be used when teaching motorcycle riding.

There's got to be more things that I disagree with Duane on (other than politics) but I can't remember what they are right now.

Ken

Ken in Oklahoma wrote:

ME 109 wrote:

Duane Ausherman wrote:
The really good thing that you did was to ask here first.

Hang on, wait a minute. Salty did exactly what you always suggest, use google to find the answer before asking on Boxerworks? And he found less than ideal information via the link he posted.
Your website is not the centre of the universal joint, and will not always come up first in line in a google search.
Most other curmudgeons on Boxerworks suggest asking here first.

Yeah! I'm one of those curmudgeons! Duane and I have frowned at each other in the past on this point.

And while I'm at it, despite Duane's protestations, I still maintain that the principle of counter steering is a valuable principle to be used when teaching motorcycle riding.

There's got to be more things that I disagree with Duane on (other than politics) but I can't remember what they are right now.

Ken

COUNTERSTEERING!!!

Let's also use this n00b thread to settle the great oil and tire controversies!

Saltyfries, welcome to Boxerworks. We may go off on some tangents here, but perhaps they are necessary.

Salty, we get bored easily, so we specialize in tangents. Degrading a thread is an art form here.

Just know that we will always give you an answer, even if we have to make it up.

I can't remember the arguments about counter steering. But, ride one hand, push handle bars left to steer to the right.
Where's the argument in that?
And, Aus has the best airhead oil. Penrite HPR 30. 1660 ppm zinc in a 20/60 grade. Good for 8,000 rpm!
And, my original 285,000 k cam and followers prove it.
And, pilot activ rear with a lasertec front is the best combination for valve cover machining and off road use.

Duane Ausherman wrote:Salty, we get bored easily, so we specialize in tangents. Degrading a thread is an art form here.
Just know that we will always give you an answer, even if we have to make it up.

Uh, strictly speaking, Duane, aren't ALL answers made up? Somewhere, sometime, by somebody?

Except, of course, answers of a religious nature?

Ken

Ken, I love your posts, as they always put a smile on my face.