Steering and bucking questions...

[musicweb]

Hope everyone had a good summer!

My V has been running fine except for bucking or
missing around 50mph. Before and after that speed
she runs fine. It's like someone is pulling on me
from behind...

Another problem is the steering bearing adjustment.
I had replaced them with tapered ones when I first
got it back in 2008.
Any input on how to properly adjust them?
What I do now is loosen the triple bolt, loosen
the fork clamps, then check for play by pulling
and pushing on the forks. When I get to the point
where there is no play, I tighten the triple bolt first,
then the fork clamps.
Take it for a ride and it feels very loose...
If I try to tighten a bit, it feels tight and doesn't
steer right....
Maybe new bearings? The bike did sit for while
when I had engine problems....

[fret not]

Tapered steering head bearings need a slight 'load' from the crown nut, and then to snug the lock nut against the crown nut.  This happens when you have the top triple clamp removed.  Once this is properly adjusted you can replace the top triple clamp and the center bolt to help hold it on, then tighten the pinch bolts (hold the handlebars on).  Check that the forks turn freely as you tighten the crown nut, and back it off if they resist turning.  To make this clear we are talking about the nut on the steering stem that tightens against the 'cone' (inner part of the tapered roller set).  Once the steering stem is properly adjusted and locked with the jam nut then you can replace the top triple clamp (fork crown) and adjust all the pinch bolts on the fork tubes.  So you have two nuts on the steering stem that hold the bearings in place, then the fork crown/triple clamp, and finally the center bolt that threads into the top of the steering stem and holds the top clamp.

[musicweb]

After I adjust the crown and lock nuts, tightening the center bolt makes it even tighter.
Should it be doing that? Maybe something wrong with my bearing replacement?

So you're saying to remove the top triple clamp each time I adjust?
All I do is loosen the bolt and adjust the nuts with a homemade tool.
 

[George R. Young]

There are a couple of 'ring nuts' below the top triple clamp that thread onto the lower triple clamp steering stem. The idea is you tighten the lower of these two nuts until play is removed and there's a hint of friction. Then, holding the lower nut, you tighten the upper nut until it snugs firmly against the lower nut.

If you can do that with your home-made tools, good stuff.

Then you snug down the top triple clamp with the 'steering stem bolt'. This should not change the play because the two two 'ring nuts' are jammed together and can't turn.

If tightening the 'steering stem bolt' causes play to decrease, something is wrong but I don't know what.

[musicweb]

I agree something else is wrong George...

[fret not]

It is possible that your bearings are not the correct ones.  Make sure that you don't have the 'cones' in the opposite positions.  The
'cones' (inner bearings) must match the 'cups' (outer races).  This is why they are usually sold in sets for motorcycles.  In the auto parts world cones and cups are usually sold separately, so you have to match each part to the application.
It is fairly clear which cone goes on the bottom because of the size of the hole in the center that goes on the wide lower end of the steering stem, but the cups can be less obvious.  I am not sure precisely which bearings you have, but the cups must match the cones.

[musicweb]

 I used All Balls 22-1015 kit back in 2009.
Also worked in auto parts for many years,
and a retired handyman....
I know a few things...
Maybe the threads for the crown bolt are
buggered up? I'll look at it again today.

[fret not]

Musicweb, what have you found?  Did you get this issue resolved? 

[musicweb]

Sorry, I have not looked at it since my last post...
Was getting ready for a cruise, and on the cruise my girlfriend and I got Covid.
I'm still not back to normal, and she has a lingering cough.
I had to be put on the emergency pill regimen, which actually worked well, but still
some fatigue and weakness lingering...
My bike is sitting in the shed waiting for warmer weather...
About the bucking at around 50mph, would a TCI going bad cause that?
Just wondering...
Happy Holidays!

[briandneville]

Having read a lot of posts about TCI issues, after having experienced some myself, I would say that your symptoms don't sound like TCI issues.  But they may be.  If you can get the bucking to happen at the same RPM range regardless of which gear you are in, or what speed you are going, maybe the TCI could be the culprit.  But it could also be a carb issue.  If you want to be sure it's not TCI, you could replace yours with a new one, or just another one, and see if the symptoms disappear.  I bought a new unit from Ignitech in the Czech Republic and it solved my symptoms, which were nothing like yours.  You can find my post on that here by searching for TCI.   Good luck!

[The Prophet of Doom]

Musicweb,
Sounds like you are having transition issues between idle and main
Have you synched your carbs lately? That's not an optional procedure.  I'd look no further till you have done that.

[musicweb]

Happy Holidays!
I did sync the carbs after a soak and rebuild.
It runs great, starts great, idles great...
Seems to have more power since fixing the water pump issue and doing the valves.
It seems to be around 50mph, and just happens about every 5 seconds.
Could be I need to adjust the carbs better...

[fret not]

Does this happen in only one gear?  The point is to find if it is RPM related or speed related.  Resonant frequencies can shake things (like wires) and cause intermittent connection or grounding.  Headlight case holds a lot of connections.  Do you have a shop manual?

[jefferson]

I'm assuming you are in 5th gear at 50 mph when this bucking occurs. To narrow it down some downshift to 4th and do the same speed and see what happens. If it goes away then it's rpm related and more than likely the carbs. Do you have the modified airbox lid with the vacuum diaphragm? It helps with the bog that the carbs experience, but your bucking may be related.

[musicweb]

Yes, I have a Haynes manual, plus Lucky's CD...
I have only noticed it in 5th gear, never tried lower gears.
Anyway, she's sleeping in the shed right now.
Too cold for me to ride...