Ok Update: I checked everything out, including but not limited to: air pressure in tires, air in forks, (not the town I live in but forks as in front suspension) there is no play in either wheel, but while the bike was up on the stand at lunch today, the front end turns so easy it actually goes by itself all the way to the stop either way. So I am leaning toward snugging up the bearing collar a little. I talked to a friend of mine after lunch and he showed me what to do. Since the handle bars are in the way for a wrench or socket to get to the steering nut, you have to take off the 4 bolts holding the bars on, move the bars forward and set them on a towel then get a wrench or a socket on the nut and get it just a little loose, then take a good clean punch and carefully tap the collar in the groove and get it to turn a little clockwise. He said the bars should move like they are hydraulic, not easy, but not hard either, I think mine are too loose. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

Nobrakes,

Actually, it's a 2-smoke 24 cylinder pull start bike!

Just imagine starting that beast up each day!

When running, I'll bet it's got awesome throttle response!

Here's a link to the site . . . . Dolemitte

 

OMG, it's real! I thought that was just marketing art Impressive. I doubt it passes the 96 dB limit, though!

 

Draw a big white mark on your front and rear tire across the tread. Go for a ride someplace safe with nothing to hit. Watch the marks you made as you ride. If the wobble occurs one time for each time you see a mark it is almost certainly a rotating assembly problem on that wheel (tire, tread, balance, true). Since the tires are a different rolling radius you will be able to deterimine if it is the front or rear if you watch for a time.

A stiff link in the chain can cause a suspension induced movement each time the chain makes a rotation. Its almost certainly not your problem, but it came to mind.

 

Sorry I didn't post until now, I found out what was causing the weave. It was the steering nut. But not in the direction I thought. It was actually tight, and needing grease. When I thought it was loose I tightened it a little and went for a ride and the steering actually had a couple of spots that would hang up a little, and it was brutal on the gravel roads, it was like steering a lawn mower that had worn out steering knuckles. Anyway I went back to the original position and then backed it off just a little, and problem solved, well sort of. I still need to get it apart and grease it, but all indicators are that the bearings just need to be lubed. However before that I did a complete spoke adjustment, and found a few that had a really low ring tone, and went through all of them, checked the tires and everything is true again, which usually doesn't happen that easy, but I got lucky. Then I went for a ride, and the steering was still doing that weave back and forth, but I wanted to do one thing at a time to eliminate what the problem was or was not. Anyway after loosening the steering nut just a little the weave is gone, so the first chance I get the steering bearings are getting fully greased and then adjusted. Oh and keep in mind that as you tighten the main nut on the top, not the collar, it will add a little to the torque of everything, so you might have to deduct that before getting the collar where you need it to be. On another related note, I am going to get into the swingarm soon and when I do, I will be adding grease fittings like the ones on the wife's XT225.