pretty scary realisation today
Discussion
so today i was riding along and noticed my steering felt a bit rattly when going over bumps, like the suspension wasnt absorbing the impact in the right way... i stopped to check the bike and my frigging steering stem nut was nowhere to be seen!
fairly terrifying thought that i dont know exactly at which point it fell off and had done a mixture of town and motorway riding!
now, obviously that shouldnt happen but im just wondering how it could happen?
I have never adjusted that nut myself, and generally leave the mechanics to mechanics as i know i'm not that knowledgable yet (im trying to learn as i go) I did get my fork seals replaced by my local garage around this time last year. If they hadnt torqued it properly, would it really have a taken a year to work its way loose? Also worrying is that same garage, MOT'd it this time last month! surely they should have spotted it? wont be going there again.
if the head bearing is on the way out, could it have vibrated it loose? surely it would have felt like a pig to ride? slightly wondering if someones knicked it tbh!
ultimately i know that its my responsibility to ensure the bike is road worthy and i feel lucky nothing happened. Ive had a bike for two years now. This has been a fairly sobering moment. Should i be regularly checking the tighteness of all bolts pre rides? I'm happy to, but must admit beside looking for leaks, chain tension, tyres and bulbs it hasnt been on my radar.
lastly, as i need a top nut to replace it , can anyone recommend a good website is good for honda bike parts?
fairly terrifying thought that i dont know exactly at which point it fell off and had done a mixture of town and motorway riding!
now, obviously that shouldnt happen but im just wondering how it could happen?
I have never adjusted that nut myself, and generally leave the mechanics to mechanics as i know i'm not that knowledgable yet (im trying to learn as i go) I did get my fork seals replaced by my local garage around this time last year. If they hadnt torqued it properly, would it really have a taken a year to work its way loose? Also worrying is that same garage, MOT'd it this time last month! surely they should have spotted it? wont be going there again.
if the head bearing is on the way out, could it have vibrated it loose? surely it would have felt like a pig to ride? slightly wondering if someones knicked it tbh!
ultimately i know that its my responsibility to ensure the bike is road worthy and i feel lucky nothing happened. Ive had a bike for two years now. This has been a fairly sobering moment. Should i be regularly checking the tighteness of all bolts pre rides? I'm happy to, but must admit beside looking for leaks, chain tension, tyres and bulbs it hasnt been on my radar.
lastly, as i need a top nut to replace it , can anyone recommend a good website is good for honda bike parts?
Fowlers parts is good for bits but you can get top yoke nuts on ebay also.
The garage won't have touched that nut for fork seals, head bearings on their way out wouldn't cause the nut to fall off, I do wonder if someone has stolen it, that could have been really quite nasty, especially if you pull wheelies.
The garage won't have touched that nut for fork seals, head bearings on their way out wouldn't cause the nut to fall off, I do wonder if someone has stolen it, that could have been really quite nasty, especially if you pull wheelies.
You might want to check your steering stem bearings if you rode without that for some time! Riding without a stem bolt seems to knacker them pretty damn quickly (found this out on a 125 donkey's years ago)
It's a maintenance part that you/your mechanic should be checking at service intervals as they do rattle loose on occasion. With the replacement one - loctite it in place to save that happening in the future.
It's a maintenance part that you/your mechanic should be checking at service intervals as they do rattle loose on occasion. With the replacement one - loctite it in place to save that happening in the future.
You’ll be alright, there’s a few more nuts holding it together underneath that bit. 
Used to test ride bikes when I worked in the trade and at least half a dozen times I unscrewed the top nut by hand on the last bit of the return leg if owner was the type who was hanging about in a “whadya think” sort of manner so I could hand it to him.
Used to test ride bikes when I worked in the trade and at least half a dozen times I unscrewed the top nut by hand on the last bit of the return leg if owner was the type who was hanging about in a “whadya think” sort of manner so I could hand it to him.
Jazoli said:
Fowlers parts is good for bits
I bought what I thought was a good quality clutch cable assembly at about £30 from Fowlers. On arrival I saw it was identical to the cheap POS it replaced which was less than 1/3rd the price off ebay. Had hoped I was getting something longer lasting and better made.ReverendCounter said:
Jazoli said:
Fowlers parts is good for bits
I bought what I thought was a good quality clutch cable assembly at about £30 from Fowlers. On arrival I saw it was identical to the cheap POS it replaced which was less than 1/3rd the price off ebay. Had hoped I was getting something longer lasting and better made.ah right, i was under the impression i wasnt far off quickly being elongated as the front end went one way and the rear another 
that or death wobble anyway.
fortunately (despite my attempts) im not in danger of wheelies happening any time soon.
on the theft front, it has been parked in a city centre all week, and until now is always at home so sooort of adds up as a theory (but then ive also been riding a lot more this week too) it would be fairly scally behaviour, but i cant imagine many scallies that are in desperate need of a steering nut for what is generally regarded as a reliable yet fairly dull bike! haha
ok cheers all. Puts my mind at rest a little.
Will get a new nut, and asses the bearing for play too
that or death wobble anyway. fortunately (despite my attempts) im not in danger of wheelies happening any time soon.
on the theft front, it has been parked in a city centre all week, and until now is always at home so sooort of adds up as a theory (but then ive also been riding a lot more this week too) it would be fairly scally behaviour, but i cant imagine many scallies that are in desperate need of a steering nut for what is generally regarded as a reliable yet fairly dull bike! haha
ok cheers all. Puts my mind at rest a little.
Will get a new nut, and asses the bearing for play too
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