New member - 82 GPZ 750 ELR-R

If I raise the front wheel off the ground, would there be obvious play in the bearings, or do I just need to replace them and see if that solves the problem?

If you raise the front wheel off the ground, grasp the bottom of both fork legs, and with the wheel facing straight ahead pull / push on the fork you should not feel play. If you do, the steering stem bearings are loose. Then if you give the handlebars a very light push to one side then the other, they should continue moving until the forks go to the stops. If they don't the steering stem bearings are too tight. Assuming both of those test results are fine, hold the handlebars (with the front wheel still off the ground) and slowly turn the front wheel lock-to-lock. If the movement feels notchy, or if when the wheel is facing straight ahead it feels like there is a notch, the steering stem bearing races are dimpled and the bearings & races should be replaced. If you do decide to replace them definitely use tapered roller bearings. They are better in every way. Ed

Steering Head Bearings can be checked a couple of ways.

1) If you can get the front wheel off the ground/garage floor then check for any notchiness when turning the handlebars from side to side. Also, you can check your steering head play. If the steering head is too loosely torqued this could result in higher speed wobble as well as low speed instability. I know this, my old KZ650 is looser in the stearing head than my more modern bikes. You can simply confirm by slightly loosening your steering head bolt then torquing back to your service manual specs. At least then you should feel confident your steering head is not "too loose". Matter of fact, any of us upon acquiring a bike should go over as many of the frame and chassis bolts as possible and re-torque to spec. I go over my bikes annually so nothing falls off! :blink: :lol:

2) If you don't have a center stand or front wheel stand then place the bike on a nice smooth garage floor. Place some wax paper under the tire for a simple bearing surface. Turn your handlebars to and fro and feel again for any notchiness. The "notchiness" is an indication that the steering head bearings may be bad and require replacement. Do not replace with the same ball type bearings. Go tapered roller bearings from a quality source such as All Balls Bearing Co.

However, DO NOT IGNORE what 650Ed suggested. Tires have been known to be the ultimate culprits in many steering related situations/problems. AND, they are a more cost effective solution than the time spent on replacing bearings and further ghost chasing.

I know that my KZ650 would get real floaty and prone to head shake with even the potential for a tank slapper when I ran her up to 90+ mph. I had new tires at the time and did not resolve. I then rebuilt the front forks; new Race Tech springs(much stiffer), seals, bushings. The floaty head shaky behavior at high speed went away. I then replaced the stock shocks with Works Performance Steel Trackers for an even better handling and confidence inspiring ride. I have ran the bike to nearly 120 mph and is solid with no surprising bad behavior. I can push her to the redline limit in top gear with no adverse effects.

Remember, each model can exhibit different steering and chassis quirks and characteristics. Hope this helps more than confuses.

Some good advice here re: speed wobble. Mine was pretty bad at anything over 90 MPH. I replaced the chen shing with a Bridgestone Spitfire and the wobble went away.

Thanks for all the great advice, I am REALLY glad I found this website. Oil change is due soon, so while the center stand is on the bike, I will get the front wheel off the ground and check the bearings. If nothing obvious shows up, sounds like time to invest in a really good set of tires.

Something else to check...

If you raise the rear tire off the ground and detach the shocks at the swingarm you can grab the tire at top and bottom and try to twist it left to right to see if there is any play in the swingarm bearings. There should be none. Ed

Thanks, Guys! Lots of useful info. Now I just need to make myself park it for a little while so I can check everything out! Everything seems good at normal highway speeds (and a little above), so I may just wait until winter starts getting closer so I can park it and do everything without the urge to ride making me rush anything. Once I know the bearings are all good, I'll just need to get some good tires on it, and I think it'll be ready for next Spring/Summer/Fall.