1985 Kawasaki LTD 700 - Steering/Front end question

I just got a 1985 Kawasaki LTD 700 - the front end feels heavy in
general. When turning a corner, the handlebars seem to really fall
into and veer towards the direction im turning, especially at lower
speeds. This also happens on gradual curves, and is annoying because I
have to half straigthen the bike back while curving to avoid over
steering. This happens when turning in both direction evenly. At
higher speeds this is not an issue. The front end feels a little
sloppy in general also.

I've tried adjusting the air in the front forks and the rear shocks to
adjust the suspension moving the rear end up, and vice versa. It has
new tires, and rides smooth and straight otherwise.

Could this be a problem with the bearing(s) or head bolt? Any
suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks

 

Is the rake/trail stock?

Could be an issue with the bearings. Prop the front up and turn the forks
side to side to see if it feels smooth or rough. Also, try pulling
forward/back on the forks and see if it moves at all.

 

I checked the tires, they are not stock but are the correct size
according to the manual, both are brand new from the previous owner.
Tire pressures are correct - I tried adjusting the damper settings on
the back shocks and it didnt make a difference on the steering
problem, just made the ride less or more stiff as it is supposed to...

 

I've had a few people suggest that it might be the bearings...I've put
the bike up on centerstand and when I move the forks side to side it
feels smooth. There is no play forward and back on the forks

 

Has a previous owner slid the triple trees down too far over the tubes?
-Kevin

 

I don't mean to be flip, but you were detecting the play: the bike was
behaving badly in corners. I'm no expert wrench, though I've done my
share, and I must admit to being surprised that people expect to be able
to detect bearing problems by shaking the fork legs of a machine with
tolerances measured in hundredths of a millimeter.

I would be annoyed that there isn't a better method (and I don't know
whether to be surprised or not about the lack of such method) for
detecting such problems than to ride a potentially murderous machine.
It's a pretty problem, no doubt; you want better performance so
precision goes up, but that also means that the older methods of testing
and diagnosing may not be sensitive enough to detect problems before
they become serious safety hazards.

Ah well, I hope that the OP gets the problem fixed and back on two
wheels. I'm between bikes (saving up, though) and really missing it.
<sigh> :-/