steering head lock advice

Hi All,

I would like some advice please. I had a recent service and was advised
that the steering head needed replacement shortly as well as chain and
sprocket.

No problem, take mechanics advice. My bike ZZR600 is 5 years old so might
be due.

Get work done and bike runs like a dream, however, now i can't lock the
bike.

Turn the bars to left to 'lock' but key wont turn to lock position.
Therefor can't lock bike with key.

Took back to mechanic (reputable brisbane service centre)and he said that
perhaps because they were aftermarket parts... blah.

He said he never heard of this happening before and said he could see where
it was missing by a mm or so.

Had anyone ever heard of this?? is it something i should be worried about??

Steering seems fine and other than this being a concern i think its ok but
would really appreciate any advice from the group.

Regards,
NRJ

 

Go back and tell em to fix it!.

 

Wot he said. You have a right as a consumer to

a) get what you paid for, and all the expectations that go with it (steering locks are rather useful)
b) rant and rave and be all foulmouthed if things dont go your way.

take option a) with a pinch of assertiveness.

Mike.S

 

If this is th e'old' system then
Wot they have done is put the stem (the central tube) back in at the
wrong angle .. it only effects the steering lock nothing else... but
they need to take it aprat and do the reassembly correctly.

If it is another system .. well they still got the reassembly wrong and
need to redo it..

The reason they don't want to do it is that it is most of the same time
to redo it as it was to replace the bearings .. $$$ out of their
pocket...

Get 'em to do it right .. you paid for a profesional job.

 

Did they replace your steering head, or your steering head bearings?

If it's just the bearings, then it's quite possible that it no longer locks
due to using after market parts. The AM parts probably have a different size
lip to the OEM ones. This may mean that you can no longer use the steering
lock.

Did they _ASK_ if you wanted to use AM parts? Was it a Kwaka dealer? If they
didn't ask, and they are a kwaka dealer, demand that they replace them with
OEM ones free of charge. (If they refuse, complain to Kawasaki Australia.)

Also, the steering lock doesn't really provide much security anyway. Buy a
disclock and you will be more secure. (You can unlock the steering head lock
with a screwdriver, a hammer, and a pair of multi-grips.)

Incidentally, steering head bearings will last a _very_ long time if you
take care of them. (No wheelies, regular greasing, no crap in them, no
stacking.)

 

X-No-archive: yes
Navin Johnson wrote
~

This will be something real simple like a washer under the top triple-clamp
instead of above it.
Like everybody else said; take it back!

If you don't wanna' do that then see if you can figure it out yourself.
Does it miss "by a few millimeters" vertically or radially?
i.e do your 'bars not turn enough to let it lock or does it "lock" but not
actually stop the 'bars turning?

I'm at Carseldine if you want me to have a squizz. (I'm in town until 5pm)
cmdoherty at bigpond.com
Clem

 

X-No-archive: yes
Knobdoodle wrote in message ...
~

Oops; I failed reading and comprehension!
"Turn the bars to left to 'lock' but key wont turn to lock position.
Therefor can't lock bike with key."

I'm backing that there's supposed to be a washer/spacer under the
top-triple-clamp and without it the locking pin is pushing down too far and
hitting something.
Clem

 

The AM bearings most shops use are complete kits (and tapered rollers at
that) and I've never seen a set not fitting the overall dimensions of the
OEM items.

What? Put in those junky ball-bearings that Kwaka uses (and most other
manufacturers)?
Give me a decent AM tapered roller any day. My Strom had the same shit in
there, first thing to junk when I had the fairing off the first time.

On the old cb250, yeah....

Yup, and even longer if the manuf wouldn't use the shit they do.

Bearing right now...
pete

 

thank you for the replies, will keep posted