Hi all,

I just picked up a '96 CBR F3, its stock except for the muffler and seat. Its a great bike but I do have a small front end vibration. Over ~60mph, the front end headshakes if you let go of the handlebars. It tracks straight and doesnt seem to have any other handling problems, forks *look* straight and arent leaking. The previous owner had laid it down on the right side at low speed. Could this be a tire problem or is something out of whack in the front end?

Thanks!

 

nice seat were u get it?

 

bent rim?? Raise the front up and spin it.. also headshake can be caused by bad steering head bearings. Might wanna have a look at that too.. Grab the front brake and rock the bike forward and back and see if the head makes noise or the stem moves at all.. best to look down at the lower triple clamp for the movement..

 

Also - the tire is old. Its a "Michelin Pilot Race", 120/60/17 - 31psi inflation, stamp is "3000" in the oval - so it was made in 2000, if I'm reading that correctly.

 

I think that Downforce137 is on the right path. Also check the tread on your front tire for flat spots. I would check there first. When you are riding in a straight, and are in an upright with no-one next to you (cars, trucks, buddies) do you feel a push at all from the right or left on the bike? You say the previous owner put the bike down on its right side. Very good chance for the tire to get messed up from scuffing the road. Vibration is a pain because truthfully it can result from any number of problems (loose body panels, uneven tire wear, FLAT SPOTS, out of balance tire front or rear, mis-aligned body work due to tip-over & lay-downs). This list could go on and on but my advice would be to start from the tires front and rear and work your way up. Worst case would be to take the bike to a shop you trust and have them check it out. Good Luck!
"RUBBER SIDE DOWN"!!!

 

Another way to check for the bad headset is have someone hold the bike from behind, or put it on a rear-stand, and you would hold the front wheel with both hands and and move front to back, I find this to be a little easier to detect play. Check the headset torque on the stem-nut also, may just be loose. Check that your wheel weight is still intact also, sounds silly but could be the problem, I had one fall off of my '93 F2 and I swore I was getting a flat, the way the bike started to ride. Also, check the wheel-bearings for play and the axle for tightness.