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when im going about mid-4th or faster, and hit some bumps, sometimes the font end will bounce a little, and the handlebars will violently start turning back and fourth, nearly causing me to eat shit.

the forks dont seem too stiff, it gets a side-to-side bouncy-turning action, and i have no clue what i t could be. my buddies A/F cr 125 would do the same thing to me at higher speeds.

any ideas what it could be, or how to prevent it?

only thing i could think of it being mechanically is that maybe one fork is stiffer than the other? but how would you check that/adjust them to the same specs? there arent adjustment lines or marks, just a screw/bolt you turn on each fork.
it doesnt happen every time, just when you hit something just right.

It's called headshake. It's more of a byproduct of frame geometry, I think suspension tuning has minimal impact. You can buy steering stabilizers to minimize it, though.

is there anything else that can be done when its happening to get out of it and not get wasted?

some say raising the forks in the tripple clamp help but i dont know how much.. never had to do it myself.. i usually just lean back grab a handfull and hold on hehe

There are all kinds of geometry that effects head shake. Sometimes the simplest things like tire pressure make all the difference. With that frame you should not really "need" a stabilizer. You should be able to tune it out. Check tire pressure first, sag second and fork position 3rd. Even different tires can effect handling. Don't throw money at it just yet.

My 91 500 had the shakes something fierce, threw me off once and broke my back. I was going to use a damper, but instead I lowered the forks as far as I could and that helped alot. Didn't have to buy the damper.

Ya Headshake can put you on the ground hard especailly if you get bounced forward and your bodies CG is more over the bars.

Sag is all important. I think the range is 90mm-110mm for that? Start at 100mm first. The higher the number, which = seat being lower, the more it kicks the front wheel out or forward. Then see where the forks are in the clamps. The fork tubes can go as hi as tops of the tube and no higher than the bottom of the caps. Also make sure you have your riding gear on and whatever backpack/tools that maybe carried.

Sure its easier to do the forks but like I said sag is all important.

Now with all this you may notice that some cornering ability is lost however thats better than picking yourself up off the ground and who knows what else neededs replacing on the bike.

Oh with all of that are the springs in there match the riders weight with gear on? Better start there first.

I think mine, 03 250 frame I'm close to 90mm with forks about 2-3mm high in the clamps. But I moto it mostly so I need it to corner. I've noticed a tad bit of shake but thats usually cause I hit some ruff stuff.

iggys-amsoil wrote:Ya Headshake can put you on the ground hard especailly if you get bounced forward and your bodies CG is more over the bars.

Sag is all important. I think the range is 90mm-110mm for that? Start at 100mm first. The higher the number, which = seat being lower, the more it kicks the front wheel out or forward. Then see where the forks are in the clamps. The fork tubes can go as hi as tops of the tube and no higher than the bottom of the caps. Also make sure you have your riding gear on and whatever backpack/tools that maybe carried.

Sure its easier to do the forks but like I said sag is all important.

Now with all this you may notice that some cornering ability is lost however thats better than picking yourself up off the ground and who knows what else neededs replacing on the bike.

Oh with all of that are the springs in there match the riders weight with gear on? Better start there first.

I think mine, 03 250 frame I'm close to 90mm with forks about 2-3mm high in the clamps. But I moto it mostly so I need it to corner. I've noticed a tad bit of shake but thats usually cause I hit some ruff stuff.

That is some of the best advice ever given! That is exactly how you tune a suspension!

teemtrubble wrote:

iggys-amsoil wrote:Ya Headshake can put you on the ground hard especailly if you get bounced forward and your bodies CG is more over the bars.

Sag is all important. I think the range is 90mm-110mm for that? Start at 100mm first. The higher the number, which = seat being lower, the more it kicks the front wheel out or forward. Then see where the forks are in the clamps. The fork tubes can go as hi as tops of the tube and no higher than the bottom of the caps. Also make sure you have your riding gear on and whatever backpack/tools that maybe carried.

Sure its easier to do the forks but like I said sag is all important.

Now with all this you may notice that some cornering ability is lost however thats better than picking yourself up off the ground and who knows what else neededs replacing on the bike.

Oh with all of that are the springs in there match the riders weight with gear on? Better start there first.

I think mine, 03 250 frame I'm close to 90mm with forks about 2-3mm high in the clamps. But I moto it mostly so I need it to corner. I've noticed a tad bit of shake but thats usually cause I hit some ruff stuff.

That is some of the best advice ever given! That is exactly how you tune a suspension!

yup i was just gonna say that the ass end is too high...

Blusmbl wrote:It's called headshake. It's more of a byproduct of frame geometry, I think suspension tuning has minimal impact. You can buy steering stabilizers to minimize it, though.

Actually suspension setup can make a huge difference in headshake.

Lowering or raising your triples will effect handling in different ways. Raising the forks in the triples or so they stick out the top further will help you in corners, but won't do much for speed. It helps plant the front end more. The reverse for doing the opposite.

My local suspension guy is awesome and only charges $50.00 to set up your suspension sag and rebound for you. Your local should be around the same. Having suspension that is set up to your riding style and body weight is crutial to a proper running bike. Steering stabilizers are always a good thing though, will never ride without one.