Front end feels dead (or at least odd)

[Robgsxf750]

So I get on my bike yesterday and my front end feels weird. Everything was fine in the morning. When going slow it's like it's dead, numb. I can't really explain it. There's just not much there. It's almost like it's a very tiny bit harder to turn to the left, a tiny tiny bit of resistance.

I check the suspension settings on the clipons and they haven't been fiddled with by anyone. I have it set pretty hard, 2nd click from the furtherest clockwise point the screw can go.

I soften them right up and the front is all bouncy and all over the road. It feels like it's got a mind of it's own, following it's own path. Going around a corner it feels like it jumps about 6 inches to the left which really freaks me out, so I stop and harden it back up again.

It's better, but now I'm really trying to feel what's going on. At fast speeds it's fine, doing the whole countersteering thing. But going slow, and particularly turning to the left, it's just awful. The wheel 'feels' wobbly, although it's not.

I fixed the front wheel and tried to move the bars but they're solid. The tyre is in great shape (Z6 with 9000kms on it). It looks like it rolls straight off the ground. There's no oil coming from the shocks.

Does anyone have any ideas? Has this happened to anyone here?

Does the front needs a service (9 years old, 20000kms)?

[arsenic]

did you check the tire pressure?

[hardlydangerous]

+1

drag in the front end is a sign of a low tire, brake dragging or bad bearing
low tire pressure it usually the cause for a heavy feel when turning.

[Robgsxf750]

Yeah, running 39 in the back and 37 in the front. Standard size Z6's.

Edit....Now running 43 in the back and 41 in the front for a comparison and it's still the same. Rained on the way home from work and it was one of the most sphincter puckering rides I've had. It just feels so vague and wobbly. Bugger...

[David F C]

Do you remember if you it something with your tire? going up a curb or something...
Sometimes tires get damaged on the inside, small tears that are not visible from outside. Not very usuall but it happens and it would explain it.

Other thing: get the front wheel up an turn the handle bars left and right to see if the feel right, maybe the direction bearings? I had this issue with my kat and it turn out that they were poorly lubed from factory, so warranty paid for repair.

[Robgsxf750]

Thanks for the input guys.

It was the steering head bearing. It had rusted due to water ingress.

Anyway, after changing the fork oil and a new bearing, the steering is very sharp which I'm over the moon about.