Hi,
Has anybody ever adjusted or replaced their head bearing on the Vectrix?
My steering seems "loose" and I suspect the head bearing.
I will jack up the bike this weekend to do some tests and confirm if it is indeed the head bearing or maybe a wheel bearing.
Does anybody have the correct part number for the head bearing and if it is easily replaced. Can it be adjusted?
Thanks!
So today I raised the front of my bike to check if there was any play on the head bearing or wheel bearings. Nothing!
So what is it that I am feeling?
After 36.000 km I should know how the bike handles and my steering was getting less stable...
So I turned to the actual tire and noticed some abnormal tire wear on the front tire.
In winter I use snow tires from Heidenau (K66) and what I noticed is that there is very uneven wear on the different parts of the tire.
It seems that the centre of the tire has less wear than the outer sections. It is really clear to see but very difficult to photograph. I made some photo's and marked the most clear evidence with red squares.
Please tell me what you guys think.
This front tire was purchased in November 2010 and thus this is the third winter in use. I guess it has about 12.000 to 15.000 max kilometres on it. The rear tire is OK but that one is from Oktober 2012.
Once you go EV, Gas is history!
There is some serious tread pattern on that tyre.
However apart from it looking almost like a dirt bike tyre there are some other things you need to consider.
The first is the condition of the Forks, and fork oil. Has that ever been changed ?
Also another thing about tyres is that if they wear unevenly the effect is compounded by the uneven wear. I.e. once it has started it will get progressively worse,
I changed some car tyres recently and was amazed at the difference in ride quality between the worn and new tyres.
If you the steering moves smoothly and the forks have been serviced. Check the brakes aren't binding and the wheel bearings are good.
Last is to check the wheel is actually round. One of my vectrixes that i bought second hand had a buckled wheel !
Then try new or a different make/model of tyre.
Oh and one other thing - if the tyre is UNDER-INFLATED it will wear more at the sides than the middle. But it would have to be quite badly underinflated.
I don't know what make or model of tyre you are using, but for your sake I hope it not cheap chinese tyres as that would explain all your problems without doubt.
The tyre wear could be caused by the tyre sliding sideways in a corner, just a little, but over time it wears the corners of the tread blocks down.
My tyres do the same, the rear one is worse, lol!! Must be my sporty riding style ( and my ICE bike does it too )
Regards,
Peter
-----------------------------------------------------------
Central Scotland
Heidenau Snowtex use a softer rubber than their standard all-weather tires with the same tread. They say they use a fiber to reinforce the soft rubber and reduce premature wear, but maybe that measure is not working as well as they thought and the fibers may have partially demixed during the vulcanization of the tire? I will check my front Ssnowtex when I get home again at the end of this week and compare to the rear non-snowtex Heidenau...
My rides:
2017 Zero S ZF6.5 11kW, erider Thunder 5kW
Thanks for all the tips. some I can react to.
1) Fork oil is never changed. But I checked for leaks and could not find any evidence of leaks. Compression and rebound seem fine.
2) Checked the head bearing, wheel bearings and brakes this weekend and all was in good shape.
3) My tires are changed 2 times per year and during balancing never issues.
4) In a few weeks I will fit the summer tires again (michelin pilot sport)
5) I check tire pressures very often and use high pressures always for maximum range.
6) Heidenau K66 is a top brand snow tire. I never use cheap brands.
So I guess that my sporty riding style might have caused the wear?
I will find out for sure as soon as I switch back to summer tires in a few weeks. I will ask the dealer to double check if the wheel is round. If the problem dissapears than it was just the tire. If not I will start with refurbishing the forks.
Thanks
Once you go EV, Gas is history!
double post
Once you go EV, Gas is history!
Hi,
Did you have any luck with the Steering Head bearings in the end?
Mine are shot after an incident that will be described later (when resolved)
I'm trying to locate replacements;
There are four races, two 68mm OD races that sit pressed into the frame (internal positions) and two that fit on the fork spindle (outermost positions). The lower fork spindle race has an ID of 38.0mm and the upper has an ID of 37.6mm - they ARE different! Bike is 2008 model.
You'll see the (slightly incomplete) assembly drawing here, showing the fork and spindle assembly. The lower race is a press fit onto the forks. The 68mm OD inner races are also pressed into the frame.
Can't find a replacement so am wondering if they are unique to Vectrix?
Might be time for a taper-roller conversion!
Thank for your help,
Drew
Drew
The front tyre had developed cupping, probably due to riding the winter tyre too long into the warmer season.
Switching to the summer tyre improved things but not completely.
When my bike was at the dealer for the replacement of the fuse (the 200amp fuse had blown) they checked it for me and detected the worn head bearing. They ordered the parts so I cannot help with that.
The bike immediately turned into corners much better. Recently I have been feeling a less solid rear swingarm, but am not going to spend any money to fix that. First I want to decide whether it is still worth while to keep the bike or get something else. A lot of good new electric bikes will be available next spring!
I almost bought a 2013 Zero DS, but they were already out of stock!
Once you go EV, Gas is history!