my steering on my bike is messed up.. when i just start out riding it seems to be fine, then after a few minutes the steering gets tight and its harder to turn left and right. anyone know what might be wrong?

When was the last time you took it all apart and inspected/greased everything?

well i just got the bike a couple weeks ago so i never have. and I dont know if the previous owner did... should I take it all apart and check it out?

sounds like its time to replace your bearings.

it would never hurt to do so. plus its always a good idea to after buying a used bike.

I concur

Being that it's a 98, there is the possibility that it's never been done, so I would do it. While you're working on it, look for the obvious, cables binding, etc.

alright so I'm going to take it apart and look at it. but I should get new bearings???

does anyone know what the inside would be like? would it come apart nicely or would it come apart with bearings and other things flying all over the place?

i would pull of forks and change the fluid. set aside. then pull steering stem...spray the bearings with carb or brake cleaners. look for wear marks on the bearing and on the races. if they look ok no need to replace....its kind of hard to clean bottom bearing because its pressed on the steering stem. pack the hell outta um with grease dont just smear it around you really got to pack them solid...again doing the bottom bearing is little harder.

then follow instructions to set the bearings...you usually tighten them pretty snug to set bearings...then back off nut...then just barely passed hand tight. some guys crank it down for poor mans steering stabilzer but it wears bearings quicker. torque down the big nut and your good. maybe lube the cables why you are working in that area. good luck!!

what part of sd you in?

no worries about ball bearings falling out VVVV

steering stem

Thanks wopachop. I'm in carmel mountain

Another thing I forgot to add was that when the bike is off and im just siting on it, the steering works fine. but if im riding it, it gets tight

sounds like a bearing is binding when under load for some reason. put that biatch on a stand and put your hands on the forks and feel for play. just as a reference and knowing if indeed the nut was loose or not. then take it apart and look real close are bearings and race. if you cant tell if theyre bad i can role up and check it out for you

This will give you a good indication of what your bearings could look like.

This is what came out of my 97 CR500 after i bought it..

ha!! watch where you shoot those pressure washers

alright cool wopachop, Ive never taken apart the steering so I have no idea what to expect

dude its so easy. most important thing is starting off with a nice clean workspace with lots of room.

then just remove front axle and wheel
remove front forks
remove number plate and handlebars
then remove the big nut on steering stem and the other nut below it
hold up the steering stem with your hands while you remove second nut
pull off top bearing and top triple clamp
then just lower steering stem and bottom triple clamp down and out of frame
clean and inspect bearings
if you get stuck just send me a pm
might not have computer access for a couple days ill send you my number dont worry about calling for help if you get stuck

then again, if you leave it, you won't have to buy a steering stabilizer for the dunes

the only hard part if you have to replace the bearings is getting the pressed on bearing at the bottom of the stem off.. I used a dremel with a cutting wheel and went at it with mine.. got it close and a nice chisle to break it free... however taking it to a shop and getting it pulled properly would probably be better.. as well as getting the new one pressed on.

yeah my friend helped me do it. we just cleaned off the bearings and rubbed some lube on them. went out to ocotillo a couple days ago and it works a lot better. thanks for the help

you mean packed the living hell outta them right....not just smeared grease on the outside?

yeah my friend helped me do it. we just cleaned off the bearings and rubbed some lube on them. went out to ocotillo a couple days ago and it works a lot better. thanks for the help

hahaha you posted the same exact response.

you really need to pack the grease into the bearing man...it aint gonna explode or nothing but the grease is what keeps out dirt and water not just lubes. if you have pockets or air inside the bearing it will wear and fail much quicker.

i packed the snot out of mine when i got mine back together.. pushing squishing grease into every crevice i could I didnt notice any issues with mine but i knew it was time because i was positive the previous owner didnt do squat with them as i could tell from alot of stuff on the bike when i started tearing it apart to repaint the frame.

idk why it posted that twice but yeah I packed the poop outta them.