Loose steering

[AlexB]

The title "loose steering" may not quite be the correct description but I thought I would pass this on for other K1200RS owners.

 

I had noticed that sometimes when applying the front brakes that there was a pronounced shake that I could feel through the handle bars. I mentioned this to my mechanic and he checked the brake disks. No fix. I had also noticed that when crossing street car tracks (running parallel to my direction of travel) I could feel a kick back through the bars.

 

One mechanic suggested that the steering damper needed replacement. After the replacement, the problem persisted.

 

After an inspection of the front suspension to check the shock for wear, it was found that the ball joint connecting the telelever arm to the brace between the front forks was loose. Replacement of the joint fixed the problem. The bike had about 103,000 km at the time (approximately 65,000 km).

 

Both problems were fixed. There is no vibration when the front brake is applied nor do the handlebars kick when crossing street car tracks.

[rdfrantz]

Thanks for the notice, Alex. It's a good fact to keep in mind.

 

Best wishes.