Steering Tension Adjustment - Suzuki GSX1200 1999 Service Manual

5-24 CHASSIS

STEERING TENSION ADJUSTMENT

Check the steering tension as follows.
• Support the motorcycle using a jack and raise the front wheel
off the floor 20 – 30 mm.
• Make sure that the cables and wire harness are properly routed.
• With the front wheel pointing straight ahead, attach the spring
scale onto the end of the handlebars as shown.
• When the handlebars starts moving, record the reading on the
spring scale. This reading is referred to as the "initial force".
• Repeat the same procedure on the other end of the handle-
bars.
! 09940-92720: Spring scale ! !
! !
& &
& & & Initial force: 200-500 grams
• If the initial force reading is out of specification, adjust the steer-
ing tension as follows.
1)First, loosen the front fork upper clamp bolts and the steering
stem head nut. Then, adjust the steering stem nut by either loos-
ening or tightening it.
2)Tighten the steering stem head nut and front fork upper clamp
bolts to the specified torque and recheck the initial force as de-
scribed above.
3)Continue adjusting the steering stem nut until the initial force is
within specification.
NOTE:
Hold the front fork legs, move them back and forth and make sure
that the steering is not loose.