Why do I have a wobbly front end?

[SweetT]

Hi all, I've got a K12RS with about 55K on the clock. As the summer has progressed the front end has felt more and more wobbly, kind of like riding on a tire with low air pressure. The bike just feels unsure whereas before it has always felt incredibly stable. And finally its to the point that I dont feel comfortable riding.

I've just put new Michelin Pilot Roads on and balanced them. And Ive been told that with this many miles i can assume that my front shock and steering damper are probably worn out too.
I plan on sending my shocks back to Ohlins for a rebuild this winter, but what about the steering damper? Are they rebuildable? Could it be responsible for this unstable feeling in the bike?
Any help with a diagnosis would be greatly appreciated!

[PGlaves]

Check the lower ball joint for any play, and check the Paralver pivots too. Not likely at that mileage but worth checking.

[BouncinBob]

I expect it is the steering dampener. These are known to wear. Mine is getting as you describe and just turned 70k yesterday on an 02 model. I updated the front shock last last year.

You did not mention what year the bike is. The newer style is more prone to wobble in dirty air such as truck wash. My 98 K12RS had 77k on the clock when it met a few guard rail posts that did not like it. It was not having the issue as much, but it never had the same propensity to wobble in truck wash.

I don't recall the answer to rebuilding one, sorry.

[SweetT]

Check the lower ball joint for any play, and check the Paralver pivots too. Not likely at that mileage but worth checking.

Thanks for the advice Paul. How do I go about checking these things? Do I jack up the front end, grab the forks and jerk them around?

Also I checked the steering damper last night, it doens't do any damping until about the last 2 inches of travel (left or right) of the forks. I dont know if this would contribute to the uneasiness I'm feeling or not.

For the record the bike is a 1998

[bikerfish1100]

if your steering damper is anything like the stock one on my R11S, then you should only feel it damping when you move the bars quickly in either direction. Slow movement should not really cause it to react at all. Best to check it with front end off the ground. I replaced mine at around 55K, but that was more preventitive maintenance than anything else. I went with a radial-progressive unit from HyperPro- about the same $ as the factory item, but MUCH better quality.
For rebuilding your shocks, you can seek out Lindemann Engineering, ProPilot Suspension, or my preferred suspension guru Dave, in Ft Collins, CO. http://www.fixmybike.com/Welcome.html . he's good, and charges about 1/2 of the big name guys.