I have a 2005 roadstar 1700. It is starting to get a little shimmy in the front end. I was wondering where to tighten the bearings to stop this. Is it the middle nut you tighten and how much...Thanks: Kevin

Check your tire pressure front and rear first. Tire wear? Rear wheel lined up straight? If you jack up your front end and let go of the bars do they slam to one side or the other?

I'm not sure which bolt you are talking about but I have the same problema and have been threatening to tighten mine a little. "I think" that there are two bearings that have to be tightened seperatly. Do you have a repair manual and if not here's a free one.

http://www.paulmilner.com/yamaha/handbuch/handbuch.htm#roadstar.

PS: You want to check the stuff Musky mentioned first and also I have heard that an out of balance tire can often cause it too. Mine always gets better with a new tire but I don't think it totally explains my problem. I checked my alignment but haven't got around to checking the bearings.

Check tire pressure and tire cupping first .... usually where the problem resides.

Rear tire will also contribute to shimmy ... especially noticeable at highway speed.

Doc

When my front tire was in need of a replacing, the front end had a light shimmy in it. New tire = no shimmy. BB

kevinwork1.. Are they Bridgestones by any chance? Check for cupping if the front one is. Prone to it by design of the tread.

I had it when my tire pressures were low. Back up to 38 in front and 41 in rear it went away.

Do as Musky suggests start with the easy stuff and eliminate. It is usually something simple like cupped tire or low pressure. Sometimes it is just the road you are riding on. If you do not find the cause get the bike up on a jack and holding both forks one in each hand push straight back toward the engine, and then pull straight away from the engine. You should not feel any movement. If you do the steering head should be serviced, repack the bearings and retorque the steering head. This is accomplished by removing the top clamp on the tree to expose the spanner nuts under the clamp holding the steering head in place. Loosen the spanner nuts and allow the front end to lower out of the neck. The lower bearing generally comes out with the front end. Clean the old grease out and repack with white lithium grease. Remove the upper bearing with your fingers and clean and pack. Reassemble in the reverse order. The lower spanner should be torqued to as I recall 34 ft lbs. to seat the bearing and then loosened to 6 ft lbs. I tighten hard and then back off until the front end has no play forward and back and will fall slowly to lock on either side then place the upper locking spanner nut on finger tight with the rubber spacer between the spanner nuts and reassemble the top clamp.