Clonking from somewhere around the head stock?

[airheadPete]

I'm with Bones. Completely tore my front end and fairing down, rebuilt the forks with RPM valve and springs, fixed fairing damage, etc, etc. Still clonks going over the tracks near the house.
Just looked down, said "You bastard!" and kept riding.

[nurse]

I am so glad that I can notch this up one of those FJ personality traits (like the whistling fuel filler).  I shall now ride on without worry and do my best to ignore it (until something falls off and I suddenly realise I should acted sooner!!)

I thought from previous occasions when this was brought up that it was common.

Mine has "clonked" for 80,000kms, it's not head stem bearings. For one, I know mine are adjusted and two, they don't make a sound like that.
I'm used to it, I don't hear it any more, that is until some bastard mentioned it a few days back in the middle of a trip and I had to listen to it for next few thousand Km's, thanks a lot.

Noel

Ribbert clonk I clonk can clonk only clonk apologise clonk for clonk having clonk drawn clonk your clonk attention clonk back clonk to clonk this clonk problem clonk. I clonk promise clonk I clonk won't clonk mention clonk it clonk again clonk. Hopefully clonk you clonk will clonk stop clonk noticing clonk it clonk soon clonk.

Sometimes trying to be funny while typing on an iPad is a right PITA, it wants to auto correct every clonk to a clink, just did it again, f**ker

[movenon]

No clinking, clunking, knocking, rattling, banging, rattling, wheel wobble, shaking, shimmying, etc. here. I can take my gutter head on as fast as I can reasonably go and get stopped in 50 feet.  The front end just more or less floats (no banging) over the gutter.  In that scenario I use about 4 1/2" of travel.  I use plastic wire ties on the fork tubes and check the over all travel quiet often especially after a hard ride and have yet to bottom out.  The ties give me a visual as to how the forks are working as far as preload setting, spring rate and travel.  For me I figure if the factory gives me 6 inchs of travel then under the hardest of conditions I like to use 4  1/2 -5 inchs of it. 

When setting up my forks I came close "bottoming" one time then realized that with the forks fully extended I measured from the seal up to the lower triple clamp and only had 4 inches,  readjusted the fork tubes in the clamps so now I have a full 5 7/8  inch's of travel with the forks fully extended.  As a quick and dirty measurement my bike on the center stand has 5 3/4 from the top of the seal to the bottom of the lower triple clamp.

Another observation.  My original fork springs with as best I can tell 30,000 miles on them were sacked.  I have forgotten the measurements but it was clear they were short.  I replaced them with race tech straight rate springs as per there recommendation (for me 95Kg) and set the preload as per there spec's. 

The only two times I have had a clunking sound in the front (one BMW and one FJ) the problem was in the head bearing area.  Neither one could I feel any movement by pulling or wiggling around the forks.  The FJ I put new bearings and races in and after a short while on the road I had a slight clunk and adjusted the nut up from memory 1/8 to 1/4 turn which isn't much and it went away. 

Sorry if I got off topic a bit. 

George

[novaraptor]

"I thought a disc lock would be a very good idea to prevent my bike being rolled off. I went to the local motorcycle shop to purchase one. "Sorry said the owner I used to carry them but not anymore." Why not I asked? "To many guys leaving the bar and forgetting they were on there and damaging their bikes""

Most of the ones you buy have a plastic coil with end loops that you hang on your bars to remind you. But the best disk locks I have found are the ones with the alarm built in. That way, when you get on your bike, the alarm sounds, reminding you. Of course, I also use the coil..