Query approved

Looks like a bad or loose head stem bearing. Sit on the bike, put in neutral. Plant both feet on the ground, grab a handful of the front brakes & rock the bike back & forth with force.
If you hear a clicking/knocking sound/feel from the head area at the start or end of the rocking motion then you may have loose head bearings!
Ask them to change it under warranty or torque it with the specs. (not with what they think as it would find its way loose)
Dont have the Service manual for R15 but if you look around, you may be able to find articles and tools needed to check and adjust it.
Apart from that, it *could* be misaligned forks but if its present since you first bought it, chances are slim.

You might want to look into your bike's conekit. Located below the handlebar. Basically its like a ball bearing. If its busted then youll hear a "tak" noise when the front fork experiences sudden compression. Worse with higher tire pressure because the front is more rigid and transfers all the shock to the cone kit.
I might be wrong but based on what your feedback, changing the cone kit would probably solve the issue .. Hope it helps ..

Pivot Works steering stem bearing installation - YouTube

Watch the video. You might get some info though it's a different bike. In the video at 0:58, what he is loosening is the thing your svc uses to tighten the handle. I had this same problem in my Twister. When I complain they tight it. And it appear after a few braking. After a few times, the nut(in our bikes it seems to be a bolt) at 0:40 got kaput. The thread in the stem also got damaged. So I bought a new bolt, rethread the stem at a workshop, bought those ball bearing sets and replaced them at local workshop. Total cost is around Rs750. The ball bearings (knows as cone set here) cost me around <400. R15's should cost much more than that. But after doing everything if I put it in center stand and move the handle freely, It's tight near either sides. The mechanic has nothing more left to do To sum it up, I'm not totally satisfied.

how old is your bike?

check and adjust/replace cone set.

also check fork alignment and proper functioning.

My bike is completing 3 years on coming 26th June and kilometer-wise she is 56500 kms old (calling her "old" is very painful coz she is still very new in my heart )

When you said that the handle gives a jerk at the joint did you mean both bars or a specific side(Asking this since the R15 has clip ons).When the SVC guys tighten the handle bar(If it is a problem with a specific side) and you find the problem temporarily supressed, next time you go to the SVC take some thread sealant(A sticky compound available at most hardware stores ) with you and ask them to feed some of it into the threading of the screw/bolt which is getting undone.

The jerk and sound I here is at the center joint which couples your handle with the delta box frame and not at the left of right clip-on

@rixBhp
Thanks for the video bro, many time I myself thought taking of the handle and see whats wrong at the joint but couldn't dare to do because I do not understand about the assembly in that area and its a critical mechanical part of the bike.

@ashwin208 and @WarpSpeed
Thanks for the suggestion guys. During my next service(which is not far away) I will ask SVC guys to specially look (as they haven't done in past 3 years and I am sure wont do in future with out being told) for loose head stem bearing and a conekit and replace them if they have got problems.

Will post my replies here soon

Handle had a play almost from past 3 years due to which unable to enjoy her ride in city area. Every time SVC guys just tightened the handle as a temporary fix and the issue continued to persist
Had 17th service today and replaced the cone-kit as suggested by Ashwin. Following are the details of the Cone-kit
Sr.No | Item | Quantity | Price(including tax)


1 | Race, Ball 1 | 1 |Rs 148
2 | Race, Ball 2 | 1 |Rs 230
3 | Cover, Ball Race 2 | 1 |Rs 37
4 | Retainer, Ball Bearing | 1 |Rs 152
5 | Bearing, Steering up | 1 |Rs 874
6 | Bearing | 1 |Rs 2139



Rode the bike from SVC to office(approx 8-9kms), didn't felt a play at all even in the pot holes. Bike was feeling as if she was brand new 3 years ago . Felt like my problem is resolved (thanks to Ashwin), but before confirming I would like to keep it under test for next 100kms at-least.



Total cost of the kit was around Rs 3580, and this cost will at all not matter to me if I find that play has gone out of my babes handle because I remember the annoyingness of riding her with the play on the non smooth surfaces and sudden potholes

I am surprised with this info. And also after you got the cone set changed. Di you ever met with an accident or banged the front tyre to some hard surface. Seems you may have to check the T-stem. As I havent experienced this kind of issue ever though my bike is going to do 40K and I have ridden it extensively for touring and in city. Yes now I would get the cone set changed for the first time.

imrandkhan Why was this not covered under warranty if issue was there since day 1. Just curious....

Unfortunately I had this issues since very long, may be since the time when my bike was just one months old . And it wasn't due to any accident because I didn't had any till march 2012.
I am finding this issue being disappeared after the replacement of the cone-kit. I road the bike for 400kms after the replacement and not feeling any sort of play in the handle. Mistakenly banged in two pot holes(u can easily find them on Pune streets), driven on rough surfaces(just to see if new cone-kit is doing its job) and had 180km long ride as well. Till now no sign of the handle play


Tough to answer your question buddy, I should have argued with the SVC guys at the beginning itself but every time they cheated me with some temporary fixes and I myself don't understand how I always went trusting them . Honestly speaking, by the time my bike passed warranty kms(in less than 1.5 years) I myself was not knowing much about of the R15 (mechanically) and what treatment is required for which parts (even today I am in the same state ). SVC guys took advantage of my inadequate knowledge and succeeded in fooling me for almost 3 years . I shown this problem at two other SVC, those guys also did the similar temporary fixes and problem continued. Was so fed-up that last few servicing I literally told SVC people that "change whatever is required to be changed, let it cost anything, just get me this issue resolved" still those dumb people failed to give solution.
I wasn't able to decide the solution on my own, recently started browsing XBHP and then thought of posting the problem here. Good hearted guys like Ashwin and WarpSpeed(that's his profile name) replied to my post and suggested the solutions.

Thanks a ton to Ashwin and WarpSpeed

Re: How to fix &quot;Handle Play&quot; for R15?

I have the same problem. This is the third time I'm replacing it. Is the cone kit for R15 available in SKF Brand ?

Re: How to fix &quot;Handle Play&quot; for R15?

Dear All,

Even i am facing the handle play with CBZ Xtreme .Replaced the cone set and T joint with original hero product even then after tighting the cone set handle again gain play within two three days of riding.

Require your help to overcome this problem.