Headstock Nut Working Loose
Owner/reviewer report (not Voge-verified). Two long-term test bikes, RiDE's and MCN's, had the headstock nut or bolt work loose. MCN's mechanic found no thread lock on it. Check for steering play as part of your routine inspections.
Source: owner/reviewer reports. The loosening reports come from RiDE and MCN, not a Voge service bulletin. The DS900X manual references below describe the steering assembly; they do not establish the cause of the reported problem.
What was reported
RiDE reported that the headstock nut worked loose during its 3,400-mile long-term test of a 2024 DS900X. It does not say how it was found or what was done about it.
MCN's long-term DS900X had the same problem in 2026. On a long ride the tester heard an occasional clonk from the front end, then saw the headstock bolt gradually unwinding. A mechanic tightened it and found that no thread lock had been applied. MCN adds that this is not the first Voge it has heard of doing this.
Neither report says which of the steering fasteners was involved.
What the manuals say
The English owner's manual, on p. 89 (printed page 85), lists two M35×1 steering-stem locking nuts and a separate M28×1 locking fastener at the upper yoke. Its adjustment wording for the locking nuts is: loosen the first piece by 1/4 turn at 5.0 N·m, then fasten it to 35 N·m; the second piece is 2 N·m, with the groove aligned.
The DS900X manuals give different values: the chassis workshop manual, on p. 38 (printed page 32), labels the lower/upper locking-nut row M26 and prints 50 ± 5 N·m, a 45° return, 35 N·m, and 2 N·m. Both the thread size and the adjustment wording differ from the owner's manual. We cannot verify the reason for the difference, so have the dealer identify the affected fastener and confirm the procedure before anything is tightened.
Checking for play
The chassis workshop manual p. 40 (printed page 34) describes the check: hold the bike upright on a stand and pull the front wheel in the directions shown in its illustration.
A clunk or play means the steering needs inspecting, but it does not prove that a particular nut has loosened. If you notice play, stiffness or notchy steering, have the steering assembly checked before riding further. Do not use another model's preload procedure.
If you find it loose
Contact your dealer. Ask them to identify the loose fastener, inspect the steering bearings and confirm the DS900X procedure, and ask whether the work is covered by warranty. The two reports below are useful background to bring along. The DS900X torque reference reproduces the owner's manual wording; the difference from the workshop manual still has to be resolved for your bike.
Sources
- RiDE - 2024 Voge DS900X: What we've learned after 3400 miles: headstock nut worked loose.
- MCN long-term test - Welcome to spec savers (August 2026): headstock bolt unwinding, no thread lock.
- DS900X owner's manual (English), PDF page 89, printed page 85: steering fastener table.
- DS900X chassis workshop manual (English), PDF page 38, printed page 32: steering adjustment table; PDF page 40, printed page 34: bearing-play check.