Play In Head Bearing

[edgas250]

ive got play in my head bearings, how do i go about changing them?

[jse]

ive got play in my head bearings, how do i go about changing them?

There's a good chance you may not need to change them. Prop the bike up on the sump guard and take off the upper triple clamp and unscrew the retainer on top of the steering stem. Drop the stem down a little so you can clean and inspect the lower bearing (don't forget the outer race up in the headstock). If the bearing rollers/outer race are smooth and not pitted and the bearing is not rusted and in good shape pack the rollers with some good waterproof grease and smear a little up on the outer race. Don't forget to inspect the o-rings that seal the headstock, top and bottom. The lower bearing takes most of the load so take your time inspecting that one.

Setting steering stem bearing preload is like truing rims, go slow, take your time and expect to adjust 3 or 4 times until it's right. Leave the upper triple clamp bolts loose so the upper clamp can move up or down minutely when changing the preload setting. Start by spinning on the adjuster ring till it lightly bottoms and them back it off a little and install the clamp and top fastener to maybe 20-24 ft lbs or 27-32 Nm and the rotate the forks to see if they drag too much (you'll want a very slight drag) at which time you'll want to back off the adjuster ring a little and try again. If they are free, grab the front forks and push/pull to see if there is any play and adjust accordingly untill you get the right combination. Don't forget to tighten the upper clamp capscrew bolts.

If the bearings are trashed, let us know. I have a special puller I made to get that lower bearing off the steering stem and I bet riders have a few tricks they've developed to get that bearing off.

Jon