Headstock bearings

headgear · Post by **headgear** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 12:06 pm

Hi all, any body know haw to adjust the headstock bearings please/ if I have to stop suddenly I sometimes get a crack sound, a bit like a twig snapping but metalic sounding. All help appreciated.

Stratman · Post by **Stratman** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 5:49 pm

Ah, yes. Pain in the butt really - can't nderstand why someone hasn't come up with a better way of doing these things.

You will have to be able to raise the front wheel off the ground at some stage - I use a trolley jack under the sump.

You can do it without removing the fairing. Place cloths/gaffa tape on the top of the fairing, as you will need to rest the clip ons there in a bit and they can scratch (believe me, I know.

Remove the clip ons

Remove the top yoke nut (need plenty big socket)

You will now see the two castellated ring adjusters. You need two C spanners to unlock and move them.

Raise the bike, drop the forks by unscrewing the nuts so you can inspect the bearings, as you may as well do this and regrease them now.

Tighten them up, but not too tight. There is a Honda tool which you can get and torque correctly, but I have never had one.

Replace top yoke and torque down. Check there is no play/not too tight. At first they will probably be too tight, so repeat last few steps.

I found the original ball bearings a pain to keep right but replaced the top and bottom bearings with tapers and they are much better, but if you are going to do that, suggest you buy a Haynes manual as its all in there.

tony.mon · Post by **tony.mon** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:56 pm

Use M&P tapered head bearings, that way you won't have to do it all again in a few months (for wheely monkeys) or two years (for those who don't /can't.
Just my opinion, don't take offence, I'm one of those who can't.

Stratman · Post by **Stratman** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:26 am

tony.mon · Post by **tony.mon** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 11:58 am

You'll also need to undo the handlebars and rest them on rags on the bodywork, unbolt the brake calipers from the legs, leaving them hanging. Remove wheel.

If you then undo the fixing on the lower fork triple which holds the brake line the you can get away without taking the brake lines out.

Just make a careful note of where the brake lines and other cables go (in front of/behind each leg) otherwise it's easy to snag a cable on full lock.

This method means you can work around the bodywork, which I always find is a pig to get off and put back on single-handed.

By the way, protect your tank when tightening/loosening the headstock nut, it's easy to ding the tank with the socket handle.

Stormin Ben · Post by **Stormin Ben** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 12:34 am

tony.mon wrote: This method means you can work around the bodywork, which I always find is a pig to get off and put back on single-handed.

Then you need a bit more practice
I can do mine with my eyes closed in under 5mins
But then I have done quite a lot of track days

Post by **sirch345** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:06 am

Stormin Ben wrote:
tony.mon wrote: This method means you can work around the bodywork, which I always find is a pig to get off and put back on single-handed.
Then you need a bit more practice
I can do mine with my eyes closed in under 5mins
But then I have done quite a lot of track days

I'm like you Ben in the sense I don't find it a problem. The hardest part I find is getting the fairing past the rads

One thing I do which imo makes it a little easier is I remove the top alloy bracket (above the radiator on the righthand side) completely before removing the fairing.

Chris.

LotusSevenMan · Post by **LotusSevenMan** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:42 am

Last time I did this job re head bearing I took the tank off as:- a) it saved any damage from a dropped spanner etc and b) lightened the weight of the front end a great deal (as there was a fair bit of fuel in the tank at the time).
Good Luck