alexwitham wrote:Needing to do this as got a wobble from the front end and a click when I am stationary and push down on the forks - suspected head race.

How easy is it? Any specialist tools required?

Detailed how-to available as this would be a first for me.

Thanks

Alex

Clicking can also be the floating brake disks roating / and or the mudgard moving about, i had this phantom noise I was convinced was head bearings, i was using the front brake to stop the bike from moving while pressing the front, this was rattling the front discs.

If you are going to strip it, clean it up and check the bearings for wear, for the price you can get new ones and replace as they are cheap enough, dont break them when installing them, pleanty of guides on the net if you do a google search, they are all pretty much the same.

well, my bike make a clicking noise every time i moved the steering left or right, i thought it was just some of the cables moving about with the steering. then obviously things got worse.... and worse.. to the point that the steering would no longer turn... or turn by itself from the vibrations of the road when riding. so i stripped everything and checked my races... now where that picture...

aah here it is.




soo yeah. its not hard to do with a hayens, and its worth doing... the whole steering not turning properly and moving about by itself happened when i was actually on the road...almost died.

Alex its worth noting that OE ball race bearings are easier to fit so for the few extra quid there worth buying over the taper bearings. Even with freezing the stem and heating of the bearings you still need to drift the bearing into place and with the OE bearing you can remove the inner race so you can drift it on without risk of damaging the bearings, with the tapers you can't and therefore risk damage.

Sorry to thread jack, but saves starting another,

My head bearing are new fitted 500miles ago, and id over tightened them,

So ive disassembled checked the races and bearings cleaned and regreased.

Now

I cant work out whats to tight and what isnt.

I have tapers from wemoto btw

Tar very much luv

porndoguk wrote:Sorry to thread jack, but saves starting another,

My head bearing are new fitted 500miles ago, and id over tightened them,

So ive disassembled checked the races and bearings cleaned and regreased.

Now

I cant work out whats to tight and what isnt.

I have tapers from wemoto btw

Tar very much luv

Steering head bearing adjuster nut 50Nm
Steering stem nut 140Nm
for VFR 400

for RVF 400 its 25Nm and 105Nm

I'll say it again, DO NOT TORQUE TAPER HEADRACE BEARINGS! Just nip them up to take out the play, any kind of torque will crush them. The torque settings in the manual are for OE ball race bearings.

Ricky, id say if you've already torqued the taper bearing up then its goosed, replace it.

oh okay, i have tapered install in mine, but i never torqued them as i dont have a torque wrench that goes down to 50Nm. mines a big torque wrench :\ i just tightened mine using a normal wrench, cant remember how much force i used. but, it seems to be fine.

Surely if they're over tightened, regardless if that ball bearing races done above the book torque, or tapers done much above what's need to take any play out, the yokes will feel excessively stiff to turn? I once got an MOT advisory on that, although on inspection subsequently by two other qualified MOT mechanics I've been told they're fine!

Drunkn Munky wrote:I'll say it again, DO NOT TORQUE TAPER HEADRACE BEARINGS! Just nip them up to take out the play, any kind of torque will crush them. The torque settings in the manual are for OE ball race bearings.

Ricky, id say if you've already torqued the taper bearing up then its goosed, replace it.

LOL to the caps after Xmans post.
and ersan its 55Nm isnt it

No never torqued only ever by hand with C spanner.

I just went to far last time there seems to be no inbetween to tight rough gritty movement, to lose and i fear ill have to dismante again to adjust,