Headstock bearings

Just had the required annual MOT test on my swing, all well as i anticipated, but I did have an "advisory" on a notchy headrace bearing. All Hondas seem to suffer from undergreasing in this area!

Anyone else noticed this issue or had to swap the bearings or done a regrease?

I am not going to worry, as the steering is fine, hell the rubbish front forks are far more of a problem to the handling!

Notch in Japanese Steering head bearing, long a problem---especially if there are free balls and cone-----at least temp fix and sometimes long term--- loosen everything up a little, including pinch bolts on top of steering crown, front axle a tad too, back off stem nut and then cone nut a little until notch goes away------shot of WD40 at top and bottom can give hardened grease new life. Then of course tighten everything, probably leaving front axle stuff to last until you have moved fork up and down a few times.

Now....and of course if the only way you can get the notch out is to have the bearing way loose.....check with bike on centerstand, fork legs in hand pulling back and forth....free play felt, re-adjust....and hope for best.


From pure safety and riding standpoint....steering head bearings too tight or notched.......very difficult to ride at super slow speeds for skilled rider....the unskilled may not notice as they have enough trouble anyway until they have built up the miles.

OMG! Mr. Grinsel. Do you have any idea how much anxiety & worrying your otherwise informative post has just caused Mr. Dimond?

Jeez, talk about unintended consequences and collateral damage I do hope you are up to answering his new stream of inquiries on this one.

Tim

john grinsel wrote:

Notch in Japanese Steering head bearing, long a problem---especially if there are free balls and cone-----at least temp fix and sometimes long term--- loosen everything up a little, including pinch bolts on top of steering crown, front axle a tad too, back off stem nut and then cone nut a little until notch goes away------shot of WD40 at top and bottom can give hardened grease new life. Then of course tighten everything, probably leaving front axle stuff to last until you have moved fork up and down a few times.

Now....and of course if the only way you can get the notch out is to have the bearing way loose.....check with bike on centerstand, fork legs in hand pulling back and forth....free play felt, re-adjust....and hope for best.


From pure safety and riding standpoint....steering head bearings too tight or notched.......very difficult to ride at super slow speeds for skilled rider....the unskilled may not notice as they have enough trouble anyway until they have built up the miles.

john grinsel wrote:

Notch in Japanese Steering head bearing, long a problem---especially if there are free balls and cone-----at least temp fix and sometimes long term--- loosen everything up a little, including pinch bolts on top of steering crown, front axle a tad too, back off stem nut and then cone nut a little until notch goes away------shot of WD40 at top and bottom can give hardened grease new life. Then of course tighten everything, probably leaving front axle stuff to last until you have moved fork up and down a few times.


From pure safety and riding standpoint....steering head bearings too tight or notched.......very difficult to ride at super slow speeds for skilled rider....the unskilled may not notice as they have enough trouble anyway until they have built up the miles.

Cheers John, some damned useful tips in there, especially the WD40 one! Not come across that before I tend to use a squirt of light chain/bearing lube (not bike chain lube!) for such tasks in the past. I know i need to tweak the front forks a tad as the bars are not quite true after I had the forks out last year to swap the oil, so I can see a mornings worth of little jobs coming up, with oil changes etc as well.

Love the final para!!