New headstock bearings...but

[reillypadraig]

Fitted new headstock bearings, but now feels heavy, at slow speeds like turning a cruise ship, like as if front wheel was flat, but it's different bearings, old 1's were the ball bearings, new 1 is the roller bearings, much more of a surface to move against? Old bearing had like 12 balls in them? New rollers have like 25-30? Maybe just extra surface friction?

[Punkstig]

Sounds like they've been over tightened to Me!

[reillypadraig]

Possibly, I have knocked it back half a turn though since

[Dave48]

There are 2 settings for the headstock bearings. The first(high)setting preloads the bearings. The second is a much lower torque value. Then finally tighten the top nut to recommended figure-see Haynes manual for torque values.

[reillypadraig]

Torque values are all well and good, but I'm lacking the torque c-spanner as they call it, so can only do abit of guess work,
It hasn't made the bike un-monuverable , I guess it's what it would feel like if I had a steering damper on?

[reillypadraig]

Am I being abit hasty?? I have only done 4 mile on the bike since new headstock went in, bedding in period necessary for this replacement?
It's my first go at this so am willing to hold my hands up and say I made a balls of it, lol

[Paul]

I would simply back off the nut as far as is possible (making sure there is no free play in the headstock) and the bearings should turn easily.


Mate of mine put roller bearings in his fazer (FZ6) headstock and reported no problems.

[JoeRock]

You've adjusted them to tight mate - shouldn't be any resistance to them at all.Get the front of the bike in the air, loosen off the bearing adjuster nut. Then tighten it so that all up and down motion in the yokes is gone, and then an extra 1/4 to 1/2 turn. Ride for a week or so, then check them (they do have a bit of a break in time)

[reillypadraig]

I done that, they were too tight, fixed now, but will have to recheck in few days