Steering Head Bearing Replacement FAQ
compiled & edited by Kristian #562
updates edited by PDuffy#1244 & Kristian #562
Please read the Disclaimer before attempting any work in this FAQ.

• Steering Head Bearing Replacement

• More Detailed Bearing Information

• Steering Head Check and Bearing Relube (NOT Replacement)

• Classic Feedback

• Differences for the GS

• Are SHB Warranty Work?

Steering Head Bearing Replacement
by Kristian #562
15/10/01

General:

As often reported on the Message Board, the F sometimes came with a less-than-desirable amount of Grease from the Factory, resulting in "Notchy" bearings after about 20-25K Miles, but sometimes earlier.

Check FIRST however that your tires aren't just worn.

• That is typical of worn tires. Be sure to check the tire air pressure. I recommend at least 34 pounds in the front and 36 to 38 in the rear. Richard #230

• I've been doing a bunch of maintenance to my '94 classic in preparation for a trip and I'm struggling to decide if the steering head bearings are on the way out. The bike has done 22000 k's and has a very small amount of play in the bearings. The thing that's got me thinking something's 'amiss' is a 'click' sound close to the end of the lock each side when I turn the bars with weight on the front wheel. The FAQ suggests a notchy feeling in the middle, but mine is smooth in the middle. I did tighten the handle bar rubber bushes. Cam

• If you do feel that there is a notch in the middle you could just loosen the locking nut under the bolt a bit. This is what the guy before me did, which made me not discover that it was bad until many weeks after I bought it. They say it is a common trick, before selling, to loosen it up a bit, so that it is difficult to feel that the bearing is bad. Spakur

• Put the bike on the center stand. Either have someone push down on the luggage rack or else use a jack (and a board) to jack up the front end just so the front wheel is off the ground. (Note: jack too far and you'll raise it off the centerstand and it'll go thump.) Squat in front of the front wheel and grasp the ends of the axle, one in each hand. Pull the axle toward you and push it away. If you feel ANY play, your steering head is too loose. You want to tightening your steering head with the wheel similarly off the ground. You want to tighten it so that with the wheel facing forward, knocking the handlebars in either direction will cause the wheel to turn to its stop, just barely. If it goes BUMP, that is too loose. If it feels like maybe the cables are what is keeping it from going all the way, it is juuuust right. Be aware that when you tighten the top nut, it will generally tighten the steering head up ever so slightly more. After the steering head is properly tightened, THEN you can feel for the notch, again with the wheel off the ground. If you feel the notch, replace the bearings. Flash 412 (CO)

• The clicking can be just a cable flicking past an obstruction. Kristian#562

Tools:

You MUST also get the Lower "Rubber Washer" with the Metal Backing Plate that sits underneath the bottom Bearing.

• It’ll either get cooked with the heat or you will damage it getting off the bottom bearing.  The washer is to protect the bottom bearing, but is not intended to be really tight seal. It's called a "Gasket Ring", only costs US$3 and is BMW part # 31 42 2 345 287. NOTE:!! My bike and Jean #636 had a Gasket Ring ONLY under the Bottom Bearing. However Mark #403 notes: "There are definitely two rubber/metal washers (Gasket Rings), one upper and one lower. the drawings only show a lower one, but the parts list for the drawing notes a qty of 2....and my bike definitely had 2, plus the rubber cover. If I were you, I'd buy another one and install it when you can. Shouldn't be too difficult, since you only have to remove the upper triple clamp to get at it. Even WITH an upper seal, I ended up with water
  sitting on the lower bearing, which is obviously why they failed (rust). I wonder if originally they were only using one, and changed to two later....".

The rubber boot/cover on top is part # 31 42 2 345 290. (Again many thanks to Mark #403 for supplying parts details). However the old one can be reused!

Tightening Torques:

• 2# Allen Bolts Front Brake Calliper to Fork leg 50Nm
• 4# Clamp Nuts Wheel to Front Axle Clamp 12Nm
• 1# Front Axle 80Nm
• 4# Clamp Screws at Handlebar Mount 25Nm (Under Black Covers)
• 1# Circular Slotted Nut (Tighten with the C-Spanner) - Zero Play
• 1# Steering Bearing Locknut 30mm 40Nm (on Top of Triple Tree)
• 2# Fork Clamp Screws on Fork Bridge 25Nm (Holding Triple Tree to Forks), Marked Yellow.

Note: Spakur's 1995 F Manual says 32Nm on the 2# Allen Bolts Front Brake Calliper to Fork Leg so Check the year of your Bike.!

Feeling Whether it’s really needed:

• The Wheel Bearing Tip "Feeling for Worn Bearings" doesn’t work with the steering head bearings because you can’t get your finger in there to feel them.  The Manual describes grabbing the front forks at about the hub of the front wheel and pulling them horizontally back and forward, which might work if they are terribly loose, but I reckon "notchy" is another feeling.  The thing is it’s NO GOOD just taking the weight off the front wheel and testing your steering back and forth because the load then goes only on the Upper Bearing and the UPPER bearing doesn’t normally get that much load.  If you think about these bearings, because they are tapered, it’s the bottom one that gets most of the hammering.  So you need to devise someway of being able to turn the front forks WITH the weight on the forks, i.e.  over the bottom bearing.  I did this by putting the front wheel on a slippery surface and with the weight over the front wheel, turning the steering.  DEFINITELY notched.  So where do you expect to feel the Notch.?  Well unless you’re driving around in CIRCLES all day my guess is that your bike’s steering spends most of its time IN THE MIDDLE and that’s where the Notch is.

• Give the steering head bearings the "Ouiji board" test. Bike on centerstand, support the bike with front wheel off the ground. Put ONLY four fingertips of each hand on each handlebar grip. Slowly turn the bars from lock to lock, paying particular attention when you pass through the "straight ahead" zone. That's where you'll likely find a "notch". Use your fingertips (like Ouiji board) to feel any notchiness through the grips. This is exactly how my bike felt before I replaced the (BAD) steering head bearings last winter (haven't got it out this year yet). BTW, check the Jesse bags for tightness of mounting to the rack...they can be adjusted to make them snug, if necessary. Marty #436

• One thing no one else has mentioned - if you squirt some wd40 into the head bearings and the wobble goes away or changes then you probably have dried grease and need to re-pack mike410(Iowa). (This only tells you about the Grease, not the wear).

Sequence:

You will need to remove in order, The Tank, The Front Wheel & Attached Brake Line & Odometer Cable, the Handlebar (Unless you have the BMW tool), the Triple Tree Fork Clamp Bolts, the 30mm Triple Tree Nut, The Triple Tree, The Upper Bearing Slotted Nut (Using C-Spanner), the Front Forks and FINALLY the Steering Head Bearings (Outer Races (2# in Frame), Inner Race, 1 # on Shaft.  Sounds a lot but it goes fine if you work your way slowly through it.!

Tank: Removal

This will allow MUCH better access to the steering head.  To do this you should first turn OFF the GAS petcock.  Also remove the SEAT.  Preferably done with an almost empty Gas Tank. 

See the Gas Tank Removal-Replacement FAQ for photos and detailed procedure for the Gas Tank Removal

Front Wheel (& Attached Cables & Lines) Removal:

You need to do this because otherwise you can’t get the forks LOW enough to get the Steering Head Shaft out of the Frame.  You could conceivably drop it into a pit, but front wheel removal is so quick and you really don’t want to be putting bearings onto a shaft that has a wheel at the bottom.

1. Place the Bike on the Centrestand & Prop the Bike Under the Engine.  You might like to remove the Plastic.!  “Bash Plate” to do this.  Prop it with something stable, i.e.  build up a Pile of Bricks.  Alternatively you CAN Tie Down the rear of the bike to a couple of tie down points, because after you get the front wheel & Fork off, the weight distribution is over the back wheel anyway. 
2. Remove the Plastic Cover to the Front Brake (Small Allen key Bolts) and LOOSEN but do not remove the large Allen Bolts that Hold the front Brake onto the Lower Fork Leg.
3. Undo the connection of the Brake Line and the Odometer Cable from the Semi-Circular Splash Plate (8mm Bolts) under the front fairing.  All the Parts attached the Forks should now be free of the forks.  Unclip the (Electrical) Horn Spade Connector.  You also need to get that Circular Black Splash Plate off too.
4. Remove the front wheel.  You do not need to completely remove the four SMALL 10mm nuts, Front Axle Clamp Nuts just loosen them sufficiently to get the Front Wheel Bolt (8mm Allen) Undone and pulled out.  That way you won’t lose the little suckers.  Ease the front wheel off, taking care the disc gets past the Brake.  Careful that you do NOT Squeeze the FRONT Brake at any time during this repair as the Brake Piston will Pop out when the disc is free.  You can Push it back in by hand but not too far.
5. Now remove the (8mm Allen) Bolts holding the front brake on. You might like to tie up the calliper a bit so it doesn't hang down and kink the brake line somewhere.
6. Protect all the wiring/cables/plastic with heavy aluminum foil (heat protection) before heating the steering head area

Removing the Handlebars:

1. Prise off the plastic Handlebar Mount covers and Mark the Position of the handlebars with respect to the Mounts with a Pen.  Use an Allen Key to remove the Allen Key Bolts holding the handlebar on.  Remember that the arrows, when putting it back, should be in the driving direction, meaning straight ahead.
2. You do not need to remove all the cable & Lines to the Handlebars, simply Tie the whole lot back to your Windscreen or Dash, but put a Cloth over them first.  Take CARE you do not bend any of the lines or cables, i.e. use as large a radius as possible.  Don’t Grab the Brake Lever.!  To do this feed each line that is both attached to the Handlebars AND enclosed inside the two black holding bars beside the Ignition key, OUT of this holding area.  They will be much longer and freer to work with.

If you have the BMW 30mm Tool, I guess you can skip this as the Triple Tree Fork Bridge will come off with the Handlebar Mounts & Handlebars attached, but frankly taking off the Handlebars is not a Large Problem.

Removing the Forks:

1. Undo the 6mm Allen Key Bolts CLAMPING the Triple Tree to the Forks i.e. Clamp nuts, marked yellow. (Do NOT remove the Large Aluminium Caps off the Forks). Marty #436 provided this annotated Photo of the Triple Clamp Top and Sides. You do not need to undo the LOWER Triple clamp bolts only the upper ones.
2. Undo the 30mm Nut between the Handlebar Mounts. Fork Bridge Clamp Nut. (Do not worry the Forks won’t drop out until the Slotted Nut that you undo with the C-Spanner is undone).
3. Ease off the Triple Tree. If it doesn't come off
4. Undo the Slotted Nut with the C-Spanner and get someone to HOLD the forks up until you’re done then get them to gently ease the Forks Downwards until the Fork Shaft is clear of the Frame.  If after you’ve undone the Slotted Nut the Forks Don’t drop out, use a rubber hammer to Tap the Top of the Shaft.  Normally I would recommend putting the nut back on the shaft and driving that but the thread is SO FINE and the NUT so thin I do NOT recommend it.
5. Now you should have set of forks with a bearing (Inner Race Only) on the lower part of the shaft.  The inner race of the Upper Bearing should just be sitting in the Outer race of the Upper Bearing.  You can take this out by hand.
6. Make sure you take a note of where your cables and lines are routed, you will need to put them all back later and the correct routing is important.!

Bearing Removal:

Bearing Removal is in two Parts: Outer Races (2#) and Inner Race 1# on the Shaft.  The Outer Races are like Steel Rings and are in the Frame at the Top & Bottom the of Headstock.

Outer Race Removal:

1. To remove the outer races grab your torch and Heat the FRAME around the Race (not the race itself).  Take care to NOT burn or scorch the Cables/Brake Lines etc.  i.e.  put some layers of Aluminium Foil Around them or sheet of Aluminium.  You CAN drive the Upper race COLD if you have a BFH (BIG HAMMER) and a LONG Drift, but it’s like pulling teeth.  You need the Drift in any case.  Wear GLOVES, thick cotton Garden gloves or Leather ones.
2. After applying the heat (Get them good and hot), Grab you LONG Drift and drive the Top Inner Race out from the Bottom, i.e.  stick the Long Drift in from underneath, through the bottom of the Steering Headstock and drive the Upper race out of the Top of the Frame.  Work your way around the circumference of the race until it pops out. Jean #636 notes: "The drift punch. I really fought hard dislodging the old outer races before using a Drift Punch with a 3/16" point. The one I used was made by DASCO Pro reference number 603-0. I am sure there are other tools you can use but this one made the job really easy. (for the Lower Bearing) the drift has to be at least 8-1/2" inches in length to go all the way through the frame tube."
3. Removal of the Lower outer Race is the same as for the Upper, just heat the Lower Frame AROUND the Race and drive it out using a drift placed in from the top, so that you drive the race out the BOTTOM of the (Frame) Headstock.
4. A good alternative, for those of you with access to a Welder, is to place a bead of weld around the RIM or the INSIDE of the OLD bearing race. When it cools, the bead of weld will try to contract and cause the Bearing to also contract, allowing it to be easily removed from the Headstock. 

Inner Race Removal:

The Upper inner race should already be out by now, so this is only relevant to the lower one, which is a tight fit on the shaft.

1. This one’s a bit more tricky.  If you bought a new Gasket Ring (the one under the Bearing) you can both heat and whack that and not worry.  Apply heat to the bearing, but clean all the GREASE off it first so it doesn’t smoke you to death and do it in a WELL VENTILATED AREA.  Heat it good and hot.
2. Lie the Steering Head Shaft and forks down on a Bench or on the floor, with the threaded end of the shaft hard up against a Solid Piece of Timber.  The threads are very fine so don’t drive against anything metal or concrete.  You will damage the threads.  Using a drift (or slide hammer if you can get the jaws on) drive the back of the bearing toward the threaded end of the shaft.  It’s hard to do without damaging that washer and the Bearing Race MUST Be HOT.  Wear Gloves.!
3. Alternatively, cut a piece of thick foil to shield the lower grease shield. Then place a length of thick walled tubing over the stem and run a weld with a mig welder around the tube/bearing. Then used a hammer and chisel on the weld to force it off.
4. Don't forget to take off the Rubber Gasket Ring if you damaged it.

Bearing Replacement:

Inner Race Replacement:

The Upper Inner Race Just Fits over the shaft without any hammering, so this is confined to the Lower Inner Race Only.

1. Put the Lower one on First. Don’t forget the Rubber Gasket Ring with the Steel backing goes on FIRST, Before the Bearing.  The Rubber side faces the bearing (i.e. up).  If you damaged it and are 1 Million miles from a new one, use some Silicone to seal the tear.  If you can, use Lots of Ice in a water bucket and place the Steering Shaft (With forks etc attached) in the Bucket to cool the Shaft of the Forks as much as possible before replacing the bearing.  Alternatively if you have access to some Liquid Nitrogen, spray some of that on...  :-).  JOKE, but if you do use it, careful it’ll take all the skin off your hand.
2. Place the Bearing Inner Race (It has the Rollers on it) over the shaft with the Rollers facing UP i.e.  Tapered so wide end is closest the Bottom of the forks) and let is slide down toward the Rubber Gasket Ring.  It will get stuck about an Inch or so above the Gasket Ring because the shaft is slightly bigger at that point.  Heat the Bearing with your Torch, Good and Hot JUST the Bearing.  Alternatively you can heat the Bearing First and WEARING your gloves, place it over the Cold Shaft and Drive it Straight away.  This way keeps the Shaft Cooler longer but you MUST be careful of the VERY HOT Bearing.  The best way to drive it is to use a piece of thick walled Pipe JUST larger than the shaft and drive that down onto the bearing.  A piece long enough to drive from the top above the threads is most ideal.  You don't HAVE to heat it, but it can make the job easier. Don’t Drive the needles or needle cage, drive the solid metal next to the shaft.  If you drive the needles or needle cage you will RUIN the bearing.  Don’t drive using a screwdriver.  Don’t use the OLD bearing it will get STUCK on the shaft.  Perhaps you can file out or sand out the old bearing so it is big enough to drive the old one without getting stuck, but test it FIRST.! Jean #686 notes: "Putting back the new lower bearing inner race I fought and swore long and hard again before getting a 1"x18" galvanized steel pipe with a rubber thingy on both ends at the local hardware store. It's apparently a plumber accessory. It rests nicely on the inside of the joint without touching the needles and it's long enough that you can hammer it without risk of hitting the top of the steering column. It then went down like butter. I used a heat gun but I am not absolutely convinced it was necessary."
3. Drive it all the way to the bottom until it comes up nice and hard against the stop above the Gasket Ring.  You will both feel and hear it when it reaches that point, it sorts of goes CLANG rather than THUD.  (You’ll know).!
4. Do NOT drive the bearing with the bottom of the SOFT Aluminium forks against something hard, straddle the forks OVER something that comes up against the MIDDLE of the LOWER fork brace.

Outer Race Replacement:

OK, these are relatively easy.

1. Make sure the outer races have been in the FREEZER for a while.  Place in a bucket of ICED water until you need them if your freezer is at the other end of the House.
2. Heat the Lower Frame at the Headstock around the Outer Race Location, Good and Hot.
3. Take the Race and drive it into the LOWER Frame THICK END FIRST.  i.e.  Thin end facing YOU.  If you get it right (HOT & COLD), it should slip in.  I used the thick end of the old race to drive it in but it got stuck and took a bit of hammering to get it out.  Use a piece of pipe or something JUST smaller than the diameter of the thin end of the race, but not a drift unless it’s very BIG or it will damage the thin end of the race. Difficult, because the end of the race you drive is thin.  It will also go clang when it’s in all the way and seated against the flange.
   
   Jean #686 notes: To drive in both the lower and upper outer race I used a PVC pipe 1-1/2 in diameter and a foot long. I did not want to use anything that was made of steel because I did not want to damage the races. It took a lot of hammering but it went in (and the PVC pipe looks now like it's been chewed on by a Doberman).
   
   I used the torch but also a can of air duster (I used this technique on the outer races also - removing and installing) for cooling - it was hard to get the lower race in because of the working position. I also used some duct tape and taped the old race to the new one, only on the inside of the race so the tape didn’t get stuck in there so I could focus on hitting it with the hammer. Spakur, Sweden.
    
4. The Upper Race is exactly the same, ALSO Thin End facing YOU.  i.e.  Thick end first.  Drive from the Top.

I had the forks off anyway for Fork Seals, I put the lower triple tree in the freezer overnight which worked very well. The bearing was then heated up and slid down with relative ease. A short length of suitably sized steel tube was used as a slide hammer to drive it home. Pat#1214

That’s your Bearings replaced!

Fork Replacement:

1. First GREASE LIBERALLY the Lower Inner and Outer Bearing Races with Hi-Temp Bearing Grease. (BMW#10 or similar.)
2. Insert Steering Shaft (With Forks Attached) in from the Bottom.  Get Someone to do this so you can Prop them with something under the bottom of the forks, so they stay put while you work on the top.  Make sure the Cluster of four nuts that lock the wheel shaft is on the RIGHT side and facing forward.  You cannot turn it later.!
3. Grease the Upper Inner and Outer Bearing Races with Hi-Temp Bearing Grease and pop the Upper Inner Race (Needles i.e. thin end of the Taper goes Down) over the end of the shaft and tap gently onto the shaft. This bearing should go on fairly easily.
4. Mine only had a lower Gasket Ring and so did Jean#636, but Mark #403 notes his had two, a lower and an upper. Perhaps rust protection.? At this stage the next item to go on is this Upper Gasket Ring, followed immediately by the Rubber Cover. Marty #436 provided this annotated Photo of the Sequence.
5. Screw on the Slotted Nut HAND TIGHT only at this stage.  This will stop the forks dropping out.
6. You’re not going to replace anything else at the moment, because we need to get the wheel back on so that we can get some weight back on the front of the bike, so that the correct adjustment of the Slotted Nut can be made.

Wheel and Cables & Lines Replacement.

1. Fit the ODO connection back into the hub and ease the wheel between the forks.  Screw in the Wheel Axle Shaft. The threads are on the left side.  Torque the Shaft.  Don’t forget the Washer on the BRAKE side of the Wheel.  The Brake Disk goes on the left, odo on the right, both looking forward.
2. Tighten the four 8mm nuts that clamp the Wheel Shaft.  These are safety nuts but they are very small.  Torque the TOP two first then the bottom ones.  There will be a GAP between the bottom shell and the fork frame after tightening these.  This is normal.  Don’t forget to Grease the ODO Connection and Shaft Before replacing.  Do not grease the part of the shaft under the 4 Nut Clamp.  Do NOT OVER TORQUE THESE TINY NUTS.!
3. Spread the Brake pads apart with a screw driver so that they will fit over the Brake disc.  Only the Outer pad next to the Piston will actually move so lever that one against the other one.  Place the Brake over Piston and Torque the two Allen Bolts Holding it on.  (You can also fit the Brake and then the wheel into the Brakes, the way you do if you have a flat tyre and you remove JUST the wheel.)
   
   IMPORTANT: When you replace the Front Brake Calliper, make sure the Bolt threads are clean and there are absolutely NO bits of Aluminium or any other dirt or swarf jammed in the threads. If there is, use a fine screwdriver and a wire brush to clean them thoroughly. In addition check there are no bits of Aluminium in the threads of the Calliper itself. Test that it can be wound all the way in BY HAND before tightening. If it jams going in by hand, take it out and check it and clean it again until you CAN screw it in BY HAND.
   
   The reasons should be apparent, however any small amount of Aluminium in the thread will start the bolt jamming. If you tighten it further with a socket or spanner, it can't screw in any more and starts ripping threads out. Then with more Aluminium now jammed in the threads, as you back it out it rips even more Aluminium out. You do not want this to happen. Really Bad Karma. Do not exceed the specified torque.
4. Reattach the Plastic Fork Brake Cover.
5. Reattach the Splash guard.  Reattach the Cable & Brake line connections on the lower fork legs and underneath the Splash Guard under the Front Fairing.  Re-attach the HORN Electrical Spade Connector.
6. Jean #636 notes: "It was difficult to make sure that all the cables were nicely back in place such as the odo cable in between the fork legs, not outside the right one (when seated on the bike), the brake line going under the ignition solenoid, and the throttle cable that goes under the tank in between the fork leg (not outside...) That may sounds stupid but when you get it wrong you have to undo the triple tree to (replace them right.". So true.! So look first before you undo it. Marty #436 provided this annotated Photo of the Cable Routing.

Triple Tree & Handlebar Clamp Replacement:

1. First you have to adjust the play in the Steering Bearings.  There should be “No Play”, but this doesn’t mean cranking up the Slotted Nut with an Almighty Force.  The Steering must be Free to turn without Jamming, but should still have NO PLAY.  So remove all the props under the bike and allow the weight to go back on the front wheel.  Rock the steering back and forth a couple of times to seat.  Tighten the Slotted Nut with the C-Spanner or a screwdriver in one of the Grooves, just Until it’s Little Finger Strength Tight but NO FORCE.  Test it a few times to feel if it Jams or if it is free.  (You can also adjust the Slotted Nut later on, it’s just a bit of a PITA to take off the handlebars again.) Some folks may like to put the Handlebars on first before tightening, to get the feel of the Steering, I just found it easier to get to without AND you need the BMW Socket to do this.
2. Place the Triple Tree over the Steering Shaft AND the Forks and Torque the 30mm Nut down onto the Slotted Nut.  Make sure the Triple Tree IS over the Forks before tightening the Nut.  The 30mm NUT MUST be tightened FIRST before the two fork leg clamps (marked with yellow splodge), or you will stress the Triple Tree.  Some folks use LOCTITE 248 (The removable one) on this Nut.  Not a Bad idea, but if you want to adjust it later you will need to reapply it. NOTE: Strictly speaking, it should be the LOWER Fork Clamps that you should undo, if you want to maintain EXACTLY the 3mm Upstand between the Top of the Fork Plug and the Triple Tree. But IMHO the movements are so small, (But that doesn't mean the induced bending stress is small) so I just undo the upper ones.
3. Torque the two fork leg clamps (RHS). (Allen Key Bolts). Here's the other one (LHS). Also (marked with yellow splodge).
4. Untie the Handlebars from the Windshield and Replace on the Handlebar Mounts.  Use your old marks for height.  Torque the Allen Keys down, rear ones first then the front (This is an opinion).  Replace the plastic covers.
5. Feed the Cables back into the retainers.  They should all be nice and loose on Full Lock, both ways.
6. Squeeze the Handbrake a few times to get the Pressure back on the Front Brake System.  (To avoid giving yourself a Heart attack when you drive off.)

Tank Replacement:

See the Gas Tank Removal-Replacement FAQ for photos and details.

That’s IT.!

Go for a Ride and Go WOW, Like New!..!  Then Go Have a Beer or 3 and feel very very satisfied with yourself.

Readjusting Play:

If you didn’t get it quite right you can readjust the play later on.  In this order:

1. Remove the handlebars (or if you have the BMW Socket just Loosen the triple Tree Nut under the bars, this is where the BMW Tool IS Useful), and Loosen Only the 30mm Nut with a Socket. 
2. Loosen the Fork Clamps (Allen key Bolts) at the Top of Each Leg,  NOTE: Strictly speaking, it should be the LOWER Fork Clamps that you should undo, if you want to maintain EXACTLY the 3mm Gap between the Top of the Fork Plug and the Triple Tree. But IMHO the movements are so small, (But that doesn't mean the induced bending stress is small) so I just undo the upper ones.
3. Then adjust the Slotted Nut with a C-Spanner or by tapping in the Groove with a Screwdriver.  SMALL INCREMENTS. 
4. Check Play.  The Steering must be Free to turn without Jamming, but should still have NO PLAY. 
5. IMPORTANT.  Torque the 30mm NUT up first BEFORE the 2 Leg Clamp Bolts or you will put a bending stress into the triple tree.
6. Torque the 2 Leg Clamp Allen Key Bolts.

If steering head bearing play is:

"too loose" you'll feel vague handling at high speed.

"too tight" you'll feel the bike feels "drunk" and "staggers around" at slow speeds.

"barely too tight" you'll feel like it has a steering damper on (Just right). Marty #436

Time:

I can’t remember the total time exactly, because I did it over several days, initially after work, under lights, munched by mosquitoes.  The first night I took off the tank and the forks.  With ALL the Tools at Hand:

• Tank off - 10-15 mins 10 Allen Screws, 1 10mm Bolt.  2 Line Disconnects. (I've got that down pat, doing the rejetting/needle change a few times!) reckon about ¼-1/2 hr for Tank virgins.
• Drop Forks out - ¾ hr-1hr, lets see that’s: 4 Axle Retaining Nuts, 1 Axle bolt, 2 Brake Allen Cover Screws, 2 Brake Allen Bolts, 2?  Splash Plate Bolts & Odo/Brake Bolts, 4 Handlebar Mount Allen Bolts, 2 Fork Clamp Allen Bolts, One 30mm Nut, One Slotted Nut.
• Remove Bearings - Hmm Say 1 hr i.e.  Top Inner Race 30secs Top & Bottom Outer Races - ¼ hr-1/2hr Bottom Inner Race ½ hr.
• Put On New Bearings: 1 ¼ hr Max.
• Top & Bottom Outer Races - ½-3/4 hr Bottom Inner Race ¼ hr-1/2 hr Grease, Reassemble Forks & Wheel & Torque & Adjust Say 1+1/2 - 2 hrs.  Methodical.
• Reassemble Tank ¼ hr-1/2 hr Max Go for a Test Ride 3 hrs :-)
• Congratulatory Beers on Sofa 3 hrs :-)
• Total Without Test Ride & Beer 5 ¾ to 6 ¼ hrs, Working Methodically.
  
  "After 4 hours I had put the new bearings in place, but it took another 4 hours to get everything back on". Spakur Sweden. YMMV.!!

 Cost:

• Bearings:    About US$5 Each.
• Grease:       About US$5 For more than you’ll need in a Lifetime.
• Blowtorch:  About US$20 for Torch, 4$ for Gaz.
• Beer:          About US$20 Now that’s a lot of Beer.

This assumes you have or can borrow (At least the Torque Wrench) all the Tools, including Allen Keys, Sockets, Ring Spanners, Torque Wrench, C-Spanner, Drift. Thanks to Mark #403 who was the first to use the FAQ and Jean #636 who was the second, both of whom came back with some great comments, as well as parts numbers.

Steering Head Check and Bearing Relube (NOT Replacement)

by Langlois

The F650s are known for being underlubed so I am adding this to the 6K service, here are the photos.

Total time, messing around, dawdling, taking my time added an hour to the service.

More Detailed Steering & Wheel Bearing Information

Flash #412, Hombre Sin Nombre, Mark #403, Haakon #636

• Steering Head Bearings
• Through vs. Case Hardened Bearings
• Detailed Bearing Information & Resources

Steering Head Bearings

The box for a Timken 30205 will read as 30205 #92KA1or 30205M #90KM1. The "M" stands for through hardened steel as opposed to case hardened steel that the 30205 #92KA1 is. Both are valid part numbers with Timken however the 30205 is currently superseded by the 30205M.

At 13K miles my OEM steering head bearings gave out on my '99. Upon disassembly they were the expected Bulgarian models. I couldn't find suitable substitutes locally, and had a friend in California looking for a specific model of Timken. Unable to find what I wanted, or a good substitute, he went to the BMW dealer to buy my new seal rings. He checked on what they had available, knowing that I did not want to use the OEM Bulgarian models. I was pleased to find that the new replacement bearings in the dealers stock, in BMW boxes with BMW part numbers, are SKF's made in Germany (SKF 30205 J2/Q) and cost less than $10 each. Hopefully these should be much better than the original bearings, at a very reasonable cost. So if you need to replace your Bulgarian bearings, don't be afraid to see what your dealer has available before you go to additional trouble to search out an alternative source for something other than the original Bulgarian bearings.

I wonder if we could find a slightly thinner bearing or with a different tapered race? The Timken catalogs won't let me search by dimensions.  The reason I mention this is because originally on my bike, I discovered that the upper seal ring did not fit down into the recess for the race, not providing a full seal. Lifting the flexible rubber cover, I could see the bearing rollers. I think the original race was fully seated, but the Bulgarian bearing in its race was almost 1mm thicker overall than the new SKF bearing. The new race is fully seated (I inspected it with a mirror), and the seal ring almost, but not completely, seats inside the race recess. Much better seal, but I wish the seal ring seated entirely within the race recess, as it would with a slightly thinner bearing. I also note that the upper lip of the race recess is NOT in true alignment with the bottom of the race recess, the welded ring/lip that the race bottoms against, almost 1.5mm of difference - very poor QC on the part of whoever made the frames - it would matter less if I could get the ring to seat deeper inside the lip. And I WISH there were room for zerks, however there just isn’t the space.

Through vs. Case Hardened Bearings

Steel alloys' molecular structure will arrange itself differently depending on how it is heated and cooled. Take a materials science course to learn all about metal phases. "Through hardened" means that the entire part has the same hardness throughout. If you took a cross section of the item and tested the hardness in the center, it would be identical to that of the outside surface. "Case hardened" means that, sort of like a Twinkie, the soft center is surrounded by a harder exterior covering.

The difference between through hardened and case hardened can be considered analogous to the difference between solid gold and gold plated.

A through hardened steel race has a (more or less) uniformed hardness through the entire cross section of the race - basically, it's the same hard metal inside and outside. Because this is actually a cheaper priced bearing, I'm guessing it's a special proprietary alloy. (Bearing mfg's are SERIOUSLY into special alloys and metal treatments.) The race may be very hard and strong, but will be more brittle, possibly subject to certain types of cracking, before it warps. Tensile and ductile strength may be higher, while yield strength may actually be lower. (Harder usually means more brittle.) A case hardened steel race is usually also homogeneous metal throughout, but it has been hardened after manufacturing. Usually this is surface hardening, the depth varying depending upon intended application. Think of it as similar to "tempering" the surface of the metal. While the basic alloy of the metal is the same throughout, the molecules on the surface may be re-arranged, either mechanically, or thru ion exchange, or have additional elements, such as other metals, or in the example of case hardening, usually carbon. This is usually accomplished by additional treatment processes after basic manufacturing. The surface (sometimes to a considerable depth) can be made MUCH harder than the original alloy. Since it's all one single piece of metal, and the original underlying alloy can be more ductile, the overall effect can be a race that is less brittle, and less damaged by warpage, and possibly even harder than the through hardened type M bearing. I don’t know which bearing surface is actually harder in this case, probably proprietary Timken info.

Detailed Bearing Information & Resources

by Haakon #626.

For other alternative Bearing Parts Numbers refer the Bearing Schedule.

In the Wheel Bearing Replacement FAQ the section with the GS/Dakar Sprocket Carrier the bearing is 6204-2RS1/ C3. The "/C3" designation is rather important as the bearing is a "shrink" fit in the carrier. The C3 tell us the bearing has a bigger internal bearing clearance than normal. That is used so that when the carrier cools down it clamps onto the bearing a bit and thus eliminates any "looseness". If you fit a standard clearance bearing in the carrier it will be a bit "tight" internally. http://www.timken.com/products/bearings/techtips.asp.

You can have the same nominal size e.g. 18x24x16 needle bearing in different formats, for instance,

1. Loose: a group of individual loose needles, no carrier or shell, just loose needles.
2. Caged: needles held in a plastic or metal cage, usually with inner and outer bearing surfaces exposed (plastic cages might not have been as popular in your 1984 index) and
3. Shell: needles held inside a tube (usually metal) with narrowed or crimped ends that retain the bearings. Usually there are 1-2 less needles for the same size bearing, because of the shell. Similar to a "cage" but only the inner bearing surface is exposed, the outer bearing surface is contained inside the shell, which is inserted as an assembly when installed.

Now:

1. If the bearings were loose needles (not used much today due to cost- then you have to use hardened and ground surfaces on both the "axel" and inside whatever "housing" you have) only the diameter and length is used.
2. Same as (1) expensive to use, size given as Inside Diameter-ID/ Outside Diameter-OD and Width-W.
3. This is what I BELIEVE is used by BMW. An outer shell and the needles held in place with a cage (to be honest it was also the only type I found with the right sizes) The use of a cage inside the shell is to prevent the needles to accumulate where there is the least pressure, and "opening" a gap where the pressure is. That does not matter a lot when the bearing turning. In the linkage and rear- swingarm we have a more or less static load and then it is not good. Of course, without a cage you get to use more needles = more bearing surface.

Some Alternative Bearing #'s.

• Inside Clutch Cover Clutch Actuator Arm Upper Bearing SKF
• Inside Clutch Cover Clutch Actuator Arm Lower SKF
  or
  Inside Clutch Cover Clutch Actuator Arm Lower INA
   
• Idler Arm Bearing SKF
  or
  Idler Arm Bearing INA
   
• Swing Arm Bearing SKF
  or
  Swing Arm Bearing INA
   
• Sprocket Carrier Bearing (Classic has 1, GS has Two) SKF
  or
  Sprocket Carrier Bearing (Classic has 1, GS has Two) INA
   
• Wheel Bearing (2 Front & 2 Rear, Both Bikes) SKF
• Wheel Bearing vs. BMW part # SKF
   
• Steering Head Bearing vs. BMW part # SKF
• Bearing Inside Clutch Basket (that the Rack fits into) vs. BMW part # SKF

Classic Feedback

Please note there is very little Feedback on this item because this was one of the first FAQs and at that time "Feedback" was not taken. It doesn't mean it didn't happen and that there wasn't a problem on the Classic. It does happen and it IS a problem. You can see from the FAQ above at least 10 people did by themselves. If you have done it or had it done, please email  The FAQ so we can record it here. Thanks, ed

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