► Steering head Bearings

  • Thread starter Thread starter moto1527
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Just got back from having a new front tyre fitted and Baldrestons told me that they had noticed the head bearings were notched and they could replace them after checking they had the parts, I said how much will that cost and they said nothing it`s done under warranty!
An hour and a half later I`m riding home!
My bike is an Aug 2010 with 9154 miles, haven`t adjusted chain yet and no other problems.
 
Last edited:
F8gs head bearing.

ok so I'm new to this forum so go easy on me if I'm being a dumb ass.

f8gs only put 12,000 miles on it should I be expecting to shell out for changing the head bearing already..? dealer seems convinced.

hasn't had a hard life.... some offroading but mostly on the black stuff..

anyone have comment that is better informed than me?
 
Welcome!

I've no personal experience of this argument but in my research before buying i have seen several times that as soon as you say you've done a bit of off-roading dealers hiss and tut and it's the root of all evil...

With regard to pricing if you're intending on having the work done by BMW they should have fairly universal pricing.

It's not the hardest looking job so if you'd consider a little DIY there's plenty of help out there. It's the general consensus, by people in the know (again, i've no personal experience!) that BMW bearings are rubbish. So one of the advantages of DIY or independent garage is that they'll use whatever bearings you want.

One of our cousin's produced this thread -

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=716362

Best of luck,

S
 
Dave Ett said:
Is the bearing proper knackered then, or just in need of adjusting? Mine's on 27000 miles now, with about 10,000 of those off road. Head bearing is just fine...
Click to expand...

I havent stripped it down to have a look as yet. but would guess thats the next step.. Motorworks have them at £15 a shot.. so just some time needed in the diary.
 
Don't use any bearings from BMW, they are expensive and remember that the poor quality bearings they used from the factory have led to countless problems with the F800 and F650GS.
Get a good quality bearing for a fraction of the cost.
In that ADV thread, that is my friend's bike on the sidewalk outside the bearing shop. A tiny little storefront in the 3rd world had everything we needed for a very cheap price. Imagine what you will find available in the UK.
 
That's a decent write-up, and a great example of how a job can be made much harder by blindly following a service manual. When you're 'in the field' you have to make compromises, and that's usually when you find an easier but equally effective way of doing the job..!

I wonder though whether some failures are caused by improper seating of the bearing (my first set certainly were) which settles with time leaving the excess clearance which allows the hammering which causes the bearing to fail...

Grease is king!

G
 
stephen.stallebrass said:
Mine needed tightening at about 30k... Got my trusty little independent mechanic to do it for half the price. BMW are good for certain things that the indy can't or won't do. Chances are yours just need tightening too?
Click to expand...

You needed a mechanic to tighten the head bearing?

Oh.

I just tightened it up till it felt right, as I have on all my bikes over the last 30 years...
 
There is an inherrent fault with headstock bearings which means that they become brinelled. It is because in normal riding conditions the rotation of the bearing is minute causing all the wear in one spot with the steering pointing straight ahead. There is even a word for it which is brinelling.

Poorly loaded and poor quality bearings will brinell even quicker.

It is worth occasionally turning the bars from lock to lock to spread the grease around the bearing to improve lubrication. Old quality bikes had grease nipples on the headstock to prolong the life of the bearings.
 
If you have had new bearings and it still knocks or feels vague take it back straight away...After 500 miles the NEW bearings/races will be knackered..

If you OVERTIGHTEN the new bearings they are knackered forever

Fit the bearings properly or refit another set very soon after..
.You have been warned
 
My head bearings were notchy and replaced under warranty at the 12k service.
 
Steering head bearings

Being new to the F800 range I am experiencing an odd sensation at low speed, it feels like the steering bearings are notching? I have done the usual checks and can feel no play or lumping when turning from lock to lock, what type of bearings are fitted. tapered,plain what? Is this a common thing?
Also does anyone know if there is a bearing number listed so if they do need replacing I don't get fleeced by my steeler?
 
Mine gives me that sensation now and again, despite no play or notching detected when moving the bars when the front wheel is off the ground.

I found my tyre pressures had caused most of my handling issues, worth checking.
 
Took mine into the dealer today and after an hour of looking at it they agreed, head bearings.

Sent via BlackBerry using the force.
 
GB. said:
Took mine into the dealer today and after an hour of looking at it they agreed, head bearings.
Click to expand...

I got some for mine, but the stealer then agreed a warranty claim so I still have them if you want them at cost plus postage, if not stock for the future.

We have identified the bearing and we have them in stock. Cost £ 9.63, £19.26 for the pair

Many thanks
Kind regards
Andy

Hi
I contacted you today for price and availability on 2 off bearings I have more information

The SKF part is 320/28XQ metric single row taper roller bearing 28x52x16
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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