G650 headstock bearings ref num 320/28X

[yamfan]

HI Lads,
I had this thread knocking about too, May be of use to someone here
For the G 650 X Country, I am fairly sure the X Chalange and X Moto are the same.

I recently had to replace my headstock bearings due to that notchy steering effect. (too many bad wheelies) :-D

The following are just my observations, and information I would have found useful before doing the job. It is not intended to be a complete step by step guide, just some pointers. While this is not the worst job to do, I would think you would have to be experienced in replacing bearings and have a good mechanical knowledge to consider doing it yourself.
I have used good information from this site before and now I am just trying to put some back.

You can go to BMW for the bearings upper and lower, But you can also go to your bearing supplier with this code 320/28X taper roller bearing.
There are two of course, both identical. In my case I got both bearings and a tube of grease for 20 Euro. From BMW the bearings are approx 40 Euro each plus tax. ( $55 + tax each)

The new box with the old damaged bearings

When doing this job, it's a good idea to:
1 Get a genuine service manual, I got mine on CD from the online auction site we all know, for under 10 Euro. This is a real labour saver and made the job easier than I imagined it would be.

2 I do not have a paddock stand, So I took off the engine guard, then I was able to find a jacking point between the bottom of the front frame rails. I used some wood to pack the area so it was stable. This is how I raised the front, just enough to remove the front wheel. I also used some straps on the rear grab handles to prevent the bike from falling over.

3 Get the metal shield (Ring) that goes on beside the bearing from your BMW dealer, It gets wrecked when you try to remove the lower bearing from the stem. From MAX BMW site, under steering section, part 11, 31421234509 Ring $3.70. I did not have this, but was able to put the upper undamaged ring back on the lower bearing. These shield rings are both identical. This meant that if I was unable to straighten the ring it would be easier to replace at a later time, with it now being on the top bearing. I did manage to straighten the ring but I would buy a new one if I was doing this job again.

4 Have a puller like this to get the lower bearing off the steering stem

The lower bearing is very tight on the stem, and this will help prevent scratching the alloy of the lower yoke or triple clamp. You might have to extend the puller's legs to clear the length of the steering stem.

5 You will need a 10mm Allen/Hex socket to torque the top yoke nut, The manual says to torque to 5nm. This felt slightly tight to me so I went with a bit less.

This job took me two days to do! :shock:
That was because I had to strip the bike one evening and then go get the replacement bearings the next day, because I did't know the sizes. Now you can have the bearings and ring ready to go and should be done in about 3 to 4 hours, at an steady pace.

So there you go, Job done for 20 Euro plus 10 Euro for the manual, My steering is now notch free and the bike goes around bends like it is new again. I would dread to think how much BMW would charge for this.

 

[viv]

More good info. Thanks.

Is the service manual the same as the Reprom?

Viv

 

[Rushy]

Thanks for posting the info'.

This vid' below was recommended to me when I tackled this job on my DRZ . The techniques / process will be pretty much the same so anybody considering changing their own bearing should find it much easier after watching this and taking Yamfan's advice above

http://www.garagenight.tv/ep-5-replacing-steering-head-bearings/

 

[yamfan]

Hi guys,

Viv, yes it's the same thing I was using, I just didn't know it was called a Reprom. I got it of ebay for a few quid, money well spent.

Rushy, thats a great vid, some very handy tips in it - thanks for posting it

 

[viv]

Ok - you can usually download the Reprom from somewhere online. Google is your friend in this case, just search for Reprom K15.

Viv

 

[Losttheplot]

When i fitted mine, i made up a special drift to push the lower bearing back onto the stem.

The problem i found here was the bearing cage sat higher than the actual case, so driving it on by working a punch around the case would have knackered the cage on the new bearing.

I found a piece of steel tube in the scrap bin and turned a shoulder on one end, so it would press down on the bearing case, without damaging the cage.

Does the job a treat

Will post a photo when i get a chance...

 

[Bliss]

I need some more advice about my current situation with a different type of bearings I wanna use, here's a repost.

They are Koyo 320/28 JRRS 28x52x16

Notice the stock bearing is resting on a washer inside a small indent. It's also resting on top a small metal dust shield. Because of the extra rubber seal on the Koyo's, their width is the same as they come on their own and I can't use the metal shield. This seems OK to me here, since the total width is practically the same.

But please let me know if I'm overlooking something.

==============

Now, on the top is a little more interesting.

The stock bearing is covered by a small dust shield, then a large one which covers the entire steering head opening. There's no gaps. The top triple clamp pushes down on the large shield, then the small shield and adjusts the bearing tension.

However, because of the extra rubber height, the large ring is like this:

Again, I can't use the small dust shield, but would very much like to keep the big one. However, it looks like it will be pushing on the bearing through the rubber, and through its cone part, not the flat centre section.

Do you see where I'm going with this? I will most likely give these a try anyway, but will hope for your insight on this...

 

[Losttheplot]

This job took me two days to do! :shock:
That was because I had to strip the bike one evening and then go get the replacement bearings the next day, because I did't know the sizes. Now you can have the bearings and ring ready to go and should be done in about 3 to 4 hours, at an steady pace.

.

I think all the bearing codes and alternatives are listed in the quick reference thread at the top of the page.

Like your bearing puller! how did you get the lower race onto the stem? IIRC the bearings site proud of the inner casing, and will crush if your not carefull pushing them on. I think i made up a special driver to do this.

 

[dean0n0]

Now, on the top is a little more interesting.

The stock bearing is covered by a small dust shield, then a large one which covers the entire steering head opening. There's no gaps. The top triple clamp pushes down on the large shield, then the small shield and adjusts the bearing tension.

Can you not find a washer/shim that will fit inside the rubber seal, slightly thicker than the seal, so you tighten down on the washer not the seal?
You could file the O.D. of a larger washer down to fit, the thickness is more difficult as you need someone with a surface grinder to take it to the desired thickness (though this may not be critical as there is adjustment with the nuts)

 

[Bliss]

Was thinking along similar lines looking at the profile on the right of this pic:

So it seems like I should use another washer for the lower bearing too?
If not, it will be resting against triple tree (or actually, the OEM washer) with its protruding rubber seal - not a good idea i think...

About that OEM washer - can anybody think of a reason why the triple clamp has a machined indent which is then compensated in height by that washer on which the bearing rests? Washer is steel.

 

[Bliss]

PS: I found commercially available washers with correct 28 mm ID and slightly smaller than the available inner race surface 35 mm OD (max. is 38 mm) with the correct thickness to compensate for the rubber seal.
However, they are copper washers...

Is this combination potentially going to lead to calvanic corrosion problems?

 

[dean0n0]

However, they are copper washers...

Is this combination potentially going to lead to calvanic corrosion problems?

I don't know about corrosion, but I think copper will be too soft for the hammering that goes through the headstock.

 

[dean0n0]

So it seems like I should use another washer for the lower bearing too?
If not, it will be resting against triple tree (or actually, the OEM washer) with its protruding rubber seal - not a good idea i think...

About that OEM washer - can anybody think of a reason why the triple clamp has a machined indent which is then compensated in height by that washer on which the bearing rests? Washer is steel.

You don't want the rubber dragging on the bottom yolk so it would be wise to space it with a washer.

You need a machined surface to seat the bearing against, it's probably easier/cheaper machining into the yolk then adding a washer than casting a raised boss on the yolk to machine (does that make sense?)

 

[Bliss]

easier/cheaper machining into the yolk then adding a washer than casting a raised boss on the yolk to machine (does that make sense?)

Yes I agree, except that if you see the picture above, that washer surface is overall still recessed from the cast surface...

 

[mikeTR]

I put Wayne onto those sealed bearings when I first used them on my Dakar in 2011. My experience is;

On the Dakar the face of the bottom yoke is slightly proud and mates with the inner bearing face without interfering with the rubber seal and I did away with the BMW metal shield. It looks like your G650 yoke is slightly different. The rubber doesn't drag on the bottom yoke, as this part of the bearing is fixed to the yoke, and therefore rotates with the yoke

With the top bearing the adjustment collar mates directly with the rubber seal. This didn't prove to be a problem.

I upgraded my front suspension to the YZF forks and used the same bearing range. A combination of mix and match allows you to get the right setup . The seals have proved effective from Sahara dust, water crossings and the powerwash On the YZF yokes, the top KTM dust shield proved to be a better fit.

The standard Dakar yokes with the inner bearings fitted are in a box in my workshop, if you want a picture.

Great bike build by the way

 

[yamfan]

Well it was that time again

I got a few more pics that might be of help

This is for standard like for like replacement.

The gist of the procedure is to remove the headlight, then unscrew the headlight bracket from the bottom yoke.
This allows the bottom yoke to drop out, the top yoke and handlebar is then left more or less in place, just pushed out of the way.
it would be probably be easier to dismantle more to get it fully out of the way. a towel on the tank helps to prevent scratches.


This shows the bottom bearing assembly, and the metal shield ring, that gets mullered when removing the bearing.
best to have a new one, part number listed in the first post.


Now, special tool time,
The old outer race can be used to drift in the new bearings, but it will get stuck in place (ask me how i know )- so use a grinder to reduce the diameter for an easy life.

Then the old inner, cut the cage to remove the rollers, now you have a perfect drift for the new inner bearing, obviously use the narrow end as shown to clear the roller cage on the new bearing.


Special tools in use
The tube is a old fork stanchion, a bit long but does the job.


Happy steering and for those with good memories, yes its the same cat that was in the valve clearance write up.

 

[nicholsonj2252]

I have just replaced my head bearings , with no issues encountered . I do however have a question on the tightening of the tope yoke bolt . Manual says tighten to 25Nm turn steering left and right then loosen, then retighten to 5Nm . If I do that the bearings are so slack that if I pull the forks i can move them by mm's . If I tighten the bolt just to the point where the movement disappears the steering turns nice and smooth both ways and seems fine . Am I doing something wrong . I did tighten the pinch bolt once the tope yoke fixing had been torqued ,

 

[yamfan]

Hi there

Did you release the top yoke fork pinch bolts on both sides so it can slide freely ?

 

[nicholsonj2252]

I believe so but I am going to re do the whole procedure as now you have mentioned it I'm not 100% sure . Thanks for the input


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