phooey
Registered user
Top yoke had a little free play and the bar ends see sawed about 1/8 " or so on my 43K GSA.
The pivot point is the steering bearing so ordered it this morning - £20 from Motorworks delivered.
Can't say I fancied the job, things are always harder than Haynes makes it look - BUT NOT THIS TIME !!
This is really easy even for amateurs like me.
Heres the tools for the job...
Stick the bike on the centre stand and prop the front up so the bars turn freely. I shored the sump guard with a block of wood.
Take the bars off and suspend them from the screen - take care no fluid will leak from the reservoirs. Duct tape is versatile stuff.
Here is what needs to come off the bike...
Takes about 45 minutes if you are just bimbling along finding your way.
If you thought it wasn't the prettiest of bikes anyway I can tell you its a real pig when you undress it...
Prise the 2 black plastic covers covering the fork tubes off the yoke. They are already off in this photo showing the nuts that hold the tubes in the bushes. Undo the nuts on top of the fork tubes using a 14mm socket and a 19mm spanner holding the bolt directly underneath the yoke. The fork tubes will then gently slide down a bit allowing you better access to the bearing nut.
Stick a 21mm socket on the bolt under the yoke using a medium length bar. I came in from the right hand side of the bike and it was a bit fiddly to get it on the nut. Use an allen socket on the stud that runs down through the bearing from the top with a fecking great long bar. It's fairly tight ! Hold the bar on the nut still and turn the allen bolt. Remove the nut - the washer on it is part of the nut so won't fall off.
Remove the plastic cover from the front of the ignition unit ( 2 tiny star head screws ). then disconnect these ignition cables...
From this unit...
Turn the yoke all the way to the right and it will then lift off the bike. There is a cable tie on the ignition unit holding the ignition cables - cut it off.
Scrape the gunge out of the bearing housing and remove the circlip...
Heat the yoke a little - I used her hair dryer on full for about 1 minute...
Invert it between wood supports and use a drift ( deep socket in this example ) and hammer to gently tap the bearing out. Note - I had to tap the allen bolt down about 1/16th inch first or it fouled on the socket where the wrench goes in.
Gently tap the allen bolt out of the bearing using wood to support the bearing.
This was as simple as it looks, and took me about 3 hours including photos - which as you can probably tell I hadn't actually planned on taking and I was really taking my time.
Ok so the bike isn't back together yet but then my bearing is in the post.
When it arrives I'll add the bearing number for the really thrifty amongst us, mine was too rusted to read.
The pivot point is the steering bearing so ordered it this morning - £20 from Motorworks delivered.
Can't say I fancied the job, things are always harder than Haynes makes it look - BUT NOT THIS TIME !!
This is really easy even for amateurs like me.
Heres the tools for the job...
Stick the bike on the centre stand and prop the front up so the bars turn freely. I shored the sump guard with a block of wood.
Take the bars off and suspend them from the screen - take care no fluid will leak from the reservoirs. Duct tape is versatile stuff.
Here is what needs to come off the bike...
Takes about 45 minutes if you are just bimbling along finding your way.
If you thought it wasn't the prettiest of bikes anyway I can tell you its a real pig when you undress it...
Prise the 2 black plastic covers covering the fork tubes off the yoke. They are already off in this photo showing the nuts that hold the tubes in the bushes. Undo the nuts on top of the fork tubes using a 14mm socket and a 19mm spanner holding the bolt directly underneath the yoke. The fork tubes will then gently slide down a bit allowing you better access to the bearing nut.
Stick a 21mm socket on the bolt under the yoke using a medium length bar. I came in from the right hand side of the bike and it was a bit fiddly to get it on the nut. Use an allen socket on the stud that runs down through the bearing from the top with a fecking great long bar. It's fairly tight ! Hold the bar on the nut still and turn the allen bolt. Remove the nut - the washer on it is part of the nut so won't fall off.
Remove the plastic cover from the front of the ignition unit ( 2 tiny star head screws ). then disconnect these ignition cables...
From this unit...
Turn the yoke all the way to the right and it will then lift off the bike. There is a cable tie on the ignition unit holding the ignition cables - cut it off.
Scrape the gunge out of the bearing housing and remove the circlip...
Heat the yoke a little - I used her hair dryer on full for about 1 minute...
Invert it between wood supports and use a drift ( deep socket in this example ) and hammer to gently tap the bearing out. Note - I had to tap the allen bolt down about 1/16th inch first or it fouled on the socket where the wrench goes in.
Gently tap the allen bolt out of the bearing using wood to support the bearing.
This was as simple as it looks, and took me about 3 hours including photos - which as you can probably tell I hadn't actually planned on taking and I was really taking my time.
Ok so the bike isn't back together yet but then my bearing is in the post.
When it arrives I'll add the bearing number for the really thrifty amongst us, mine was too rusted to read.
