Steering Head Bearings - 96 EX500

[VinceF2]

Hello all knowing!!!

My wifes bike just failed inspection for the steering head bearings... they're not about to fall off... but need to be fixed... I was wondering if anyone on the list might have some experience changing these??? The parts are cheap enough... but the labor they shops want is out there.... so... I plan to give it a go... and seek any advice or thoughts anyone might have...

Thanks In Advance....

Mike

[snaggle]

They actually checj the steering head bearings for your inspection??? Wow!

[RandyO]

I didn't do it myself, my my shop, charged me for 1.5 hours labor on my SV, seemed reasonable to me, a fair amount of work to get the races out.

[VinceF2]

They actually checj the steering head bearings for your inspection??? Wow!

Well one place I go to does... they do the whole deal... of course I got a sticker on it... there are always places that only care about lights and horns... but I like to have them actually "inspected" every now and then to catch things like this....

[ChR1s]

Mike, I'd torque the bearings to spec and check them again. An easy way to feel for play in them is to have the front end jacked up, and have someone tug fore and aft on the bottom of the forks while you feel for a 'knock' at a bar end. Also, if the bars don't turn smoothly from lock to lock, be certain that there's nothing interfering, like a cable misrouted.