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Headstock bearings

J

Jacques_nasi

Anyone have a nice how-to on adjusting Mille headstock bearings????:dunno
mine is a-knocking!!!!
 
If you look in the file vault...there is the workshop manual in PDF format, kindly put there by Pumkin. Have a squiz thru that, pretty sure there is a blurb on doing the head bearings.
 
Jacques_nasi

Think you will find that you need a special spanner and a torque wrench, been told that you are best to drop it off at your local dealer or friendly tech for them to do.

Or do as I am and make myself the spanner, can't be that hard surely! We will see.

My headstock bearings are knocking like a blind 85 year old domino player
 
Alright lads what do you mean when you say knocking as ive got a similiar problem when under braking theres a bit of play and when ya hit a sharp bump it doesnt ermm well it doesnt feel solid if ya get me, is this what you boys are getting?
 
Guys with Ohlins make sure the knocking isn't from the preload adjuster in the fork cap. some came loosely shimmed and move. you also will feel the float in the brake discs when you touch the brakes at low speed for an instant. Especially if your discs have a fair mileage on them.

On a seperate note if you need new headstock bearings then you can get them from Kawasaki dealers for £21. more than half Ape price.
 
Have checked mine out this morning and found that some flipping ***** had left the lock tabs not bent over on the locking ring, as a result the lock ring had come loose so the bearings had to be re torqued.

After rebuilding I checked the knock had gone and guess what it was better but not completely gone.

However, as Spoonz says most of the knock now comes from the discs actually taking up the freeplay on the hub, so nothing to worry about.

MilleBoy82, don't worry too much. If your headstock bearings were as loose as my you would have taken it to a dealer by now. It was so bad it would knock no rattle under hard acceleration and the handling of the bike just felt really vague. (Way too light)

My guess is that my headstock bearings will need replacing in a thousand miles or so, thanks for the heads up on those parts Spoonz think I'll order them now.
 
I'll torque mine this weekend, will see what kind of spanner I'll need and get from one of my friends or improvise!
I always used to tighten headstock bearings on old Jap bikes with a hammer and a blunt screwdriver, but that was then!!!!!!:biggrin
 
Guys with Ohlins make sure the knocking isn't from the preload adjuster in the fork cap. some came loosely shimmed and move. you also will feel the float in the brake discs when you touch the brakes at low speed for an instant. Especially if your discs have a fair mileage on them.

On a seperate note if you need new headstock bearings then you can get them from Kawasaki dealers for £21. more than half Ape price.

I know this is an oldy but why create a new post when this can carry on.
Spoonz, you say about the preload folk cap? can you put some light on this, I mean how to check it etc?

Trying to sort the bike for an mot and a knocking when breaking hard, I think it is the bearings but might be worth checking this first.

cheers Garv
 
Ive recently changed my headstock bearings and got the whole lot inc bearings and dust seals and next day delivery from here Aprilia wanted £107
 
Ive recently changed my headstock bearings and got the whole lot inc bearings and dust seals and next day delivery from here Aprilia wanted £107

Cool, can you remember what kit you got? also how easy was it to get the races out and on? will I need a press?
 
Similar story here. Last year I put mine in for it's MoT and needed new head bearings.

My spanner monkey phoned up Aprilia and was told that the upper and lowers complete with all seals etc would be over £110.

He measured up the old bearings, popped around to a local bearing manufacturer and got them for under £40 iirc. :thumbup
 
If you look in the file vault...there is the workshop manual in PDF format, kindly put there by Pumkin. Have a squiz thru that, pretty sure there is a blurb on doing the head bearings.

Can you post a link....I cannot find the 'file vault'

thanks

Tony
 
Cool, can you remember what kit you got? also how easy was it to get the races out and on? will I need a press?

If you take a look around the site there is an option to search by bike. This will bring up the set for the RSV. I changed my own. Knocked the old ones out with a cold chisel and popped the new ones in with a block of wood and a big hammer - and a lot of care to get them straight! Alternatively you could make up a tool using a threaded bar, some nuts and big washers.

You will need an allen key to get the top nut off which is 15mm - I think!

You will also nee to be able to raise the front of the bike off the ground so that you can take the forks out. Taper bearings only need 20nm to nip them up so dont go at it like a gorilla and you should be ok.:pirate

They seem to have changed the site a little. I would give them a ring, they are very helpful. The kits are £19.99 plus vat plus £5 next day delivery
 
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I could not find 15mm hex key, so i got a bolt with a 15 mm head and locked a couple of nuts onto it! worked fine :)
 

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