Steering Head Bearings

[zombie]

just did mine and the top bearing is a SNAP to install (sorry couldn't resist)
Easy enough , it's the taking everything apart thats a royal pain in the arse

[Bixxer Bob]

My local dealer did mine for £110 which I thought wasn't too bad

Pretty good considering Triumph quote the parts at £70 and labour at a Triumph dealer is aroung £70 per hour. I have phoned four different dealers/workshops and have been quoted as much as £300!. The best I found (where they can also do the work next week and not in a month or two) was £230.

HB,  although it looks daunting,  doing them youself is not really that big a deal if you've got any spannering experience at all.  Spend a tenner on a Haynes manual before you spend loads more at the dealers.  One question though,  are you SURE the bearings are shot and causing your  handling problem????  You'd be really hacked off if you spend good cash to do them and find it made no difference.  Although, at 21k I'm not that surprised, my Blackbird has just had it's 3rd set fitted at 54k and my F650GS needed a set with just 6k on the clock (other owners blame that on the dry sump engine oil in ther frame heating the bearings and the grease running out, but BMW don't agree.  Well, they wouldn't would they?) But all of them were replaced for notching, not a handling problem.

[HockleyBoy]

HB,  although it looks daunting,  doing them youself is not really that big a deal if you've got any spannering experience at all.  Spend a tenner on a Haynes manual before you spend loads more at the dealers.  One question though,  are you SURE the bearings are shot and causing your  handling problem????  You'd be really hacked off if you spend good cash to do them and find it made no difference.  Although, at 21k I'm not that surprised, my Blackbird has just had it's 3rd set fitted at 54k and my F650GS needed a set with just 6k on the clock (other owners blame that on the dry sump engine oil in ther frame heating the bearings and the grease running out, but BMW don't agree.  Well, they wouldn't would they?) But all of them were replaced for notching, not a handling problem.

Thanks Bob, am pretty sure it is the bearings. When I put the bike on the centre stand and raise the front wheel the steering is notchy and moves in stages. Have changed the tyres, checked the wheel alignement etc and none of this seems to be the problem.

As for doing it myself, unfortunately I don't have the time or an organised space to work in at the moment so I am going to have to put up with the dealer prices.

[HockleyBoy]

Dealer did the bearings yesterday and what a difference, I obviously hadn't noticed the gradual decline.

What with this, a new set of Anakee 2's and the work I had done after my off, the bike has never handled so well. Its like having a new Tiger!  :D

[Bixxer Bob]

Dealer did the bearings yesterday and what a difference, I obviously hadn't noticed the gradual decline.

What with this, a new set of Anakee 2's and the work I had done after my off, the bike has never handled so well. Its like having a new Tiger!  :D

I need new tyres this month, decided to give the new Pirelli Trailwings a try.  I'll report back when I've tried them.

[blacktiger]

I got my replacements at a local bearing supplier. The numbers are :-
Top = 6205DDUNR
Bottom = 32006JRRS Which comes with the seal attached.
Hardest thing was getting the lower bearing off the steering stem.