Steering head adjustment

[Ingah]

It seems that swapping the headlamp and indicators from my older CB to my newer CB is a tad more involved than i thought (it seems to be the case that the whole front end must come over).

So, having been forced to bring the steering stem over from the old too (oddly, the newer bike has a non-standard steering stem that has nowhere for the headlamp bracket to locate!), it seems that i have had to set up the steering head bearing adjustment again afresh. Haynes isn't massively helpful here as it refers repeatedly to "eliminating the freeplay". Quite which freeplay it's referring to is not explained, or clear. I've done it how i think, but the probability is that it's wrong, and it's not exactly a 2 minute job to adjust it, so i was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on what it means so that when i take it apart a 2nd time, i can do it right .

I don't have the proper tool to set it to a certain torque, i'm setting it by hand.

e.g. i tightened it so that it was difficult to tighten any further by hand (i took that to be the freeplay?), whilst noting that the steering remains light and easy to turn, with no apparent notchiness (that said, it doesn't have the handlebars back on yet...). I also figured that the steering stem should not be able to move up/down at all, so made sure it was tight enough that this is not possible (i.e. that pulling/pushing up and down doesn't cause it to move).

[Stu]

Free play is not up and down and hand tighten will not be enough

Best way to check free play is with the forks fitted and grab the bottom part of the forks from the front of the bike facing back and try to move them back and forth

[Tango]

The only adjustment I've come across for head bearings before is 2 large nuts on the top of the stem. The method was to tighten the lower nut so that any free play as checked by Stu's method is removed (you don't feel a slight knocking when you move the bottom of the fork legs back and forwards). Then the top nut is locked to the lower one to stop it coming undone. If you overtighten the lower nut you will feel the steering will be notchy as you move it (with the front wheel off the ground). Did it have taper bearings or plain ball bearings in it?

[Ingah]

Right-o, thanks guys will do that.

Not entirely sure which type, it has the OEM bearings in because when i bought them 3 years ago and got a mechanic to fit them for me, they were the official Honda ones (at the official Honda price )

[Stu]

tapered head bearings

[Ingah]

Definitely ball bearings then

(At the time of buying them i was not aware that there were such things as "better" bearings... or cheaper ones!).

[Colin the Bear]

I was under the impression that steering head bearings were of the taper type. The trick with taper bearings is to have them tight enough to take out any unwanted movement ie free play, but not to have them tight enough to restrict rotational movement or damage them causing premature wear and failure. If you over tighten and leave the bike standing for any length of time, the rollers will press a notch into the race. You'll feel this notch as you steer form one side to the other, passing through straight, as a click. They need greasing too

[Stu]

no not all colin

mine came with normal bearings from factory but you can get taper bearings for it which is whats fitted now