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Adjusting head bearing

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ProudGecko

Training Wheels
I'm attempting my first real maintenance on my '86 Connie and I've already hit a road block. I'm trying to tighten by head bearing to cure the 40-50mph shake. I've gotten everything torn apart and I can access the locknut but I can't figure out how to adjust it. I have a spanner wrench and the service manual but I'm confused about how it all works apparently. I've tried loosening the castle nut with the spanner and the nut on the top of the stem both to no avail. Any help is appreciated. David S 1986 Kawasaki Concours 1973 Honda CB500
 
I got it figured out this morning. Like a lot of things, sleeping on it made everything clearer. David S 1986 Kawasaki Concours 1973 Honda CB500
 
So how did you do it? 2003 Concours, 54K COG #6953 IBA 28004 http://home.comcast.net/~slybones/Concours/connieMain.htm
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I was working from a crummy print out of the service manual and I didn't notice that it told me to loosen the steering stem nut (the one below the plastic cover) before adjusting the locknut with the spanner wrench. Loosening the stem nut took a lot more gusto than I thought it would. Once I got it loosened, adjusting the lock nut was no problem. I haven't taken her out on the road yet so I can't say if it fixed my shudder. I'll be sure to post an update after I do a test ride. David S 1986 Kawasaki Concours 1973 Honda CB500
 
Your mileage may differ, but I adjusted mine with a "Fish Scale" I sent it for 5 lbs of pull on either fork leg. It eliminated the head shake that you describe. Don't forget to torqhe the Castle nut on top after adjustment. Enjoy the ride.
 
Hopefully you loosened the upper fork tubes as well, and re-tightened them progressively when you were done. http://millerized.com/pegs I'll be in the garage
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The head shake seems to be quite a bit better. There is still a small amount between 40-50mph but not much.
Hopefully you loosened the upper fork tubes as well, and re-tightened them progressively when you were done.
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Would you explain this a little more? The only bolts I touched were the lower triple clamp bolts, the top steering head nut, and the castlenut below the upper triple clamp. Should I have loosened the upper triple clamp bolts as well? David S 1986 Kawasaki Concours 1973 Honda CB500
 
Upper or lower, so long as one set was loosened, otherwise you are not going to get a good adjustment as you will be fighting the triple clamps being locked into the struts. A lot of people just loosen the uppers while they are up there instead of reaching under the fairing (guess it's personal choice and how far you disassemble). I will tell you after having Larry Buck do my adjustment at the Nationals, I noticed a considerable difference. No adjustment alone is going to completely remove it, but it shouldn't be anywhere near as bad between 40-50.
 
What he sed... ;) Reason I said the top ones is that the axle is probably pretty close to 90 from the forks just from being ridden. Just adjusting the top ones prevents any current "good" stuff from being changed, if you got 99% of it taken care of, it was just head bearings and not other issues. Loosening up the bottom ones, if not completely loose on either side, might make for one side going lower than the other, possibly tilting the trees. Yeah, spring will make up for any R-L alignment issues lower on the forks. But when I do it, I'm talking completely unsprung, no wheel, no weight on the forks. Preloading one fork and not the other can make for some handling issues. (that make sense to you...it can be confusing coming from me :) ) I'm kinda prick-ticular about adjusting forks, and just wanted to make sure you had at least loosened top or bottom if nothing else. My adjustment procedure is a bit more involved than some, measuring things, specific tightening sequence and incremental increase in torque values. Headshake can be 100% in the head bearings, but also caused by everything from tires to bearings, to fork and rear shock fluids. Another thing to check is the rear swingarm bearings. A wiggly ass end will do it almost as bad as head bearings being loose. http://millerized.com/pegs I'll be in the garage
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I can't remember... isn't this procedure in Best of Chalkdust? -- Steve Smith, COG #3184 COG Northeast Area Director (somewhere in south central CT)
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