Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[ESokoloff]

A vid on checking/adjusting head bearings
https://youtu.be/Vl5RznButY0?si=MXXZ5rc4Ixs1qZOP

 And lubing
https://youtu.be/C9AVE_Bym90?si=bI3hubKAl_apsSXy

I’ve not touched/looked at my 2003 BMW R1150RT with 145k miles nor my 2016 Zero DSR with 95k miles but your mileage/needs may differ.

[Specter]

good luck with your study, hopefully something gets figured out here.

aaron

[mark S]

Hi All, sorry if this has already been stated but! Just adding to the discussion on headrace bearing and the Experia. my bike has done 4000 miles. It had a fork oil seal fail which was done under warranty and when it came back from the now defunct dealer the steering felt different. it feels like the headrace bearings are too tight wandering left to right slightly.
so i D/L the workshop manual and i think it is wrong.
It states to pre-load the bearing (tapper type) Tighten the indicated screw to the torque value of 30 Nm / 22.1 ft lb.... then it tells you to install the forks this is before you have put the top yoke in place. What it does not say is turn from left to right  to bed the bearings then back them off and re-adjust to remove any play.
in other words what i am saying is with every other bike i have owned (many) that have had taper bearing you pre load, seat then back of and adjust to remove any play only. i believe that leaving the bearings loaded to the value of 30 Nm / 22.1 ft lb.. will be too tight and cause handling issue with early failure.
 i could be wrong but..................
I will be having mine apart once i can work out a good repeatable way of jacking it up without the center stand i am owed by Energica!!!!!

[Kradblatt]

I just swaped my Experia bearings at 13.300 km.
I‘m pretty sure the 40Nm mentioned in the manual is way to much.
A pro I asked also thinks the marks are from too tight mounting at manufakturer
I tightened it now like I feel it’s right - like I always do.

Runs fine so far 😊
Bearing is just a common part every shop can order.
I got me FAG now.

[SBK74]

Agree with Kradblatt. My Ohlins specialist commented on my Ribelle bearings being rough at 16 k km. My dealer also noticed and  replaced them at 24k km. My dealer  used correct amount of grease and mounted with TLC. Now 67k km and steering still runs so nice.

He has replaced bearings of numerous Experias: all had too little grease ( owners who clearned with foam and pressure washer had earliest complaints)  and were torqued too tight or with  little attention. Dutch climate also doesn’t help.

[Specter]

cleaning with a pressure washer is always going to cause grief.  Some stuff is not made to be hit with 2000 psi.  Especially when you are dealing with seals and hv stuff, a pressure washer is really asking for it.

Given the MoO of this bearing, I wonder how they came into the grease issue.  This is something that too little grease is bad, as many of you all are seeing but on the other hand, ample, a lot of grease, really would not harm much.  If this was a manu defect, im curious if someone changed a part out or tweaked a process and didn't re check everything, because otherwise, Energica seems pretty tight on their QA on stuff.  Im thinking over torque would cause more damage than a bit too little grease.

Luckily it's something that is fairly easy to fix, is not Energica only, and is not catastrophic in failure mode.

Aaron

[PWM]

Agreed that excessive bearing preload on steering-head is not good and one is at the mercy of a torque spec that may not be right in all cases.

If the tool was a hook-wrench instead of a castle-nut-socket then the preload can be adjusted the BMW way, no?

Meaning, front end stays fully assembled, preload judged by slowly rotating bars and when they barely drop full turn when biased off-center due to gravity, the setting is right.

Hook wrench should work...just need to loosen center lock nut and upper tree clamp to make the adjustment, or is this not true?

[Motoproponent]

Hook wrench should work...just need to loosen center lock nut and upper tree clamp to make the adjustment, or is this not true?

A hook spanner wont work. It's requires a 46mm socket.

[PWM]

Hook wrench should work...just need to loosen center lock nut and upper tree clamp to make the adjustment, or is this not true?

A hook spanner wont work. It's requires a 46mm socket.

You are probably correct, but heck if I'm gonna take the flippen triple-tree down just to make a steering-head adjustment...just ordered brass rod to fashion a suitable punch after riding today to assess the handling...felt a tad loose.

[Demoni]

You are probably correct, but heck if I'm gonna take the flippen triple-tree down just to make a steering-head adjustment...just ordered brass rod to fashion a suitable punch after riding today to assess the handling...felt a tad loose.

If you did want to try and use a punch to adjust the steering head adjustment nut you need to remove 4 bolts securing the clamp for the handlebars to access the top triple tree bolt.
It's really not much more work to also loosen the 2 fork clamp bolts to pull the entire top triple clamp off.

Just checked my Ducati 900ss and BMW F800GS service manuals and both state there is a initial preload torque (to seat the bearings) of 30Nm. Then you are suppose to back the adjuster off 90* and then set a final torque of 15NM (Ducati) or 20Nm (BMW).
As I have replaced a number of Experia steering head bearings on bikes (@ 10-15k miles) I suspect a slightly lower bearing preload torque would reduce the wear of the bearing races.

[TNCreator]

in your experience, do other models have the same problem, a 21 ribelle in my case ?

[Demoni]

in your experience, do other models have the same problem, a 21 ribelle in my case ?

The EGO, EVA and EsseEsse9 use different headset bearings vs the Experia. Your bike is fitted with SKF Solid Oil bearings.
https://www.skf.com/in/products/rolling-bearings/engineered-products/bearings-with-solid-oil
The diameter of the bearings and their races are much larger resulting in the load being spread over a larger area.

I have yet to replace this style of bearings due to wear. They can be damaged in a hard crash where the front of the bike takes a impact.
The only drawback is I have been unable to locate a SKF part number or supplier for replacements. 

[TNCreator]

thanks!