Bearings upgrade!

[kingsknight]

Bike failed it's MOT on the head stock bearings needing to be replaced. Ordered some taper headstock bearings as a replacement but I'v just found out that the standard bearings in my headstock are just ball bearings.

https://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn92/breakingpointltd/09022011%20XR125/CIMG0759.jpg

I take it upgrading the ball bearings to taper bearings shouldn't be a problem?
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TS50 (sold) NS125F (sold) NSR125R-K (write off after 2 crashes) CG125 (nicked) XR125L-3 (Sold )-: ) DR125SM '11 (sold yay) XL125V '12 (In love with this bike) XT600E '04 (fun on the dirt)

[stinkwheel]

Upgrading is not a problem.

Getting the original races out/off in order to fit the new ones can be something of a bastard.

There will be many threads covering this subject.

EDIT: Is that a super wide-angle lens or are both your fork stanchions bent?
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[kingsknight]

not my forks, found that image on ebay. Any tips on how to get the old ones out?
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TS50 (sold) NS125F (sold) NSR125R-K (write off after 2 crashes) CG125 (nicked) XR125L-3 (Sold )-: ) DR125SM '11 (sold yay) XL125V '12 (In love with this bike) XT600E '04 (fun on the dirt)

[stinkwheel]

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=199292
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[kingsknight]

you sir, are a star.
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TS50 (sold) NS125F (sold) NSR125R-K (write off after 2 crashes) CG125 (nicked) XR125L-3 (Sold )-: ) DR125SM '11 (sold yay) XL125V '12 (In love with this bike) XT600E '04 (fun on the dirt)

[Ed Case]

FItted Taper Roller head bearings to my 250RSA 8 years ago, big improvement, no 'indexing' piece of piss to fit and finally actually cheaper than OE cups/balls/etc. No contest.

[kingsknight]

nice one thanks mate, I'm just a little worried about the old bearing seats not wanting to come out. I'm looking forward to getting this job out of the way!
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TS50 (sold) NS125F (sold) NSR125R-K (write off after 2 crashes) CG125 (nicked) XR125L-3 (Sold )-: ) DR125SM '11 (sold yay) XL125V '12 (In love with this bike) XT600E '04 (fun on the dirt)

[Ed Case]

a 'Drift' longish (12 inch) metal bar and a decent hammer, go down through the top for the bottom one and vice-versa for the top one. Dont beat the shit out of it, you'll find it wont take too much belting, work slowly around the bearing tapping it around, it'll soon move and drop out.

[Kickstart]

Hi

I would be more worried about how difficult it might be to get the taper roller races out of the frame should they need to be replaced.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Teflon-Mike]

HOW To: Overhaul the Head-Stock / Replace & Adjust Steering Bearings
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Ed Case]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Personally I wouldn't trust them to last any longer than the ball bearings. The load on the steering head bearing is mainly along the line of the steering head and ball bearings are fine for that.

Had to replace knackered taper roller bearings quite a few times. Trouble is that compared to normal ball bearings they have a very narrow outer race which can sometimes barely (if at all) stand beyond the mounting ridge for the bearings. Makes them pretty much impossible to drift out without grinding away at the frame.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[kestrel]

[Ed Case]

Changed taper rollers on a '77 Laverda SF and a 250 that had been laid up outside for some years...........no problem with either.

[kingsknight]

[Ed Case]

[Kickstart]

[Teflon-Mike]

[Ed Case]

You'd be surprised just how ambivalent some Laverda owners used to be about looking after their bikes, they aren't these days though, what you could get for £2000 three or four years ago is pulling £9000 now and some idiots are actually paying it.

[woodyfjr]

When ever I have done the head bearings I fit tapers but these can fail like any other bearing as they all need greasing but owners dont bother.
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If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.

If you have to rev it! Don't Buy it!

[Ed Case]

Well said Woody !.

[Pete.]

Headstock bearings fail because they spend most of their time in one positiong (steering straight forward).

To remove a bearing race from a headstock, simply run a bead of weld around the inside. They will shrink when the weld cools and fall out.

Put a piece of scrap ally in the bottom to prevent the bearing being welded to the headstock.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[kingsknight]

Well I done the bearings upgrade and fuck me it was a CUNT. Everything went smoothly until it come to removing the bottom bearing seat. Took me and my grandfather 2 hours to get the old one off and the new one on.

The old one just refused to move not matter how much force we used and once we did get it off the new seat refused to set rightly.

The whole job took about 4 hours. Neither of us ever had done them before so we both learnt something new.

I didn't really know how fucked my old bearings was until I felt the new ones. It's really worth the upgrade as you can feel the difference straight away!

Thanks for your help guys, I knew what I was kinda getting into thanks to you lot!

Job done
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TS50 (sold) NS125F (sold) NSR125R-K (write off after 2 crashes) CG125 (nicked) XR125L-3 (Sold )-: ) DR125SM '11 (sold yay) XL125V '12 (In love with this bike) XT600E '04 (fun on the dirt)

[Pete.]

How did you get the bottom seat off? Just trying to lever it off is usually a non-starter.

The way I do it is to cut down one side with my angle grinder, taking care to catch the stem as little as possible. You have to cut at an angle because you can't get quite flat to the stem but the top you can split with a small chisel. They just fall off then or can be prised with a small lever. Bonus is, you can then turn the old one upside down and use it as a drift with a bit of tube to drive on the new one.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Teflon-Mike]