Changing the steering head bearings – F650GS
The angle of the 650's neck makes these bearings work harder compared to other bikes and as often reported on some forums it sometimes comes with a less than desirable amount of grease from the factory, resulting in a notch been created on the outer bearings/runners after about 20000 - 25000 kilometres, but sometimes earlier. Well mine became really bad at 26000km.
I decided to it myself as my financial predicament does not allow me the BMW labour costs. I also decided to change the standard bearing which is 320/28 X(J) to a 320/28 JRRS-1. It is R250 compared to R150 for the X(J) type. The reason being it comes with a compressed rubber seal to protect the bearing a bit more. I believe it is more robust.
Before you start you will need the following:
320/28 JRRS-1 (times two) – R250 each from Bearing Man. Make sure if you going to use another type of bearing that it is graded as a high temperature bearing.
Bearing shells / Dust covers (times two) – R21 each from BMW. Bearing man does not sell them.
Dustcover , inner and outer bearing. Notice the rubber seal.
30mm socket
12mm Allen key
Min 30 cm length of pipe with about a 30mm inner diameter. Bought mine from the
local recycling depot – R10.
Flat ended punch about 8 cm long.
Leave the front wheel bolt in when you pull the shocks
Put the bike on the centre stand. Use a car jack (and a board if needed) to jack up the front end just so the front wheel is off the ground. Start by removing the seat and all the tank plastics. Remove the air intake / snorkel. This will allow MUCH better access to the steering head. Disconnect the negative on the battery terminal. Make sure the bike is still secure and pull the front wheel and fork brace off. Remove and hang the brake caliper, remove ABS sensor. Do not forget the small washer that usually falls off. This is used as a spacer for your ABS sensor.
All the plastics off
Use a cloth to protect your dials. Discontinue the neg on the battery
Remove the front mudguard and horn. There are only 4 bolts underneath that hold it on. Remove the switch panel, bar clamps and secure the bars up and out of the way - I used a bungee around the front of the bike. There is no need to disconnect the cables or wiring.
The inner bearing
Remove the nut securing on the top triple clamp with the 30mm socket. Loosen the secure inner bolt with the 12 Allen key. Loosen the big securing cover nut. I used a punch just to tap it loose. Drop the shaft out. Do not get a fright when you see how your bearings look like. My top one had basically no grease on and the bottom one had started to rust.
The outer bearing. Look at the notches. Some heat marks too.
Use a long flat screwdriver and pop the outer bearings out. There is an inner rim/wall that you use to pop them out. You do not need to use that much force and be careful as you are dealing with an aluminum alloy.
Use the punch to get the bearing out
The new dust cover fits nicely around the rubber seal
You suppose to heat the outer races in boiling water before fitting it. Mine popped in nicely so there was no need to do it. Fitted the dust covers and tapped the bearings onto the stem and upper carrier. I used the old bearing as a buffer to hit them back in. Again not that much force is needed.
The new outer bearing
Using the old bearing as a buffer
I greased it well before replacing it back on the steering shaft. I over-tightened it a little, and then back it off to provide just a little friction +- 4 cm ant clock wise. This is for the bearings to seat properly.
All greased up
I started replacing all the parts in reverse order. It took me 3 hours to do but remember I did take my time.
Changing the air filter.
I thought since I am taking the covers off I can just as well change the standard air filter with a K&N filter. Model number BM6501 and cost me R402 excluding vat from Masterparts. You can also buy the cleaning kit which I did for R91 ex vat. So after 2 services I would have paid it back. I believe I will also get a bit more performance but time will tell.
The air filters
Fits nicely. Now it must just run in. Will check the fuel injection system when it goes for a service.
My head bearings has gone again so I am going to replace them soon. Did some pricing and came up with the following -
2010:
bearing 320/28 X(J) = R150 bearing man
bearing 320/28 JRRS-1 = R250 bearing man
dust cover = R21 bmw only
2012:
bearing 320/28 X(J) times 2 = R100 each at bearing man - original bearing.
bearing 320/28 JRRS-1 times two = R250 each at bearing man - my choice of bearing.
dust cover times two = R42 each at bmw only.
I do not blame BMW here as the internet price is very close to theirs excluding import duties. What I am unhappy about is that it is a +-R5(in my opinion) piece of ring metal cover that covers the bearing only. Best of all I can not believe we do not produce it locally. How many bearings out there does not need a dust cover.
Labour will be same = +-3 hours and 3 beers(the size of the beers has grown as per inflation) 
Amazingly I figured out that everything goes on the 650's every 20 000km - tyres;chain/sprockets;brake pads and ...service price
Every consecutive 10 000km well that is another story and much cheaper as nothing breaks.
I had forgotten about your original post with the pictures and lovely detail. Well done. For those that don't know, Leon lives even closer to Andrew King's workshop than I do, so if he breaks anything while experimenting he can easily push his bike over the road and have Andrew sort it out for him.
<Labour will be same = +-3 hours and 3 beers(the size of the beers has grown as per inflation)>
Like your thinking Boet!! Nice readingI!
Hi
I would like to comment based on my experiance.
1. The bearings should last much longer than 20 000 km. Mike replaced his close to 40 000. (2001 Dakkie)
2. The rubber seal is not worth the price (It cost as much as a bearing - see pricing above) as the lifie was not extended. We pay R100.00 (2012) from R&V in Parow for some unknown brand. I took out TNA's (Japanese) and fitted 'genuine' BMW supplied SKF's (R400.00 ea) that lasted only about 15 000 km the first time.
3. Amount of grease. I could not find any 'technical' reference w.r.t. normal vs liberal grease.
3. Dust caps. I do not replace them unless they can not be flattened again or the rim re-furbushed. I cant see that they actually do any worthwile purpose under normal use except close the punch holes in the bottom triple clamp.
4. No need to remove all the plastics. A towel to protect the tank and another for the screen when the bars is strapped to them.
5. No need for high heat rated bearings. I doubt thet the discoloration you see is from heat. if you get discoloration in metal the chance is good that the grease would become a fluid. There is nothing close to the neck bearing that will increase the temprature that much.
Reason for bearing failure on 650GS is more the result of the tripple clamp design than anything else. The front fork rake could be a contributing factor as it is 3 degrees more than the 800GS or KTM. If one look at the "complex" fixing method it is clear that the the biggest culprit is incorrect tightning. In my view not even the BMW manual explain the procedure 'properly'. Most machines 'without' the problem do have a simple 'adjust and lock' system. The 650 use 2 nuts and a stud which all work against one another during assembly which will cause over tightning. With the last replacement I made sure that there is 'just no' play in the bearings. I had to loosen the whole shebang 3 times before any play was detected. (Rock bottom of the forks back to front.)
Something else I think is a contributing factor is the tyres we use. The more off road (knobbly's) the more vibrations through the neck bearings. Remember these bearings spend more than 90% of their life in one position - straight adead. No matter how many times you turn the steering from side to side the roller will (should) return to the same spot. I did the last 19 000km on 'extreme' knobblies. The vibrations in my hands during the trip to Botswana was extreme, this, plus the fact that I did adust the bearings tighter just before we left destroyed the bearings.
I will see how long the current no name brand bearings last as I run them 'just without play'. KTM and other manufacturers reccomend greasing the bearings once a year. the grease is not the issue but the fact that the cage with rollers 'could' be in a 'new' position. This will double the life of the bearing.
Adie
Great post Leon, thanks! So useful to have pics - much appreciated as I know what a pain it is to take pics when your hands are greasy!
It took me an hour to loosen the front axle and one very long quart Windhoek and one very wet towel. It was last removed 2 years ago when I changed the tyre.
I stripped the inner spline a bit due to the pressure it required to loosen. I even gone so far as to heat the shaft. I used a extension bar of +- 1 meter plus my unique physique just to loosen it.
I will be welding the spline tool on now so that I can use a socket instead. It does not stick out that much either. Price of a new front axle??? To scared to ask.
I suggest that all of you do a quick test and see if you can loosen your axles. Spray it with W40 or Q20 and in my case used some copper compound.
Imagine I had a flat in the middle of nowhere.
The rear comes off quickly as I regular change my rims - have a spare rear rim with a knobbly on. That too I regular spray with lube.
Good thing that came out of this exercise is that I got access to the inner engine compartment - under the airfilter box; under the plastics etc. It was nice and dirty. I used my Prepsol that I recently required from Mike and some silicon. Now she is nice and shiny ready for another 20 000km.
Charles Kingtek did a 40 000km service on my bike 2 weeks ago and all I can say is . He did tell me about the headbearings but I thought of doing it myself. Wanted to tickle sorry I meant scratch a bit and get to know her again.
He did give me the bike back nice and clean but there is places that is out of bounds - only owners should go there
.
I often take out the axles and make sure they have a nice coating of top quality grease. At the same time I check that there is a nice coating of grease on the inside of the seals. We use our bikes mostly in the dust not?. They should be treated like an enduro bike.
Trevor and I actually did the exercise of stripping the rear swing arm's out recently and regreasing all the needle bearings and bushes in and under there on our 4 bikes. It was just in time as well, as already water and some rust had acumulated. There are many more on the 650 than on the 800 as well, have a look underneath, every pivot point you see contains a needle bearing and bush.
But someone somewhere hasn't done something properly if your front axle, seals and bearings have not been looked at in the last two years mate. Have a think.
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