Steering Head Bearings - Buell 2002 P3 Service Manual

HOME

STEERING HEAD BEARINGS

GENERAL
Check steering head bearings:
●
At the 1000 mile (1600 km) initial service and at
every 2,500 mile (4,000 km) service interval thereaf-
ter.
●
When storing or removing the motorcycle for the
season.
Lubricate and adjust steering head bearings:
●
At every 20,000 mile (32,000 km) service interval.
Lubricate the steering head bearings with
BEARING GREASE (Part No. 99855-89)
INSPECTION
With motorcycle front end raised off of floor, check to make
sure front fork turns freely, without any binding or interfer-
ence. Also check to make sure there is no appreciable front
to rear fork shake indicating excessive bearing looseness.
1. Detach clutch cable at handlebar.
2. Remove seat and fuel tank. See
COVER/FUEL TANK.
3. Attach lifting straps to frame tube behind steering neck.
Raise front wheel off floor using a floor hoist and lifting
straps. Turn front wheel to full right lock.
4. See Figure 1-32. Attach a spring scale into the hole in
the front axle. With scale 90 degrees from fork leg, pull
front wheel to center position. It should take 6.5-7 lbs
(2.9-3.2 kg) to pull front wheel to center.
5. Attach clutch cable to handlebar.
NOTE
Check that clutch and throttle cables do not bind when mea-
suring bearing resistance.
ADJUSTMENT
1. Detach clutch cable at handlebar.
2. Remove seat and fuel tank. See
COVER/FUEL TANK.
3. Attach lifting straps to frame backbone behind steering
neck. Raise front wheel off floor using a floor hoist and
lifting straps.
4. Turn front wheel to full right lock.
5. See Figure 1-32. Attach a spring scale into the hole in
the front axle. Pull front wheel to center position. It
should take 6.5-7 lbs (2.9-3.2 kg) to pull front wheel to
center.
6. See Figure 1-33. To adjust:
a. Loosen both pinch screws on lower triple clamp.
b. Loosen center cap pinch screw on upper triple
clamp.
c. Loosen cap nut, then tighten to 48-52 ft-lbs (65-71
Nm) to seat bearing. Loosen cap nut and retighten
to 28-32 ft-lbs (38-43 Nm).
7. Recheck tension using spring scale. See Step 5.
8. Tighten both lower triple clamp pinch screws to 22-29 ft-
lbs (30-39 Nm).
1-26 2002 Buell P3: Maintenance
9. Tighten center cap pinch screw to 7-10 ft-lbs (10-14
Nm).
7736
WHEEL
4.2 FUEL TANK
a0137x2x
Center Cap
Pinch Screw
7-10 ft-lbs
(10-14 Nm)
Upper
Pinch Screws (2)
13-16 ft-lbs
(18-22 Nm)
4.2 FUEL TANK
Lower Triple Clamp
Figure 1-32. Steering Head Bearing Check
Lower
Pinch Screws (2)
Figure 1-33. Fork Stem and Bracket Assembly
1.15
Cap Nut
To Adjust:
48-52 ft-lbs
(65-71 Nm) then
loosen and re-tighten
to: 28-32 ft-lbs
(38-43 Nm)
Upper Triple Clamp
22-29 ft-lbs
(30-39 Nm)