I changed the bearings in the steering spindle not long ago.  Rode for 3 hours or so tonight, and I noticed that there seems to be some play in that area when using the front brake kinda hard.  Not race-track braking, but it shouldn't matter anyway. 
My handle bars shift forward, and I was able to see the triple shift forward of the frame as the forks compress. 

I'm pissed. 
I do NOT want to install another bearing set.  I've already been through two, since I put one of the races upside down by mistake. 

This is my first experience with that spanner collar on the spindle.  I tightened it until it wouldn't budge a millimeter, but I still wasn't getting steering resistance.  I didn't back it off.  I figured the pre-load was fine.  So, I'm not seeing the light.  I thought the bearings had seated fully.  What am I missing here? 

Is it just the triple that's loose?  If so, then why didn't I get resistance from turning the handlebars when setting the pre-load?  Maybe I'm expecting too much resistance? 

Something is way off ,recheck everything , when loading the bearing too much the handlebars barely move

What am I supposed to check?  I've been over that area dozens of times, trying to be sure before I started riding.  Everything's installed in the correct order. 
I just can't get the collar to tighten down anymore. 


And, no, it's not cross-threaded. 


Is there a method to the madness? 

You use 30 x 55 x 17mm (32006)  25x47x15mm (32005)  bearings ?

When drifting in no races with a brass punch and hammer, it is really "Iffy" in getting them to seat squarely and then they tend to seat themselves a bit as you ride and are thus very loose --- BUT you seem to indicate that applying torque to the adjuster nut did not put any pre-load on the bearings to begin with and that ain't right.  H377, ya should have been able to bind them - although I sure don't recommend that.  I wonder just what your adjusteer nut is seating upon, if not the upper bearing's inner race?  Maybe incorrect bearings or some missing part?

prs

OK The way I have had to seat bearings is first you need to have the front end on the ground. That way the lower bearing has no play.

Then you sit the upper in the stem - You should have clean and clear sliding area for it, if it got crap or a gouge in the slide area it will not ever seat. You also need well lubed everything in the bearing itself. And sorta knock in into place. Minimal wiggling and what not are needed to make sure it seats.

Then tighten the top adjusting nut etc etc till its hand tight but rememeber you will have to set it hand tight with the tool I call a spanner socket. Then reassemble and here is the contradiction of your life - its too tight at this point. Go for a short ride. It will be painfully tight. So make it a very short ride. Up and down the block. Then loosen it 1/4 turn with a punch or similar.

That is just it. If you set it 1/4 turn loose to start with, it will not be right to begin with, unless maybe you're using used bearings. It has to be tightened and back out. Never seen a better way to do it.

Cool.
Buddha.

Did you check for wear/damage to the journals/housings and when you fitted both the outer-races and the lower, inner-race did you make sure everything was hard up against the shoulders?

Buddha!  How are you?

I did exactly what you explained, but the steering never started binding.  That's what's strange.  There weren't any gouges in the seat, brand new bearings, hand-packed with red lithium grease.  The top was maybe a millimeter from being fully seated.  MAYBE. 
I figured that it would at least start binding the handlebars until I went on a short ride, like you mentioned.  Even with the top bearing race being a little high.  I thought that it'd loosen on the road, then I'd just retighten. 

But, I tightened the collar until I started digging into it and it wouldn't budge, still not enough pre-load.  Tried to make a spanner, but didn't have the right stock laying around.  I just used a thin chisel.  I've been using that method for years without a problem, even on my old M1A1. 
The bearings were correct size, not used.  I use the "heat and seat" method, chilling the races in the freezer prior (for the inside races).  Used a drift like I normally do, alternating with an impact socket to keep then square in the seat. 



Guess I'll try to tighten the collar again.  Maybe it's loose now, for some reason. 

OK 1 mm. Might as well have a bearing across the country. 1mm is huge.
It wont bind unless you tighten it. Like over tighten. I am talking about hand tight, ride a little and back 1/4 turn. You never got it tight enough to bind.
You tightened the collar on an unseated bearing and dug into it - maybe you have a gouge in the slide area.
Heat and seat for outers ? or inners also. I dunno, I dont heat/chill anything. I have an old race welded on to a plate for outer races, and a inner race welded onto a pipe for the inner. Just sit it in squarely in the thing and hammer away.
Cool.
Buddha.

That would make sense, then.  I felt a very, very slight notchiness before I rode, but I thought it would have been a piece of sand in the rollers or maybe the tire scrubbing on the floor. 

I'm gonna try to tighten up the collar, in case it is just loose from the bearing finally seating.  If not, then I guess that's the problem. 

I thought about that, but I figured the rollers and races were hardened and wouldn't dig in to each other.  Maybe they've stretched the roller carrier? 
This sucks balls.  I really don't enjoy taking that ungainly front fork assembly off, and the weather is so great for riding. 

Maybe, at least, it'll give me a chance to powdercoat my triples, since I forgot last time.  The entire bike's coated, except for the triples.  They're standing out like a sore thumb. 

Have you got any bars left, Buddha?  My lower back is killing me, and the outside of my wrists (medial, for you anatomy fans). 

Bars never even got made. I have 89 clip on's. That of course you can powdercoat, they are a wee bit dirty.
Now you put new bearings in a GS fork set. WTF, just do katana, putting in new bearings is 99% of the pain.
Maybe the medial is hurting from bashing the bearings out and then bashing the bearing's back in.
Cool.
Buddha.

I considered a swap.  Might do it in a few years. 
I bugged you about a front end.  Don't you remember? 



Screw it.  Torqued everything down as much as I could, when I got home.  I'm just gonna ride this b!tch as she is. 

Hold onto those 89's for me till next week. 

When did I remember anything.
Cool.
Buddha.

Fukc Valentine's Day, I'm getting clip-ons.  How much do you want for them? 
It's not like she's gonna put out, anyway. 


How much to ship to 27403?  I'm only an hour or so away from you, anyway. 
How quick is the turn-around from your powdercoat guy?  Mine is too slow. 

Ha ha ...
OK 100 powdercoted, 75 without. You're 01+ or 90-00 ? The tubes for the later models are different, They're banana.
Turnaround - pretty fine for shiny black. 1-2 weeks maybe.
PM me. Now you do know bearings wont get fixed if you just swap to clip on's right ? OK good.
Cool.
Buddha.

Bearings schmearings. 

But, Buddha, I had my entire bike coated for $200.  $25 just for clip-ons and top plate?