'notchy' steering 83 GS650GL

[Guest]

Just picked up a '83 GS650GL yesterday. My first 850 but not my first foray into GS's. Bike has a little over 11k on the clock, PO put new tires on it, and rebuilt the carb and replaced all of the diaphragms. Runs good, shifts nice, suspension feels good. Will need to adjust valves, sync the carbs and flush/clean brake system.

Reason for the post is that it seems to have a 'notch' in the steering straight ahead at 12 o'clock. I'm guessing neck bearings or bearing race. Any other thoughts, and has anyone else experienced this?

[kerrfunk]

I have a 83 GS650GL. No notch.

How notchy is it?

[fastbysuzuki]

Sounds like you need to inspect your steering head bearings I bet they need renewing

[mhobryan]

My bad I have an '83 GS850GL. I have owned a 650GL in the past.

There's just one notch ... right at 12 o'clock. And there is enough of a notch to make it a little dicey when trying to steer. Ordered a Haynes manual off of Ebay yesterday should help me dig into the head bearings. That's a bit of a bummer...was hoping to get away with just doing a valve job, and a brake flush.

[Kiwi Canuck]

Guess you didn't know there are manuals online here.

http://zeus.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/GS850_Manual_HiRes.pdf

Also good info here.

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

David

[Redman]

Yes, I have.

It will slowly get worse, to where have to push to get it out of that notch, which aint good when heading into a curve.
It feels like A notch, but is really nothches spaced out at each roller bearing.

I replaced my steering neck bearing this spring, I would give a link to that posting, but is all photobucket pic that dont show any longer.

THe bearing set is not expensive. Is not too hard to dissasemble what needs to be taken apart to get at it. THe hard part is driving out the outter race and replacing that, upper and lower.

You may find some youtube vidios that show knocking out the lower outer race with a long rod. Probelm is that on the GS the outer race on the lower set is such that can not catch it with a rod from above. I had to cut mine with a dremmel before could knock it out.

I am not much of a gearhead, am not a mechanic or anything. THis was the biggest job I had ever done. Was way beyound any of my previous experience. But with help of folks here, I did it. After I was done, I thought: "You big dummy, that was negligent to have ridden it that way for so long."



.

[Redman]

[mhobryan]

Thanks for the pic's Redman! What you described, i.e. pushing it out of the notch is exactly what I'm experiencing. Just really surprised that it has this problem with only 11k on the clock. (I'm assuming the speedo hasn't been swapped out). Where did you source your bearings? I'm seeing about $75ish for both upper and lower.

Thanks Kiwi for the link; am very familiar with BassCliff's sight ... helped me with carb rebuild and valve adjustments on the 650's I had a few years ago. I like having a hard copy of the manual.

[gbw]

http://www.allballsracing.com/22-1004.html

$34

This is for a 83 GS850G. Someone on here will know if it's the same for the GL.

[hillsy]

http://www.allballsracing.com/22-1004.html

$34

This is for a 83 GS850G. Someone on here will know if it's the same for the GL.

They are the same:

Upper: 25 x 47 x 15
Lower: 30 x 55 x 17

[Steve]

I will concur with the bearing diagnosis.

This is from my son's 650L a few years ago, I am getting ready to do the same thing to my wife's 850L.



Redman showed the good technique to remove the race. I tend to cut it twice, it will practially fall out after that.



.

[Redman]

I do not recall where I got the bearings, but were not $75.
I think I got mine from Dennis Kirk.

A couple other comments:
- pictures I posted not mean as a complete tutorial.
- in pictures with the inner race still in place, they look like they are brass. But those are the same things that in other picture look to be silver-chrome looking. In pictures of the inner race still in the neck, I think they look brass more from rust, but they really are hard silver-chrome-metal.
- I said the hardest part is removing the inner races from the steering neck. But the really most difficult part is removing the lower inner race (left on last picture) from the steering stem. That was also a cut-n-hammer-chisel job.

For me, anyway, Seemed like about each step of the way was - stop, read more, post more, look-more-ytube, then go for a while till next stopping point. Well, was for me, anyway. Again, I am not a gearhead mechanic.

Oh, if you read in the Clymer manaul about this - it does not describe it too much, says something like "conciderable technique and expereince required", and "special tool required" and "should be done by authorised service"..
....the Clymers could say "or your good buddys on GSR will help you thru" and "some utube vidios show how to improvise a way to knock the race off".

oh... tell us your general location (or better yet, add that to your profile so it shows up in every post)

[Kiwi Canuck]

Damage is usually caused by loose bearing races, when left a bit too loose the bearing has room to bang back and forward causing the indents to start, once started they just get worse.

IIRC it's best to tighten them with the front wheel removed so it's easier to get the feel right.

From the manual.

STEM NUT
Tighten the steering stem nut by using the special
tool with specified torque. ( 10.0 - 14.5 lb-ft)
Turn the front fork right and left 5 or 6 times to
seat the bearings.
Turn out the steering stem nut 1/ 4 turn.
Then retighten very lightly so that no play can be
detected in the stem.
09940 - 14911 Stem nut socket wrench

I made my special tool from a piece of suitable pipe, a hacksaw and file and it was done in 15 mins. (before I had a lathe and mill)

[mhobryan]

Thanks for all of the quick replies! I live in Metro Detroit, in Saint Clair Shores - profile updated. Looks like I have a nice weekend winter project.

[limeex2]

This is also the cause of "the handle bars shake when decelerating with my hands off the bars" Use allballs for the bearings. Previous member was correct, adjust with wheels off. Proper adjustment is critical and when done properly makes your front end feel sooo nice!

I adjust mine whenever replacing tires, and here how I was taught by the tech's. Pack bearings well! Over tight tighten bearings the first time. Get a feel for it. It will bind and doesn't move smoothly. Now, losing it back up. Feel how friction is almost non-existent? Re-tighten and when you push it right or left, a good guideline is it should fall to the stops very slowly on its own. Not slam. If its adjusted to tight, the bike will wander back and forth as you correct the binding front end. Try adjusting again with the wheel on and the front tire off of the ground. When I tightened it to spec, I found it to loose for my tastes.