Honda VFR1200X Crosstourer - Honda's biggest Adventure Tourer > Crosstourer warranty issues & Honda recalls
Steering head bearing
MrKiwi:
In NZ we have to have our bikes tested once a year to ensure it is maintained in a safe condition to ride on the road. We call it the warrant of fitness check.
Well my VFR1200X failed, the steering head bearing had a notch in it at the neutral steering position. Turns out when I went to pay parts this was still under warranty. The bike has just done 18,000 km so I was a little surprised the bearing needed replacing. The work was done last week and the bike is back on the road.
But... when taking it out on a ride today, I noticed that every time when I went over a bump or I applied the brakes with moderate or more pressure it felt like there was a little bit of play in the steering head. So after only 10 kms of riding I turned around and came home. I put the bike on its centre stand to test a few things. The steering is silky smooth and no play in the steering head. But when locking the front wheel with the hand brake and then rocking the front wheel back and forth definitely some play.
So its back to the dealer for them to sort out. Feeling :'(
JosepM:
Mine has 18000 km too and I haven't noticed anything of the kind. But this means little, considering my capabilities ::)
In a couple of weeks I am having my shaft changed, so I will have this issue previously checked too. Thanks for the information VCIF_ThumbUp
Josep
Bønne:
Well, it´s obvious that they haven´t done they´re job right at the dealer when replacing the bearings, so, go and complain.
But, having said that, the biggest problem is that the original steering head bearings are ball bearings. Ball bearings are quite sensitive for bigger impacts, as they only have a relatively small capacity of load ability... but they´re cheap... ;D. Sometimes they last many km, sometimes they don´t, depending on riding stile.
And then, your problem is the warranty. As your bearings are replaced on warranty, you´ll get the same original ball bearings installed.
On my Varadero, I changed the steering head bearings at 60000 km, as it had started to wobble when taking my hands of the bars, an indication that the steering head bearings are worn. I changed them to aftermarked tappered roller bearings, as theese have a bigger capacity of load ability than ball bearings, and therefore last longer. I´ve now done 60000 km more, and I still can take my hands of the bars at 150 km/h and let it run down to idle, without any wobling at all, despite my tyres have done 24000 km and are about to be changed.
The reason why tappered roller bearings are stronger than ball bearings are simple: if you imagine a tennis ball lying on a flat surface, it will only touch with one small point, but, if you imagine a roller, or a cylinder, e.g. a beer can ;D, lying down on the same flat surface, then it´ll touch the surface with a line according to the lenght of the roller; much more contact that the tennis ball! That means that the tappered roller bearing can obtain much more pressure before deforming than the ball bearing.
Here is a picture of one of my ball bearing rings, which, as said before, was changed at 60000 km:
It´s clearly to se, that there are pressure mark in it, causing the steering mainly to go straight as the balls will try to remain in the marks, causing the bike to wobble when taking the hands of the bars, as you cannot keep the bike in exactly straight position.
MrKiwi:
Thanks for the info. Yes, spoke with the dealer this morning and will take it back for the bearings to be tightened. Their view is the bearings must have settled in and require a bit more tightening to compensate.
On the adventure rider forum a friend of mine sent me to this link - I might just get a set of these if I keep the VFR1200X. Keeping it is a pretty low probability though, I will have a new bike before this time next year.
Link - www.allballsracing.com/22-1020.html
Bønne:
--- Quote from: MrKiwi on July 04, 2016, 02:02:18 ---On the adventure rider forum a friend of mine sent me to this link - www.allballsracing.com/22-1020.html
--- End quote ---
Yes, exactly that type of bearings I referred to VCIF_ThumbUp ;D
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