Steering Head Bearing Failure:

[Wavex]

mm i get 3 diff part #'s

and they are US based not AUS based
BUT they do have local distributer

If you spend 10 seconds actually reading the site, you'll notice that 2 of the 3 PNs are wheel bearings, and 1 is the steering head bearing.

Sorry for not finding the AUS distributor for you :shakehead:

 

[von_trippenhopf]

Just replaced mine with taper rollers.
I had receipts for new bearings fitted by the previous owner but by the looks of them he replaced the balls but not the cups & cones!
Anyway, taper rollers + new fork oil = MUCH better handling!

 

[FZ1inNH]

Owned 2 FZ6s and both needed the head bearing changed... Yamaha should have been using tapered bearings for such an application anyway, and I believe the main reason for the issues is the weak/bad plastic seal of the stock bearing...

I'm getting curious about if this problem is also extended over to the FZ1 although I don't hear any grumblings on either site I frequent. I'll probably tear down next winter and replace with the All Balls simply because they are one of the best tapers on the market.

Time to go ask the FZ1 guys....

 

[Discofrank]

If you spend 10 seconds actually reading the site, you'll notice that 2 of the 3 PNs are wheel bearings, and 1 is the steering head bearing.

Sorry for not finding the AUS distributor for you :shakehead:

hahaha LOL did not even notice that!

hahaha


meh i found AUS distributor easy enough

cheers

will find out next few days

if notmore grease and more torque

 

[04fizzer]

I think it's a combo of the first three (unfortunately, can't select them all)

I've never done a wheelie, so I know that's not the cause. It's a combination of bad bearings, bad grease, and a non-existent seal (it's there, but pretty much useless).

For the record, I replaced mine at 9000 miles.

 

[deeptekkie]

I think it's a combo of the first three (unfortunately, can't select them all)

I've never done a wheelie, so I know that's not the cause. It's a combination of bad bearings, bad grease, and a non-existent seal (it's there, but pretty much useless).

For the record, I replaced mine at 9000 miles.

(GOSH I HOPE THIS DOESN'T POST TWICE! My first one just poofed away into cyber-obscurity!)
I have only wheelied four times in 900 miles - ALL unintentional! One was smoking a Camaro from a redlight about 40 miles from here and the other three were honestly third gear power wheelies! Two accelerating out of turns and one was just an overly enthusiastic throttle twist after catching third! (Hey......maybe that's why my cables are stretching so fast!!!) Now where's that dude that was asking if the FZ6 was "powerful enough"? =:-O

 

[stryken]

the other three were honestly third gear power wheelies!

:eyebrow:

I'm not sure I can even clutch wheelie our bike in third?

I am sure you can in first and second though...

 

[g8anos]

Without wheeling the OEM bearings where after 40.000 km's in terrible condition.

My mechanic showed them to me and they where all rusty and dirty, I assume that it's the cheap spongy sealing that causes water and moisture to enter and destroy them.

I changed them with roller bearings, but at first, they weren't sufficiently torqued, then I went to another mechanic and he over-torqued them and now they are due to replacement.

At very slow speeds, when I take my hands off the handlebar, the bike tends to go slowly to the left and then slowly to the right.. like some kind of boat!

And at slow speed turns, the bike has the tendency to try to get back into up-right position, and then immediately falls back into the turn, several times ...

 

[Johnstrat1927]

I have an 04 FZ6. Just changed the steering bearings recently.