steering head bearing test ?

[Steny365]

Hi all , can anyone tell me how would you know if steering bearings are too tight ,ok I have bike on centre stand and front raised ,the steering stays straight if I slight move bars to left they move but stop until move again and same for the right ,there's no nocthy or roughness from them or play from front , I'm asking should they be a bit More smoother then only moving once you touch them but stop as soon as you let go ,maybe there perfect but said I'd ask ,as bike has 47k miles

 

[Upt' North]

I would adjust head bearings so there is no play felt in the head, checked by grabbing the bottom of the forks in the straight ahead position and checking for play. The bars should move smoothly from side to side with no appreciable drag. All this is made more difficult when trying to check with brake lines, cables attached etc.
It is easier if you know a fat arse to sit on the back of the bike while checking for play or chock the underside.
Hope it helps.
Upt'North.

 

[dduelin]

The service manual gives a lb pull value measured by pulling on the fork tube 90 degrees to rotation - 2.1 to 3.2 lbs. It can be measured with a fish scale or trigger pull scale. In application head bearings that are too tight can make the bike prone to a slow weave back and forth when riding in a straight line.

Have the bearings been replaced or adjusted since new?

 

[SMSW]

The two to three pound spec that Dduelin quotes is very little. As he mentioned, you can use a trigger pull scale. A two pound trigger pull is considered very light for competition use and I have heard it is outlawed for some law enforcement agencies because of the danger of an accidental discharge in a stressful situation. This might not be factual - my source for this is more than a few years old and I don't remember where it was said or written.