R50/2 Steering Head Bearings

[NoahRodenbeek]

Thank you for the help! I wasn't sure if I could replace this part or not. I have zero motorcycle experience and this whole component seems pretty advanced. I may need to find a shop nearby that I can take it to

[San Arthur]

Noah our bikes were engineered to be repair on the road by the operators, and if you service them they will last forever.

Have fun, learn, investigate, ask us, and do it your self!!

I work as a "intern" in a motorcycle museum shop restoring and always learning to restore bikes. I used to be an attorney hahahahaha CERO mechanical background. You can do it!!

[NoahRodenbeek]

That is awesome, thanks for the encouragement! Pulling this thing apart was one thing, but it's so intimidating thinking about putting it back together. I guess, how bad can I screw any part up, right? I can always walk it back. I've got a solid guess about how these should go in, I think I'm going to just go for it!

Do you have a grease recommendation for all these bearing?

[Daves79x]

Belray waterproof grease (blue grease in a white tub) is what I've used for years.


Dave

[schrader7032]

These bearings aren't like wheel bearings...they aren't spinning and spinning...they only move a few degrees either side of center for most of their life. I tend to use a sticky type grease that is cut with some regular moly wheel bearing grease. I managed to get a tube of Chevron red grease NGLI II and mix 2/3 red grease with 1/3 moly. Snowbum has some discussion of greases on this page:

https://bmwmotorcycletech.info/chemicalsetc.htm

I've heard recommended Guard Dog Moly 525. Also Loctite Moly Paste LB 8012.

[San Arthur]

Noah the hardes part was done for you already, removing the raisers.
Kurt, Dave and many in this forum are a wealth of knowledge and always there to help us and i did follow their advice investing in good grease..

From my previous mistakes I can recommend to invest in good and modern taper roller bearings. Get them from a BMW vintage parts supplier, this may be the last time you will change them, and believe me, is not fun to remove the raisers. In order to get to most of them, partial disassemble of the motorcycle is needed. It sims odd to invest in a part no one sees, but they are important.

I´ve repeated this frase several times through out my motorcycle experience: "I should have replace the bearings when I had the chance".

[NoahRodenbeek]

I am totally down to replace them, I'm just not sure what to get. Is there a good shop online? Is there any way I can determine which bearings will even fit my bike?

[schrader7032]

Vech at Benchmark Works can fix you up. But they close early on Fridays.

[wa1nca]

Vech at Benchmark Works can fix you up. But they close early on Fridays.


http://benchmarkworks.com/

Tapper roller bearings part # 3142 2000 000

Tommy

[San Arthur]

Is there any way I can determine which bearings will even fit my bike?

If buying in the USA, Bench Mark Work for me too but if I´m not in a hurry I use Huggett. Huggett is an official manufacturer and supplier of vintage BMW motorcycle parts for BMW AG through their Group Classic division.

It always surprises me that when I receive a new replacement part it always fits perfectly.

That says a lot of the manufacturing standards of does years. Our bikes were build to last and being used hard, replacement parts were needed to fit without any modifications. But if in doubt you can always share the frame and/or engine numbers with the vendor.

I use this grease, plenty of it! Liqui Moly LM50 Bearing Grease.

I recently change the racers on my R90S and I used this videos as reference: http://www.boxer2valve.com/bmw/R90slash ... ls-16.html