The service manual jumps from removing the stem nut pretty much to removing the races and skips everything in between, which is quite a bit of stuff.

Can anyone point me to a resource that walks through the steps of gaining access to the bearings themselves for inspection and possible replacement?

My vehicle is a 2000 Ultra flhtcui

 

It is under maintenance inspection, if you look at the interval chart, I think there is a page number where you can see the inspection criteria for that. Im at work and don't have my book but Ill look in a few hours when I get home. Ive used it to tighten mine up.
Also even if you find the page on how to R&R the races, keep looking in that section, it will tell you the procedure to adjust it or what section to go to to find it.

 

steering head bearings fall under "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". if they wear out fix them. for the labor it takes to get to them you may as well change them weather they need it or not. my 85 fl has 100k on it and the only time the bearings have been greased is the day it was built. there's not a grease fitting for them on the 85 either.

 

That's certainly one way to maintain your equipment!

 

The thing is, I've got the front end torn apart to put Monotubes on, so I figured now's the time to inspect and replace. The SM calls for a visual inspection and re-packing every 20K miles. I've got about 50K and I'm pretty sure it's never been done. I'd hate to put it back together and start having things go south in a few months, only to have to do it again.

 

Thanks. In the Maintenance section, the SM tells you how to grease them, but just says "see section 2 for bearing removal". Section 2 skips everything after removing the 1-3/8" stem nut.

In the attached PDF, Under REMOVAL, what I need is all the stuff *not* described in step 4. At the end of step 3, you've just been instructed to remove the stem nut, which leaves the fork stem protruding through the upper triple tree, and the bearing adjuster inaccessible under the top triple tree. Step 4 starts with removing the bearing adjuster, but there's no way to get to it with the top triple tree in place. I'm probably just reading something wrong, but I don't get it.

The JPG shows where I'm at right now in the disassembly. In it, you can see the fork stem protruding through the triple tree with the stem nut removed. The bearing adjust is under the triple tree.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

If he's riding a 31 year mc and it's still running, he must being doing a lot right.

 

Yeah it's called luck. It's been so long he probably doesn't remember how much easier it use to steer and react. Curious what his fall away count is.

 

Grease the snot out of it. & check the fall away then after a thousand miles check again. I just greased mine hard today so that it even came out the top.

 

Unless I'm lucky enough for someone to post missing instructions for bearing removal, I'll be taking your advise. This was just a "while I'm in there" task I thought I'd take on while installing my monotubes. I should have checked the fall-away before taking it apart!