Steering Head Bearings

[Loady1]

Has anyone adjusted the steering head bearings? I need to do mine at 27000kms but would like some procedure guidance before I attempt it. Do the handle bars have to come off?

[mspratz]

Has anyone adjusted the steering head bearings? I need to do mine at 27000kms but would like some procedure guidance before I attempt it. Do the handle bars have to come off?

Assuming you're not taking the whole headset apart to re-grease the bearings, the goal is to re-torque the bearings to 12 Nm. That's easier said than done.
I have adjusted mine, twice. Once with a jerry-rigged set up, and again after I bought the BMW special tools.
You need a small torque wrench and two BMW special tools, and a 1/2" drive 12mm allen "socket", plus other standard tools to do the job. Together the two BMW tools cost about US$132.00, if you can get a dealer to sell them to you. Both are available from Maxbmw.com. Use the classic parts fiche and paste in the order numbers:
- Pin Wrench 83 30 2 152 902
- Adaptor Ring 83 30 2 287 420
You cannot get away with just one or the other (like I initially hoped), they fit together to make one tool. The adaptor ring is larger in diameter than the pin wrench.
It is quite a lot of work to get everything (Nav mount, handlebars, top triple clamp, etc.) out of the way to get to the point where you can spend the 10 seconds it takes to actually do the adjustment using the special tools and your smallest torque wrench (12 Nm is very little torque).
Almost forgot: the first time I did it the job I had difficulty getting the main steering stem bolt undone. It is a 12mm hex (allen key) torqued to 130 Nm, and mine was seized by corrosion. You can see the nut immediately below the BMW badge that is in the middle of the handlebars. It is very difficult to get any penetrating oil to the stem bolt threads. I eventually broke it free by inserting a 1/2" drive 12mm allen "socket" into the nut, put a 6" long 2" x 2" piece of lumber on top endwise, and and gave the other end of the drift a good tap with a big hammer. There was a distinct ping, and I was then able to undo it with a long breaker bar. I used anti-seize on that thread on re-assembly. You might not have that problem.
I hope this helps to some degree.
P.S. Just re-read your post. The fact that you're asking if the handlebars need to come off indicates that maybe you don't have any sort of shop manual for the bike. My advice: get a manual before you attempt this procedure. I have both the Haynes manual and the BMW shop manual (purchase from BMW website and download). There are subtleties to this procedure that I haven't described, and you need a manual.

[Grumpy Goat]

As usual, wonderful post / input from Michael. Thanks!

[Loady1]

Has anyone adjusted the steering head bearings? I need to do mine at 27000kms but would like some procedure guidance before I attempt it. Do the handle bars have to come off?

Assuming you're not taking the whole headset apart to re-grease the bearings, the goal is to re-torque the bearings to 12 Nm. That's easier said than done.
I have adjusted mine, twice. Once with a jerry-rigged set up, and again after I bought the BMW special tools.
You need a small torque wrench and two BMW special tools, and a 1/2" drive 12mm allen "socket", plus other standard tools to do the job. Together the two BMW tools cost about US$132.00, if you can get a dealer to sell them to you. Both are available from Maxbmw.com. Use the classic parts fiche and paste in the order numbers:
- Pin Wrench 83 30 2 152 902
- Adaptor Ring 83 30 2 287 420
You cannot get away with just one or the other (like I initially hoped), they fit together to make one tool. The adaptor ring is larger in diameter than the pin wrench.
It is quite a lot of work to get everything (Nav mount, handlebars, top triple clamp, etc.) out of the way to get to the point where you can spend the 10 seconds it takes to actually do the adjustment using the special tools and your smallest torque wrench (12 Nm is very little torque).
Almost forgot: the first time I did it the job I had difficulty getting the main steering stem bolt undone. It is a 12mm hex (allen key) torqued to 130 Nm, and mine was seized by corrosion. You can see the nut immediately below the BMW badge that is in the middle of the handlebars. It is very difficult to get any penetrating oil to the stem bolt threads. I eventually broke it free by inserting a 1/2" drive 12mm allen "socket" into the nut, put a 6" long 2" x 2" piece of lumber on top endwise, and and gave the other end of the drift a good tap with a big hammer. There was a distinct ping, and I was then able to undo it with a long breaker bar. I used anti-seize on that thread on re-assembly. You might not have that problem.
I hope this helps to some degree.
P.S. Just re-read your post. The fact that you're asking if the handlebars need to come off indicates that maybe you don't have any sort of shop manual for the bike. My advice: get a manual before you attempt this procedure. I have both the Haynes manual and the BMW shop manual (purchase from BMW website and download). There are subtleties to this procedure that I haven't described, and you need a manual.

Thanks for your reply. I attempted it yesterday without a shop manual but using past mechanical experience. Got it done with 2 "C" spanners. Jacked up the front and did it up till I could no longer feel movement when pulling forward and back on the lower fork legs. Yes the top nut requiring 12mm hex tool was very tight. All good now. I left the top triple clamp on while doing it, just loosened the fork clamp bolts. Not much different to all the jap bikes I've done. I will get a manual.