steering bearing replacement

Just an FYI. The steel balls are probably still available. The list price is around a quarter. Partzilla has a photograph.

www.partzilla.com/parts/detail/kawasaki/KP-600A0800.html

ps: the 650-csr has 19 balls at the bottom & 20 at the top, so a guy might count the number of balls that fall out of the bottom & think one is missing.

I changed all the bearings in my chassis front to back, top to bottom. Not because I was looking for something to do, just because it was needed. God knows there are more important things to do that replace good parts. :whistle:
Steve

martin_csr wrote: Just an FYI. The steel balls are probably still available. The list price is around a quarter. Partzilla has a photograph.

www.partzilla.com/parts/detail/kawasaki/KP-600A0800.html

ps: the 650-csr has 19 balls at the bottom & 20 at the top, so a guy might count the number of balls that fall out of the bottom & think one is missing.

I realize the numbers of balls needed. I saw in the manual. Thanks dude I was looking for the ball bearings

RonKZ650 wrote: I put the tapered bearings in 3 KZ650s, and a KZ1000 and can't say I could tell any real improvement. They were before the Chinese all balls though, so maybe chinese bearings have a better feel . As to the swing arm bearings, why do you think virtually everything needs to be replaced? They used 4 good quality needle bearings in the 78. Those aren't bad I'll wager to bet. The 77 with the sleeve, yes, it's bad, but 78 the bearings most likely are fine.

The guy who painted my frame was able to get the swing arm bearings. I decided not to replace them instead adding penetrating oil and greasing them freed them up a good amount. A couple feel kind of crunchy when I turn them.

If the ball bearings are like mine (76 KZ750) then they are just 1/4" ball bearings. You should be able to get one anywhere. Hell I'll send you one for $0.01 plus shipping

The Allballs website has a really good page under install or installation or something that shows you how to press the tapered roller bearings on to the steering stem using a threaded rod and some fender washers.