Indexed Steering? Or badly needed bearings?

When I did my KZ650 I hammered the races out with a bar from the opposite end. It was actually quite easy to do. I think the key was not to bang too hard at any one spot as that could cock the race and jam it. Instead, rather easy blows alternating around the race made the task go very well. It really was no problem at all doing it that way. Ed

Getting the races out of the should be something you can do yourself, but it partly depends on how lucky you are. Early manuals recommended you just tap the bearing out from the back side with a bar, screwdriver, or similar. Later Kawasaki developed a special tool for the job. Do you have a copy of the factory service manual? If not, you should definitely get one right away. They are very good.

Tapping worked fine for me the first time I did this on my KZ650. However, with my Z1R I could not get the bottom race out. I just wanted to cock sideways and wedge itself. no matter how carefully I hit it.

I would give tapping with a bar a try, tapping very lightly, but at the first sign of it getting wedged in place I'd stop. For me once it started it just got worse.

If you manage to get at least one race out, you can look for a pipe or cylinder just a bit smaller than the head tube. This might allow you tap the other race out straight.

If tapping doesn't work, I'd try to find a blind hole puller kit. Autozone has had them in the past, and they "rent" tools for free.

Something like this. www.amazon.com/Hammer-Bearing-Internal-E...emover/dp/B00G1RXHKQ

For my Z1R I made a puller out of threaded rod and nuts, a flat plate, and some bar stock. But I had to machine the bar stock with a mill to make a cutout for the steering lock pin. No sure if you have one of those on your bike.

The manual shows what to do to get out the stock races.
Here's a page with a bunch of manuals for the chain drive Kz550's.
s3.amazonaws.com/gpzweb/Mnls/Mnls.html

The stock one can just be hammered out with a drift.

Tapered ones have no lip to hammer on so you have to weld something to them or use a dremel.

The dremel tool is very messy and takes a long time. It can also cut too deep and mar the frame if you're not careful. I definitely won't be using the dremel method ever again now that I have a welder.

I used a small dremel cutoff disc to slice 90% of the way through the old race, then I used a sharp chisel and hammer to crack the old race and facilitate it's removal.

I've replaced mine 3 times in the last 4 years..Long story.
The tapered races I removed using a hammer and a thin slotted screwdriver slipped between the bottom inside flange of the race and the steering head horizontal flange. Just lightly wedge it in there and twist the screwdriver. Just be careful with the steering head flange
OEM races are easy to knock out. I just use a long pin punch or a long 3/8 extension from the opposite side at an angle.
I tried the All Balls but went back to OEM. I wasn't happy with the quality of their tapered roller. Just my preference.