While adjusting steering head bearings...

The Youtube video shows adjustment being done without any disassembly, but there is a cage piece to lock the two adjusting nuts together, does that just stay in place and the spanner moves the nuts together with the lock washer? I have the preload spec and all so I'm good with the rest of the procedure but this one thing seems odd. I dont see any other way it can work.

I just ordered a spanner and I would like to get the rest of the bike together while I wait for said spanner to arrive.

Thanks.

Do you have a link to the video that you watched?

In order to adjust it per the service manual the top triple tree clamp will come off so that the locking cage and the top nut can come off.

It's a good vid but I missed how he did it w/o removal of that special washer. The tree and top nut removal makes sense to me though.

No need to remove the crown nuts. But you will have to loosen the top nut.

The assembly is: bearing, washer, crown nut, rubber o-ring, crown nut, nut alignment clip, washer, top of triple tree, torque nut on top.

Or something like that. Point being that there is a rubber o-ring between the crown nuts so you can't torque them together, so once you take the pressure off of the assembly with the master nut on top, the crown nuts will rotate together. You only need a screwdriver and a small hammer to do that, although a special tool is available. Problem with the special tool is that it won't grab the nuts where there is a joining sleeve, so that becomes a pain and you will get the screwdriver in the end anyways. Now if you take it all apart and re-assemble it piece by piece, then the tool becomes a handy addition.

Great info. I ordered the spanner and expect to see it Monday or so. This will let me get the right preload on the new head bearings and hopefuly ease adjustment later. With the new head bearings future adjustment would not surprise me as they wear in a little.

Thanks for the tip. I'll at least be able to get the bike together and wait for the spanner for final adjustment.

When you get the tool, make sure you attach it to the torque wrench properly. The spanner should be at a 90 degree angle from the torque wrench, NOT straight forward. If you position it so it is sticking forward it will act as a torque multiplier and put more torque on the nut than it says it is...

Was, or is, a member selling the spanner? I seem to recall somebody making them to sell.

Yes, member Dingy (Gary Dinges) was selling them, but he isn't active here any more. I believe he is still active on the VMax Forum though. He was also selling them on Ebay...

Yes, member Dingy (Gary Dinges) was selling them, but he isn't active here any more. I believe he is still active on the VMax Forum though. He was also selling them on Ebay...

Was, or is, a member selling the spanner? I seem to recall somebody making them to sell.

Dingy's ad for spanner

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/photopost/showcat.php?cat=20

Yes, member Dingy (Gary Dinges) was selling them, but he isn't active here any more. I believe he is still active on the VMax Forum though. He was also selling them on Ebay...

It was him indeed. Hes also the guy that sent me the plate seat so I could get my forks together. I'm expecting to see the wrench in the next couple days and the price was very fair. I reached out to him on the Vmax forum and that worked. I've exchanged a few emails with him so that should work too.

Yah! Gary is a great guy, very helpful!

Yah! Gary is a great guy, very helpful!

I got the front of my bike assembled (except for the R6 calipers which should be here today) as soon as the spanner arrived. Definately a very nice addition to my tool box. Wish I had picked one up years ago. He has many more for sale he said. Yup, hes pretty helpful indeed.