Steering Head Torque Values

Have '06 RSTD and decided to replace the steering head bearings. Still in the "reading up on it" stage. No problems, but given all of the previous comments with lack of grease decided that it is a good time to do it. I have the Yamaha service manual which is basically the Venture manual with a forward section with relevant RSTD info. This is where I found a discrepancy.

On page #36 in the RSTD section under "Checking and adjusting the steering head" it shows the lower ring initial tightening of 37 ft. lb. (52Nm) and the final tightening of 13 ft. lb. (18Nm).

On page # 3-45 which is the Venture section under "Checking and adjusting the steering head" shows lower ring initial tightening of 37 ft. lb. (52Nm) but a final tightening of 2.2 ft. lb. (3Nm). These same values are repeated on page 7-61 in the Venture section under "Steering Head". All of the sections state in bold type: "Do not overtighten the lower ring nut".

I know that others have pointed out incorrect information in the manual. Does anyone know which value is correct?

I checked the parts' fiche and the bearings are the same part number for both the RSTD and Venture. Hard to believe that the torque values would be different. Fairing or not.

My manual for a 96 rstd (cover says xvz13a and bunch more) says initial tightening 37ft lbs (3-48), lower ring final tightening 2.2 ft lbs (3-49)

Steering stem 94 ft lbs, front fork pinch bolts upper 7.2 ft lbs (3-49)

hope this helps you out brother.

The 13 ft. lb. under the RSTD section is a typo. 2.2 is correct.

I'm adding to this thread since I am about to check the torque setting on my 2008 RSV.

The final torque of 2.2 ft-lbs final has me baffled. I just re-torqued the steering head bearings on my 2009 Road star which states 13 ft-lbs final. 2.2 seems to be awfully light to me.

Why would a heavy bike like the RSV require less torque than the lighter Road Star?

I'm adding to this thread since I am about to check the torque setting on my 2008 RSV.

 

The final torque of 2.2 ft-lbs final has me baffled. I just re-torqued the steering head bearings on my 2009 Road star which states 13 ft-lbs final. 2.2 seems to be awfully light to me.

 

Why would a heavy bike like the RSV require less torque than the lighter Road Star?

13 is way too high. It's a tapered roller bearing, it should only have enough torque to make it snug, any more will damage it. The initial value is just to make sure it's seated and not floating on grease.

Speaking of grease, I believe Yamaha specifies a lithium soap grease. That's a bad idea because it will hammer out and the bearing will be dry. Use the same moly grease you use for drive splines, it'll stay in the bearing much better.

13 is way too high. It's a tapered roller bearing, it should only have enough torque to make it snug, any more will damage it. The initial value is just to make sure it's seated and not floating on grease.

 

Speaking of grease, I believe Yamaha specifies a lithium soap grease. That's a bad idea because it will hammer out and the bearing will be dry. Use the same moly grease you use for drive splines, it'll stay in the bearing much better.

I believe the 2.2 is is wrong. Here's why. The Road Star uses the the exact same bearings as the RSV and the V-Star also uses the 37 initial and 13 final torque. Even the Goldwing has final torque settings between 18-24 ft-lbs when upgraded to tapered bearings. In all my many years twisting wrenches on bikes, I have never torqued steering bearings anywhere near as low as the 2.2 in the RSV manual.

I tried the 2.2 after the initial 37 tonight on my RSV after re-greasing the bearings and the front end was loose as a goose. No way the 2.2 is anywhere near correct. I made an executive decision and set it at 13 ft-lbs then double and triple checked the setting while moving the the front back and forth and wound up at 12 ft-lbs. It felt pretty darn good at that setting so I buttoned everything back up and will test it tomorrow, and I strongly believe no further changes will be needed.

I did use moly grease though.

Not that I am anybodies mother and that this will work for others but this is what has worked for me over the years:

I have used a small weight scale to do the final set on my bikes for many years - scales the shooters use to measure hammer or trigger pull (have used em for double duty thru the years,, I'm a cheap bugger = multiple use of specialty tools = another flaw in my character) but the method has served me well. What I have done on both my MX/Harescrambling race bikes, street bikes and even quads/three wheelers is as long as I know I have good bearings in the steer head and its lubed properly I will run the bottom spanner nut down and torque it to 5 ft pds, move the forks from lock to lock several times to displaced any grease from between the bearings/races, retorque to 6. Then put the spacer (some are rubber, some are steel) over the bottom spanner and spin on the upper. I like to hand tighten the upper as tight as I can get it and then finish it off with a nudge with a spanner so the spanner notches between top and bottom align. Reset the upper, toss on the stem nut.

Center the bars so the front wheel is point straight ahead (dont have to be perfect). Take a tie wrap and zip it loosely on the end of each bar. Hook my trigger scale to the tie wrap and at a perpendicular angle to the grip lightly pull and watch for movement in the grip. I like to see movement at about 12 ozs of pull in both directions off each grip.. If its lacking I take the upper cover back off and tighten the upper spanner nut by one notch to realign again (hold the bottum nut with a spanner to nudge against),, if its tight I back off one notch = then check it again.

I know,, all sounds really old schoolish but the above has done ok by me...

Cheap Chinese Scale that would do the job? Something like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/50KG-5G-Han...IAAOSwd0BVwtEo

Over the years this is what I've done, and it seems to work. Suspend the front wheel and center it. Then nudge it in either direction. It should go to the stops smoothly. If it hits the stops and bounces, it's too loose. If it doesn't make it, it's too tight. Loosen or tighten the steering head nut as needed. Freebird came up with a way to tighten the nut on a 2ndgen. It should also work if loosening is need, but I've never run into a used steering head that needed to be loosened... :-) Should work on a 1stgen as well. You are able to move the steering nut a tad by hitting it with a long screwdriver and hammer. The jamb and the nut will move together. Saves the hassle of removing all the crud to get to the nut....

Just got back from a 50 mile spin. Bike handled flawlessly. Very comfortable in the corners. No wobble running the bike to 70mph and letting slow all the way down to 10mph with no hands on the handlebars. Very happy. She's a keeper right where I set it.

Over the years this is what I've done, and it seems to work. Suspend the front wheel and center it. Then nudge it in either direction. It should go to the stops smoothly. If it hits the stops and bounces, it's too loose. If it doesn't make it, it's too tight. Loosen or tighten the steering head nut as needed. Freebird came up with a way to tighten the nut on a 2ndgen. It should also work if loosening is need, but I've never run into a used steering head that needed to be loosened... :-) Should work on a 1stgen as well. You are able to move the steering nut a tad by hitting it with a long screwdriver and hammer. The jamb and the nut will move together. Saves the hassle of removing all the crud to get to the nut....

The flop test. Very familiar with it. Done it several times over the years. Also adjust the way Freebird describes. If I was just checking the front end, this would have been the way I would have done it. Seeing that I repacked the dry bearings with moly grease, that wasn't an option this time. I don't know why Mamma Yamaha is so stingy on grease on the bearings. Grease must be very expensive in Japan.