I have a Evo 4t which has done very little work, when I got the bike I greased up the swing arm linkages and headset. The headset bearings were washed out and repacked with new grease as they appeared to have early signs of corrosion and grease was dirty. The bearings once washed out appeared to be in good nick and the forks etc. were refitted and adjusted up fine. What I found since is that I have had to adjust up the headset several times after a trial or practice as I get the tail tail clunk of slack headset bearings. The correct adjustment procedure was carried out on each occasion and I am confident the bearings are servicable. The adjusting ring is quite tight and it seems not possible to do it up to the point of being overtight. What is going on ??. What am I doing wrong ??

Any help or advise greatfully received, or should I order a new set ??

Lincol

Only a suggestion, yet tapered roller bearings such as a steering head LIKE a bit of preload and setting things with the fork tubes in the yokes can be difficult as they add pressure. Slide the tubes out, then preload the bearings so the yokes turn with only slight drag that will not be noticed when riding. Insure things are still smooth, reinstall fork tubes.

See if that helps!

Are you running out of thread, and when you think it is tight all that has happened is something has bottomed out?

I've had this problem before with 2t EVOs and had to follow up the adjustment a couple of times. What I found on one occasion was that as the steering head stem is some sort of aluminium material, corrosion takes place between the top inner head race and the stem spindle. The adjusting ring goes quite tight, but due to the corrosion, the bearing will not move further down the spindle to take out the play without using excessive force. Remove the whole assembly again and check that the top inner race will just slide completely down the stem spindle, if not clean up gently until it does. Grease the thing well before reassembly, and keep tightening the adjusting ring feeling for tightness and removal of play. Remember that when the top yoke is refitted and you tighten the top spindle nut, it takes any slack out of the adjusting nut thread and may make the steering tighter. You have to find a balance between how free it is and any play defected when you pull the fork ends. I always mark the top nut position with a paint marker to see if it slackens.

Maybe also as NZRalf says you are running out of thread. I've just looked at the UK Beta Spares website, go to downloads and choose your bike. TAV 13 shows the steering head arrangement, item 3 is shown as a dust cover which looks in this drawing like a washer, but I'm sure there is a dust cover and a washer. Lack of the washer would limit the travel of the nut, but if you are getting that far, the thread on the spindle would most likely show binding marks at the end on the thread.

Hope that this helps!