Yamaha TRX850 Enthusiasts Forum

I need to change my steering head bearings and have a new set (and seals) inbound. I recently had both wheels out (powdercoating) and the top triple clamp off (to tighten the bearings) so is it really that big a deal to drop out the forks and do the bearing swap myself?
The local shop guesses 3 hours labour and so much of that I could do myself...I guess drifting out the old bearings is a concern
What say ye? Go for it or leave it to the pros?

I would be tempted to give it a go myself after viewing some good instructional videos. I would make sure that I viewed quite a few and hope then that if most of them follow the same procedures that it is correct. I have found that this mob https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYUL4siK82o are quite informative, but they are obviously plugging their specialist tools. That being said, if you save the 3hrs labour (possibly upwards of $150 in a cheap workshop) you could spend that money on a good tool and then you would have it if ever the process needs doing again....That's just my two bobs worth, but am happy for people to cut me down I am no pro by any stretch of the imagination...

Drifting out the old bearings are a snap Dav, ..just drop the steering stem down and out of the head, then you will see down the head a small cut out in the lower lip supporting the lower bearing race, just use a long blunt drift to tap the old race down and out....now here's the hard part, the same upper lip has NO ..cut out for drifting the old race out...and you can't get in there to separate the old race and the support lip....answer...using a M.I.G welder to weld a tag to move the old race up and out.
Chances your upper bearing may not need to be replaced, so just fitting the lower might have you up and going without going to a mechanic...
I have some good photos in one of my posts in fitting a YZF steering stem...it's the same thing.

Why replace them to an inferior designed taper bearing for this purpose???? Can't they just be repacked or any slight marks in the race can be taken out with a little emery paper.
Are they really that bad..
It's best to keep the original bearings as long as possible as for this function these are the best bearing to deal with the sort of loads applied.
Regular maintenance by repacking every couple of yrs will see them last out more than likely the life of the bike.

Thanks y'all. Will check out the vid for sure. Alex it is mostly that top bearing I'm anticipating will be an issue...I don't have access to a welder but have read the destruction via dremel method
Cobbs I'll se how the bearings are once they are exposed.
ATM there was a clunk when hitting a bump or a pothole and you could see some movement when rocking the bike at standstill with the front brake applied. I tightened the bearings and there is still fore/aft movement and now coarseness so I'm not riding it until the bearings arrive and I take a gander