Although I've probably covered at least 1000 miles since I fitted a sealed bearing kit to my steering stem, and just lately 400 miles in France and a ride from Poole to Weymouth for the veterans parade. On a trip with Rob Miller and Colin H to visit the lighthouse on Portland Bill, my bike felt like someone was trying to help steer it with bits of string from the pillion seat. It was awful! Somehow I managed to cure it but undoing and doing up.....but I don't know how. So I've just investigated the fault.
The problem was simply that the centre of the new top bearing, being lower than the original cup and cones, was allowing the bearing dust cover to rest on the top of the headstock.

I popped the top clamp off and fitted about 30 thou's worth of shims between the centre of bearing and dust cover. The whole thing took just an hour, which included some touching up and greasing the spindles.

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email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Yes...These things are not immediately obvious but need to be checked on assembly when fitting the bearings to an M20...

Another problem that has arisen is that on some, but not all, M20s the outer race of the lower bearing will contact the bottom yoke 'arms'..
Again a shim fitted to the steering stem before the bearing solves this problem as well...

These kits were made initially for swinging arm models which in some respects are quite different to the M20 and as a result of feedback like this I modified the fitting instructions for the kits I used to sell for the M20...

Despite these points, personally I think the kit is a vast improvement over the original cup and cone set up...

I fitted some to my B30 with no such problems...

I think it depends on which model the kit is being fitted to and, to a degree, the individual machine...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Glad you got it sorted Ron, it was a smashing ride out on a on one of the best days of the year

email (option): colin.harmes@virgin.net

Anyone know the bearing numbers for these kits?. I have modified std taper bearings to fit S/A & plunger model headstocks before at a vastly cheaper sum than kits supplied from SRM etc..Dave

Both bearings are modified but it's not really worth doing it yourself...You can get the kit for about £45...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Ian just done a pair of tapers bearings for my pre unit Thunderbird cost me £8.00 plus a hour labour against £30.00 for the cheap conversion kit with a quality version being £55.00.Just like the satisfaction of doing things myself and saving costs for other things needed for my projects I cant do myself like rewinding a magneto armature / crank grind. Time to peruse the bearing charts for sizes needed I guess... Dave