steering head bearings adjustment

I tried adjusting the steering head bearings on my 750 Seca today. I had some vibration in the front end even after installing a new metzler tire and tightening the swing arm bearings. I did have the tire balanced. So I took off the triple clamp and loosened the top nut. Then I started to tighten the lower nut and it turned about two whole turns and the front end never seemed to get really snug so I stopped because I was afraid I would strip the threads on the stem. I backed the nut all the way off to inspect the threads on the stem as well as the nut and they appear ok. So I re-tightened the nut with about the same results. The nut seemed very tight but the front end never seemed like it was ever getting close to binding up. From what I have read here I thought the steering stem would start to bind and then I would back off the nut a biut and snug down the locking nut. Any ideas?

 

You may not get the Bearings to "BIND".

What you WILL do is take-out ALL the "Free Play"
Tighten the Lower Special Nut Until it is TIGHT.
Loosen it and re-tighten it By HAND until it STOPS.

Tighten it some more until it feels like it is Tightened, again.
Back-off and on until you feel the Lower Just begin to tighten.

Lock it up.

 

Ok - thanks Rick. From your description I think I got it about right. It got dark tonight before I got everything buttoned back up and the doggone mosquitoes came out with a vengeance. Will finish it tomorrow and hopefully be back on the road for Monday morning commute.

 

I finished putting the bike back together and took her for a ride. I really like the way it handles. It seems so much more "snug" going into the corners. But I am still getting some pretty significant wobble in the handlebars when I let go from about 37-45. I did not have this problem before I mounted the factory fairing on the bike. Could the fairing be contributing to this shake even though it mounts to the frame?

 

My 700x has he same wobble at about the same speed, it seems to have come on about the same time I put on a small windshield. Mine is mounted to the bars though, still I would think a frame mounted fairing could contribute to this as well. I think i have read that this wobble is pretty common on these bikes even w/o windshield?????

 

Boys;

Run the Wobble Test.
Ck Air Pressures in Tires
Spin Wheels and feel for Worn Bearing
Lay a wrench on all the Front End Fasteners.

Then, evaluate how well the Fairing is Mounted and see if there is an easy way to IMPROVE how well the Fairing can be attached.