Steering head bearing replacement

[Kiwifruit]

A question for you blokes. What sort of tool do you use to knock out the lower outer race ? You cannot get a straight hit at it.
Have to say replacing these steering head bearings is a pig of a job !!
Be a job well done once I get it sorted. Mr Suzuki has been a very thrifty with the grease that's for sure.

[Hooli]

I've got what is technically known as 'a bit of metal wiv a bend in it'. It's flat bar I've had for donkey's years and it happened to look like it'd work so I bent it.

[Eric GSX1400K3]

Careful use of a grinder make a couple of cuts, then a sharp whack with a cold chisel and club hammer and the lower inner race will break and fall off.  They're a press fit on, so pretty tight.

[lurch]

I haven't done one on a 1400 but a special tool isn't normally necessary. I do have one of these though (Bikeservice BS4201)

[Hooli]

That looks ideal Lurch. My bent bit of metal, is like one leg of that so I have to work it around the race to move it evenly.

On a 14 the stem tube gets wider near the bottom so it's a pain to get to the top of the outer race.

[Horse]

I did it a while back ond from memory the lip on the outer race was only about 2 mm i ground a drift with the angle and sharp lip to pick up the race once it came down a couple of mm obviously the edge was enough to get the drift behind it. Froze the new one and a little heat on the frame and bobs your aunty,

[Hooli]

Cut a thin slot on the old races with a grinder & they make an ideal drift for putting the new ones in. The slot means the old ones then come out with a gentle tap.

[grog]

We just greased swing arm & head brgs on brand new Kawa dirt bike, b4 even riding. Grease must be rare or expensive in Japan, my lipstick is thicker than their bearing grease.

[Kiwifruit]

Got there in the end. Managed to find a crow bar with the right angle and a sharp edge. Thanks for all your advice.
Ready for an early start tomorrow. Will be my first decent ride since the blood pump was replumbed.