Steering head bearings are one of these items that you don’t notice there worn out until someone who doesn’t ride your bike points it out to you. Due to the bearings gradually wearing out over time most riders are blissfully unaware that the handling of the bike has deteriated and it’s only at service time that it gets picked up. This Honda CBR600Fi with over 60,000k’s on the clock was a perfect example. The rider asked me to check her bike over before heading interstate and with the front wheel jacked up in the air and moving the handlebars from side to side it was very obvious that this bike needed new headraces. The notchy unsmooth feel was a dead give away. The best option was to fit an aftermarket taper roller set and it wasn’t long before the forks were whipped out and the old ball bearings were being removed from the frame and the triple clamp. All up it takes about two hours to complete from start to finish but it’s one of those jobs that when the customer rides away from the shop they notice the difference straight away. If you feel your bike isn’t handling too well give it the headrace test. Put the bike on its main, stand jack the front wheel off the ground and turn the bars from side to side. You’ll know instantly if there worn out or not.