Steering head adjustment: BMW R68

[Philip Vergison]

I have converted the steering head bearings on my 1954 R68 to tapered roller bearings. The front end has loosened and I'm not convinced that by tightening up the 41mm nut below the top yoke that the adjustment will remain as it should. Is there a simple methodology that clearly describes the correct procedure for adjusting the front end of this tele-forked model?

[Allan Atherton]

If it is like the later US and /5 telescopic fork models, the bearings are tightened with a large adjusting nut on top of the race, until the fork slowly falls to either side under its own weight. Then a second locking nut is tightened down on top of the adjusting nut, so that it cannot loosen.
Does this method apply to your early telescopic fork?

[Philip Vergison]

Yes Alan, your description is correct. Having moved the "large adjusting nut on top of the race, until the fork slowly falls to either side", I adjust the "second locking nut"...which then re-tightens the steering, notwithstanding that the pichbolts on either side of both fork legs have been loosened...hence my original enquiry.

PeeVee