Steering head bearing adjustment

[F14CRAZY]

I had my steering head bearings replaced by the dealer, I dunno, a couple seasons ago (20k-30k miles on them or something...I have the receipt at home).

Being that I don't want them to get loose and get notchy again, I check them often for any play.

Should they be adjusted before there's play?

[Chaos]

On the K75 you must loosen the grub screws holding the steering dampener so as not to confuse friction from that with the bearings being tight.   I know that's in the manual but it bears repeating.  If the steering falls side to side with slight resistance you're probably good.  Also over tightening can not only cause a flat spot but also induce handling problems. 

[TimTyler]

I've adjusted my steering bearings several times over the years using different approaches. The best results were after tightening them to the point where notchy bearing resistance was felt and then loosening the ring about 1/4 of a turn.

I would definitely lean towards the loose side.

To make sure they're not too loose, have someone steady the bike on the center stand with the front wheel off the ground. Grab the lower forks and pull-push them fore and aft and feel for clicking in the steering bearings. If there's clicking they're too loose.