| Author | Message | ||
     Karlsbad |
OK so I posted this on the XB board but thought better to post here I am replacing front and rear wheel bearings and am looking for any suggestions on a GOOD set to upgrade to. Any input would be greatly appreciated Cheers | ||
| Uly_man |
Well Karlsbad I have had no problems with the wheel bearings on my Uly than any other bike. 10k on my rears with no wear and 14k on the fronts but went off, this affects the handling, at 12k and with OEM bearings. I would say that if the bearing spacer is loose, in the wheel, its been crushed and should be replaced with the new bearings. SKF are just about the best but make sure the are the right type. | ||
| Motorbike |
I have also heard that SKF are one of the best. I got this info from a parts man at a local bearing supply company. They sell several brands but he recommended SKF. That is what I will use when the need arises. | ||
| Karlsbad |
Yes I noticed when I took my rear wheel off the other day the bearing is not as smooth as it once was so time to change it. Better to replace it before it fails, I have 30k (Kilometres) on this set so yes to your point I am not disappointed with the life I got from them always wanting to go better than OEM if possible. I would much rather pay a few more $ for quality than be stranded by cheaper price. As my dear old dad always said easier to explain high price than apologize for quality | ||
| Froggy |
SFK bearings fail just the same as the stock ones. If you want to ensure reliability, upgrade to a 2010 rear wheel. | ||
| Karlsbad |
OK Froggy it seems as if up here in the Great White North (Vancouver Island)we are not up to date on the for mentioned attributes of the 2010 wheel, please feel free to enlighten me Cheers | ||
| Froggy |
The 2010 wheel was redesigned due to the bearing failures. The new wheel has a set of 3 larger bearings (2 on sprocket side, one on rotor side), and new external dust seals to prevent intrusion. Also requires a new axle A nice long thread about it here: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/487123.html  Available for purchase at American Sport Bike or your favorite dealer: http://www.americansportbike.com/shoponline/ccp0-p rodshow/17330.html Due note that if you buy the wheel that the bearings and axle for it are not installed and sold separately. American Sport Bike sells the wheel with the bearings and axle, but they still need installation, American Sport Bike will install them for you for $20. | ||
| Teeps |
The $20 Al charges to install the bearings is a cheap investment. The correct installation, of said bearings, is more important than the manufacturer. | ||
| Tastroman |
Can American Sport Bike get the black XT wheel? | ||
| Teeps |
If they can't; you can always get the gray wheel powder coated black. | ||
| Rwven |
If American Sport Bike can't get in in black, just order it online from the 20% discounted Chicago dealer that shall not be mentioned. | ||
| Hughlysses |
If any of you decide not to go to the 2010 rear wheel, there's a long thread on wheel bearings in the Uly "new owner's" section at this link: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/442488.html?1280712967 Info on various bearings, manufacturers, and correct installation methods (provided by Al Lighton) is included. | ||
| Uly_man |
I have never heard of 30k Kilometers on XB wheel bearings before and that number is just astounding. Just how many miles do people think you can get out of a set of bike wheel bearings. The answer is that it is a subjective issue. People do all sorts of things with there bikes and then blame it on something else if it goes wrong. I know because I have seen it many, many times before. Any decent engineer would work through this problem in a logical way. Its true to say that a SKF bearing is much the same as any other as all are built to a grade/type/spec IE - Jap, German, Swiss made etc. The problem with the XBs is the crushing of the alloy spacer. If you push the race out any amount at all it will wear it out faster than normal/spec. A lot of other bikes use a steel spacer but a alloy one saves on un-spung weight. The twin bearings on the cr/r here in the UK have made little difference because they still doing the same thing as before. The whole thing has been a knee-jerk reaction to a problem that is not much of a problem anyway. Just look at the build of the bike in the first place. Why would anyone use Military spec parts on one part of the bike and 10 Cent, rubbish, parts as well. Or for that matter mix US and Metric so badly. | ||
| Whisperstealth |
And back to Karls question. - Because I have the same one. BESIDES Getting a '10 wheel, etc., What are some of the best choice's for bearings out there? And where can they be found/purchased. Other question. Borrowing from other thread, that gave these specs:30 x 55 x 13 ATV Wheel Bearing. Can I use these specs, go to a store that sells bearings and buy some? I have close to 20K on my bearings now, and will be changing the tire soon. Last time I changed it the pulley side bearing was a little hard to turn. Not notchy, just stiff. Might have been set up against the spacer too much. The rotor side seemed fine. There is no rust coming from the seals, but I'm thinking of changing it out anyway. Can you change just one, or do both need to be changed at the same time? | ||
| Dio |
I just bit the bullet and got '10 wheels for both my '06 Uly and '09 lightning long. I just don't want to have this issue bothering me. As for the questions - several makes of bearings have been used by members of this forum and IIRC all have had failures. A 30x55x13 sealed ATV wheel bearing will fit, but service life is as unknown as any other IMO. Best practice is to replace bearings in sets in each wheel, since remaining service life of a used bearing cannot be accurately determined. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
KOYO's They are cheep enough the you can change them every 20 or 30,000 miles https://www.applied.com/apps/commerce/catalog/cata log.do | ||
| Uly_man |
As I said bearings are built to a spec and the same ones can be used on many things from a B2 bomber to a tractor. SKF, Koyo and many others are much the same and are much the same price as well. I prefer SKF myself but its only because of the people I deal with. Ok so XB bearings but just my opinion via my experience. Wheels off the ground and nothing loose felt in the bearings. The fronts will be worn by 10k and effect the handling, but it will not be felt until you take the wheel off, and the rears might be getting tight. Neither of which is dangerous at this point IE your not going to crash-n-burn. Wheels on or off the ground and you can feel wear then change them quick because they are dangerous and you might crash-n-burn. 10 to 15k miles is about right on this bike given the what it is. The Xb is not like any other bike and should not be treated as such. This is a mistake many have made. The bike is a clever, sound and unique design that has been let down by HD. A short sighted type of thinking that is common in the world today. In any event its easy to sort and a great bike. Its also the last of the best v-twins. In the EU anyway. | ||
| Xbimmer |
10 to 15k miles is about right on this bike given the what it is. Based on??? My '06 went 50k on the original red NTN's, only reason I changed them was because the seals had become worn from regreasing the insides for 30k. Replaced with black Buell KBC's, no discernible change except for peace of mind. By that reasoning, I would have changed out wheel bearings at least five times now at 75k miles. Since experts warn of excessive bearing replacements wearing out the wheels I'd be facing a new set of those by now. I think I'll just continue regreasing the bearings at tire changes. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Seems that many ULY riders believe sealed bearings mean that they are forever bearings needing no maintenance. I suppose I'd think that myself if the seal wasn't so easily removable. Gosh, I wish the gas tank was sealed and lifetime. I remember that Buell gave us a lifetime drive belt back when the ULY first came out. Just curious. I'm still wondering why that 2010 rear wheel needs 3 larger bearings when the original has only two smaller ones. Wouldn't it have been easier to maintain with just two larger bearings with the added outside seals? Has anyone checked the new wheel bearings during a tire change for the notchy feeling? Don't misunderstand me, I'd love to have that wheel and just might buy one when I'm feeling more flush. | ||
| Uly_man |
Xbimmer - It was based on the average I have seen in other posts over the past 3 years with all XBs. What I have seen is that they seem to fair better on bikes that do long runs in dryer conditions. I think it is a combination of many things but not a design problem of the bike itself. Ulys seem to have less problems than other XBs. Things like transporting the bike half way around the world in a crate, a new bike standing for a year or more in the showroom, bad maintenance and user abuse might not help the situation much either. The bearing type is, more or less, a sealed lifetime unit. On the other hand they are being used in harsher conditions than some they may be used in. Hub wear is a serious issue and I am not happy with it myself. I have had it on another bike and its a big problem to fix. Re-greasing the bearing, at every tyre/tire change, is a very good idea. Its cheap/easy and can do nothing but help. Thank you for the idea Xbimmer. I will try this myself. The bearing does not have much grease in it anyway. Upgrades. You might be able to buy ceramic bearings and you can use the 2010 wheel. Both of which costs a small fortune. In short I would say go with what the Guys say in this post. The know whats going on with the bike. (Message edited by uly_man on December 10, 2010) (Message edited by uly_man on December 10, 2010) | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
I don't regrease, I just smear in more on top of the old and then make sure the seal is completely pushed back into place properly. To me, RE-greasing implies removing the old grease and then putting in new grease and I can't see how that is done without removing the bearing. I can see how you might use a brush and solvent to remove grease in place but then I wouldn't want solvent left over in the hub or in the bearing. I've also read here that too much grease in a bearing is bad but I don't buy that at all. Old school tapered bearing are always repacked with grease and there is nothing sparing about grease use when repacking a bearing. Besides, I've not had any bearing failure the way I do it. No place for water when the bearing is full of grease. There is also the Permatex anti-seize barrier that is necessary to keep dirt and water out and the the outside of bearing rust free. | ||
| Uly_man |
Sorry I was saying add grease rather than remove old grease and re-grease. (Message edited by uly_man on December 10, 2010) | ||
| Panhead_dan |
Last time I checked, ceramic bearings did not cost a small fortune. Much more expensive than steel yes but it was only like a hunnert bones or so. It seems to me that ceramic may have an advantage in the rolling resistance department but how long will they last? | ||
| Kenm123t |
Check Out Boca Bearings they have Buell ceramic wheel bearing kits listed on thier site | ||
| Sharkguy |
I do the same as Xbimmer,EG and Uly-man. Re-grease the bearings while in place. The first time I did this I was surprised how little grease and the type that was in there. The first time I did put a bit much and a little oozed out and got slung on the outside. No problem with that the second time. I have not been using the neversieze on the outside. So far no bearing problems but I'm only at 14,000 miles. Most of my miles are commuting, touring, and fun rides. I'm pretty easy on the bike. I'm sure it depends on type of use or abuse of the bike. Loading and type of riding. Someone who adventure rides their bike fully loaded doing water crossing and desert riding would probably expect to regrease more often then the guy that rides his bike on the weekend doing short jaunts. All need to check the bearings every 5000 or so miles. As someone said on here sealed doesn't mean lifetime. Think about how you use your bike and check your bearings accordingly. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Sharkguy, The great thing I've noticed about the never-seize is that it keeps the grease from slinging because it holds it in. And, it keeps the outside of the bearing rust free which seems to be a problem many ULY owners complain about. | ||
| Uly_man |
I guess the point I was trying to make is that the Uly does have a few odd-ball problems but wheel bearings are not a big issue and easy to sort out which ever way it needs doing. Engine/gearbox problems are another matter and can be VERY expensive to deal with. |
