Wheel bearings | GTAMotorcycle.com

Wheel bearings

Humming Noise.
Squealing, Grinding.
Clicking Sound.
Wheel Vibration.
 
Fuzzbuster said:
Anyone know the tell-tale signs for a bad wheel bearing?
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Noise (normally rumble). If they're really bad they have play in them. Potentially you could feel them in a change in handling but I've never had any that I could pick up that way.
 
When I put the bike on a paddock stand and spin the wheel I get a clunk sound that appears to be coming from the rear wheel but also sounds like it comes from the front sprocket. Bike has new chain and sprockets. Wheel is straight, aligned etc. dosent appear to be any play in the wheel. Kush drive is ok but is older. Brakes are fine.
 
Fuzzbuster said:
When I put the bike on a paddock stand and spin the wheel I get a clunk sound that appears to be coming from the rear wheel but also sounds like it comes from the front sprocket. Bike has new chain and sprockets. Wheel is straight, aligned etc. dosent appear to be any play in the wheel. Kush drive is ok but is older. Brakes are fine.
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Clip master? chain off would make it easy to isolate drive noise from other sources.

While on paddock stand, push/pull/lift wheel to see if it moves at all in any direction (it should obviously rotate but have zero tilt or translation).
 
There are many ways us mere mortals can tell if a bearing is bad, but we have no way to tell if a bearing is GOOD.
My rule of thumb is if you're holding a bearing, replace it, bearings are cheap.
If your bearing is showing ANY signs that it is bad, it means the bearing is totally hooped.
I went to SKF "bearing school", and basically their line is: replace them, they're cheap
 
Jampy00 said:
Humming Noise.
Squealing, Grinding.
Clicking Sound.
Wheel Vibration.
Click to expand...

Pretty much in order of severity.

This shows the bearing play on my 990's sprocket carrier when I bought it. Between this and a loose front sprocket nut (poorly staked washer), the chain was able to rub against the tire.


 
My old toyota would sound like it was running on snow tires when it was time to replace the wheel bearings.
 
Fuzzbuster said:
Anyone know the tell-tale signs for a bad wheel bearing?
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Bearings can make a lot of noises when they are damaged, deep grooved bearings will usually grind and bind before you hear a clunk. Any bearing that is suspected bad should be changed ASAP. If they are not running perfectly, they are bad, and when bearings go bad they usually die a quick death.

A better question: Why are you hearing the clunk?
 
Mad Mike said:
Bearings can make a lot of noises when they are damaged, deep grooved bearings will usually grind and bind before you hear a clunk. Any bearing that is suspected bad should be changed ASAP. If they are not running perfectly, they are bad, and when bearings go bad they usually die a quick death.

A better question: Why are you hearing the clunk?
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I ordered bearings. What do you mean by: why are you hearing the clunk? I don't know why I am hearing the clunk?
 
May need a sharp eared GTAMer to listen to my bike. Something is still a miss and @Wind Shear identified it as potential bearing…but it’s so faint…I barely heard it at all yesterday.
 
bitzz said:
I went to SKF "bearing school", and basically their line is: replace them, they're cheap
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...and it's not difficult.
 
So I think I fixed the push rod leak for the time being. But should probably change the seal at some point. As for the wheel knocking noise, I adjusted everything and added more chain slack. The sound seemed to have disappeared. No play that I can tell in any of the rear end parts. So I went for a rip, so fun! Unfortunately when I got back and put on the stand the sound had returned? Do bad wheel bearings make more noise once heated up?
 
Fuzzbuster said:
I ordered bearings. What do you mean by: why are you hearing the clunk? I don't know why I am hearing the clunk?
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Clunk could be something else. Chain, sprocket, suspension bushings, cushie…

You don’t usually get a clunk from deep groove ball bearings, and when you do there is usually a lot of bearing roar beforehand.
 
Mad Mike said:
Clunk could be something else. Chain, sprocket, suspension bushings, cushie…

You don’t usually get a clunk from deep groove ball bearings, and when you do there is usually a lot of bearing roar beforehand.
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Is a clunk the same as a knocking noise when you rotate the wheel? Maybe clunk is not the best description. I am going to change the bearings anyways, just because. But in my opinion there does not seem to be anything else wrong. The rear wheel today makes no abnormal sound. The bike was not ridden today so it is ambient temperature.
 
I wonder about the rear bearing on the CB300 which is now approaching 70k km and I'm no lightweight. Next check will be next year wondering if I should just get it changed.
Now the dealer did change the cush pads ( ? ) so I would have thought they would check the bearing too.
The steering bearing was changed out and I noticed a difference.
Wondering if I should do both front and back wheel bearing just based on mileage as it looks like I'll be riding it for a good while longer. sigh :rolleyes:
 
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