Front wheel bearings are gone

[Brake Pad]

Has any of the 2007 models have any problems with the front wheel bearings going yet?

Now I know, I'm a little special here.

My bike has 36, 875 miles on it in two years.

Yes, I live in South Florida & Yes... I ride all year round, Stinks to be me LOL.....

pulled the front end off, to find the bearings, were hard to turn by hand.

parts on order.

[BuddyRich]

Generally what happens is if you pressure wash your bike and you hit the area arounfd the seals good and hard. Some water will get in past the seal. That will cuase the balls to pit.

Had that happen to me on a Nomad a while back. Stopped using a pressure washer since then around the bearing seals.

[Brake Pad]

I think it had something to do with riding 900 miles in pouring rain,

as we got home, the streets were flooded, so bad, we rode through, water higher then 3/4 quaters the front wheel

[ahoutzer]

Now I know, I'm a little special here.

My bike has 36, 875 miles on it in two years.

Yes, I live in South Florida & Yes... I ride all year round

 

Is that special? I guess I'm special, too, except in South Carolina instead of South Florida! (58,800 miles in 42 months, year 'round)

[SteveW]

They make Jetski's for riding in that much water in Fl.

[eusa1]

ya big sissy's

 

i put 26000 miles on my bike just last summer, and only left the land of Lincoln for 2 overnight trips and got a ride in at least once every month other than january 09

 

fair weather riders!! tell e'm all about it daveb!!!

[Seaking]

This evening, I just turned the 40,000 miles mark on my 06 Midnight.. I'm the third owner and bought the bike with 20,000 miles on the ODO and I've apparently put more on the bike than the two previous owners.. Seeing how we have a short riding season here, I'm guessing that's quite decent..

 

But I ride for medicinal purposes as well..

[Brake Pad]

Is that special? I guess I'm special, too, except in South Carolina instead of South Florida! (58,800 miles in 42 months, year 'round)

 

 

even with more miles and more years, i'm still doing 154.5 miles more amonth then you are..:cool10:

[Brake Pad]

I guess it a shame I just don't own a bike, to drive to work......

:cool10::cool10:

[yamahamer]

Has any of the 2007 models have any problems with the front wheel bearings going yet?

Now I know, I'm a little special here.

My bike has 36, 875 miles on it in two years.

Yes, I live in South Florida & Yes... I ride all year round, Stinks to be me LOL.....

pulled the front end off, to find the bearings, were hard to turn by hand.

parts on order.

 

My last front tire change I noticed mine were a little tough to turn. Thanks for the reminder I need to order some too.

[Bob Myers]

You can pay the big bucks for them at Yamaha or go to your local bearing store and save a couple$$. If you elect to buy from bearing store do not accept any thing other than SKF bearings. They are a couple dollars more but are better bearings. Even if seals look good, replace them.

Some people buy a bearing that is double sealed, and remove the seal on the back side and pack a little more grease into the cavity as they are assembling, when the bearings get hot the grease will actually work its way into the balls and give a slight increase in life span. But, only the inside seal on both!

[ahoutzer]

even with more miles and more years, i'm still doing 154.5 miles more amonth then you are..:cool10:

 

I have a class to take 60 miles away in July and August, so I may rise to your excellent standard for these two months.

[Steve S]

Some people buy a bearing that is double sealed, and remove the seal on the back side and pack a little more grease into the cavity as they are assembling, when the bearings get hot the grease will actually work its way into the balls and give a slight increase in life span. But, only the inside seal on both!

 

Most parts stores sell a needle that fits on a grease gun. With it, you can slide the needle under the edge of the seal and shoot some grease into the bearing. If you are real careful, you will not hurt the seal. Keeping a seal in both sides will greatly extend the bearing life.

 

Of course running a hot bearing through cool water doesn't do much for the life of the bearing... :stirthepot:

[N3FOL]

So, it is an '06. Should this be covered under warranty? What if you didn't pull off your front wheel at that time, did you ever suspect that the front wheel bearings are bad just by normal riding?

[SaltyDawg]

Is that special? I guess I'm special, too, except in South Carolina instead of South Florida! (58,800 miles in 42 months, year 'round)

 

Call me special and send the short buss cause I got 59,000 in 30 months here in North Carolina.

 

 

I ended up changing the front bearings out at about 75,000. What a pain in the backside that was.

 

First thing I can say is MAKE SURE THEY ARE THE RIGHT bearings. I got some from a Yamaha shop, they were the right ones from in the book, but when I got the bike apart I found that they were in fact not the right ones.

 

I took the bearings out and to a parts store and had them order me a set, actually 2 sets since they were nowhere to be found around here. We called to every place in Eastern North Carolina and couldn't find 2 bearings.

 

Make sure you have a brass drift punch handy if not go to sears and get one. It took me FOREVER using a screwdriver. Unfortunately our local Sears here in Mayberry didn't have a drift punch set.

 

Take both rotors off also.

 

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00946515000P?vName=Tools&cName=Hand+Tools%2C+General+Purpose&sName=Punches%2C+Chisels+%26+Pry+Bars&keyword=brass+punch

[SaltyDawg]

So, it is an '06. Should this be covered under warranty? What if you didn't pull off your front wheel at that time, did you ever suspect that the front wheel bearings are bad just by normal riding?

 

Mine had a nasty squall emitting from them on left hand corners. First found out while riding in the mountains in Asheville. Scared the crap out of me.

[RandyR]

Is there a dimmension / type for the correct bearings? Since the part number alone doesn't seem to always insure the right ones are found. The parts blowup just has a part number on it.

[Squeeze]

Is there a dimmension / type for the correct bearings? Since the part number alone doesn't seem to always insure the right ones are found. The parts blowup just has a part number on it.

 

Usually, if you'd give me the Partsnumber for the Bearing, i can tell which Industrial Bearing Number this is. If you look at the Partsnumber, the first two Digits of the second Part of the Numer are the last two Digits of the Industrial Number ....

 

 

I.E. xxx62-03xx-xx-xx is a 6203 Bearing

[V7Goose]

YES, wheel bearings should absolutely be covered under warranty! There is a reason this bike has a 5-year, unlimited mileage warranty - so that the owner knows all parts are guaranteed to last for 5 years and unlimited miles!!

 

As for some other comments in this thread, I agree that SKF bearings are good bearings, but there are many other equally good bearings available too (e.g., NTN and Federal Mogul, to name just two), so no reason to limit your choice to only SKF. HOWEVER, there are tons of crappy chinese bearings floating around for just a couple of bucks apiece, and you really do not want any of those. I suggest you simply make sure you get boxed bearings that are stamped with a major name brand.

 

And I doubt seriously that you want sealed bearings for this application. You will want to use the same type of bearing it already has, and the parts breakdown just lists it as a standard 6004 bearing. I have not actually pulled mine to look at what is factory installed (70,000 miles on my 05 with no problems), but the bike DOES have grease seals on both sides of the wheel which will keep out any contaminates. In this application, sealed bearings offer zero value, and they do have drawbacks. The seals have significant drag (friction), and they generate more heat*. As the bearing heats up, any factory grease gets thin and can be forced out past the neoprene or teflon seal from the heat and pressure, but the seal prevents other grease that might be around the bearing from ever reaching the mating surfaces. If you are going to properly pack the bearings and use new grease seals when you instal them, you are better off NOT using sealed bearings in an application like this (provided they are not required by the manufacturer).

Goose

 

* Here is a quote from the Dynaroll bearing company about sealed bearings:

D TYPE SEAL

The D type seal consists of a molded Buna-N rubber lip seal with a steel insert. This provides maximum protection to the bearing against outside contamination. However, the high pressure of the lip seal itself results in greatly increased torque and friction losses that can cause heat build-up in higher speed applications. The seal material itself is rated to a maximum of 250 °F. This type of seal is only available for larger-sized bearings (R3 and above)

[SaltyDawg]

I can say that the bearings I took out were in fact sealed bearings. Same with the ones I put back in. Whether or not they were factory bearings could be in question since I didn't buy the bike new. I will say that the ones I got from a YAMAHA dealer with the part number for the Royal Star Venture were wrong. They were too small and just dropped right into the hub. In fact not only were they the wrong diameter they were not as wide as the ones I took out. I even went to a parts place online that has the RSV parts diagrams and cross checked the numbers.

[V7Goose]

 

Make sure you have a brass drift punch handy if not go to sears and get one. It took me FOREVER using a screwdriver. Unfortunately our local Sears here in Mayberry didn't have a drift punch set.

Why would you use a drift punch to install large bearings? Seems like the absolute wrong tool to me.

 

To properly install these types of bearings, you need a tool that will evenly contact the hardened OUTSIDE race while you tap it straight in. If you use a drift punch that is smaller than the entire bearing, you must tap on one side, then the other, rocking the bearing in the bore and binding it. Very bad procedure.

 

If you don't have a selection of bearing drivers for this, just grab a large socket! But make sure the socket does NOT touch the bearings or inner race - it must ONLY touch the outer race. To make sure you do not damage the socket and always apply even pressure, just lay a smooth piece of wood over the socket and lightly tap the center with your hammer. If the bearing is straight, it will not take much pressure to set the bearing in the hub.

Goose

[SaltyDawg]

Why would you use a drift punch to install large bearings? Seems like the absolute wrong tool to me.

 

To properly install these types of bearings, you need a tool that will evenly contact the hardened OUTSIDE race while you tap it straight in. If you use a drift punch that is smaller than the entire bearing, you must tap on one side, then the other, rocking the bearing in the bore and binding it. Very bad procedure.

 

If you don't have a selection of bearing drivers for this, just grab a large socket! But make sure the socket does NOT touch the bearings or inner race - it must ONLY touch the outer race. To make sure you do not damage the socket and always apply even pressure, just lay a smooth piece of wood over the socket and lightly tap the center with your hammer. If the bearing is straight, it will not take much pressure to set the bearing in the hub.

Goose

 

Not to install but to remove the old one's. I used a large socket to install the bearings.

[Squeeze]

YES, wheel bearings should absolutely be covered under warranty! There is a reason this bike has a 5-year, unlimited mileage warranty - so that the owner knows all parts are guaranteed to last for 5 years and unlimited miles!!

 

As for some other comments in this thread, I agree that SKF bearings are good bearings, but there are many other equally good bearings available too (e.g., NTN and Federal Mogul, to name just two), so no reason to limit your choice to only SKF. HOWEVER, there are tons of crappy chinese bearings floating around for just a couple of bucks apiece, and you really do not want any of those. I suggest you simply make sure you get boxed bearings that are stamped with a major name brand.

 

And I doubt seriously that you want sealed bearings for this application. You will want to use the same type of bearing it already has, and the parts breakdown just lists it as a standard 6004 bearing. I have not actually pulled mine to look at what is factory installed (70,000 miles on my 05 with no problems), but the bike DOES have grease seals on both sides of the wheel which will keep out any contaminates. In this application, sealed bearings offer zero value, and they do have drawbacks. The seals have significant drag (friction), and they generate more heat*. As the bearing heats up, any factory grease gets thin and can be forced out past the neoprene or teflon seal from the heat and pressure, but the seal prevents other grease that might be around the bearing from ever reaching the mating surfaces. If you are going to properly pack the bearings and use new grease seals when you instal them, you are better off NOT using sealed bearings in an application like this (provided they are not required by the manufacturer).

Goose

 

* Here is a quote from the Dynaroll bearing company about sealed bearings:

D TYPE SEAL

The D type seal consists of a molded Buna-N rubber lip seal with a steel insert. This provides maximum protection to the bearing against outside contamination. However, the high pressure of the lip seal itself results in greatly increased torque and friction losses that can cause heat build-up in higher speed applications. The seal material itself is rated to a maximum of 250 °F. This type of seal is only available for larger-sized bearings (R3 and above)

 

I just hope i don't read in your Statement that you recommend the use of unsealed Bearings ?

 

 

If so, that's just wrong for multiple Causes. I won't go deeper into that. Just one Thing, the Speed these Wheel Bearings are running, even at max Speed are NOT "higher Speed Applications" seen from the Bearing Manufacturers Point of View. I never would mount a open Bearing to a Motorcycle Wheel or Hub. And there are other Materials in use for those Seals than just Buna. And there are other Types of Seals also.

 

If the Bearing in speak is a 6004, i'd buy 6004.2RS.C3 Bearings. You can skip the .C3 but 2RS (2 Seals) are a must. Nothing else.

[Squeeze]

Why would you use a drift punch to install large bearings? Seems like the absolute wrong tool to me.

 

To properly install these types of bearings, you need a tool that will evenly contact the hardened OUTSIDE race while you tap it straight in. If you use a drift punch that is smaller than the entire bearing, you must tap on one side, then the other, rocking the bearing in the bore and binding it. Very bad procedure.

 

If you don't have a selection of bearing drivers for this, just grab a large socket! But make sure the socket does NOT touch the bearings or inner race - it must ONLY touch the outer race. To make sure you do not damage the socket and always apply even pressure, just lay a smooth piece of wood over the socket and lightly tap the center with your hammer. If the bearing is straight, it will not take much pressure to set the bearing in the hub.

Goose

 

While the first half of your Statement is absolutely true. A larger Socket won't do a good Job for the seating of the second Bearing. You need a completely flat Tool, which makes contact on both, outer and inner Bearing, at least for the second Bearing. If you use a Socket or a similar hollow Object, you're able to press fit the outer Race against the dead bottom of the Boring. But doing so, will cause the inner Race to lock up earlier against the Spacer and ruining the new Bearings right on the Spot. What we want to have is a Press Fit of the inner Races against the Spacer inbetween them. We don't want to have the inner Races locked up because the outer Races are sitting too deep inside their Borings.

[N3FOL]

Why would you use a drift punch to install large bearings? Seems like the absolute wrong tool to me.

 

To properly install these types of bearings, you need a tool that will evenly contact the hardened OUTSIDE race while you tap it straight in. If you use a drift punch that is smaller than the entire bearing, you must tap on one side, then the other, rocking the bearing in the bore and binding it. Very bad procedure.

 

If you don't have a selection of bearing drivers for this, just grab a large socket! But make sure the socket does NOT touch the bearings or inner race - it must ONLY touch the outer race. To make sure you do not damage the socket and always apply even pressure, just lay a smooth piece of wood over the socket and lightly tap the center with your hammer. If the bearing is straight, it will not take much pressure to set the bearing in the hub.

Goose

 

I've had some experience installing a crankshaft seal using a similar technique you just described. How about to remove the old bearing? What is the trick to this? Special Tool? Just curious.