jilldwr Posted September 1, 2012 Share #1 Posted September 1, 2012 Hey all, I've got a 1999 RSV with 46k miles and I noticed yesterday that when I do 60 mph, I get a humming noise from the rear tire. when I lean to the right the humming becomes MUCH louder, & when I lean the bike to the left its just a little bit louder. When I speed up to 70 mph or slow down to 50 mph, the humming goes away. I believe it's been there for awhile, I just usually have the stereo playing and have never noticed it. Does this sound like a worn wheel bearing? and when it hits its harmonic frequency at 60mph it humms? Is replacing the wheel bearings a difficult task? Do I need to purchase any special tools to accomplish this? Thanks D.W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9cottage Posted September 1, 2012 Share #2 Posted September 1, 2012 sounds like tire noise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peder_y2k Posted September 1, 2012 Share #3 Posted September 1, 2012 I second that opinion. It does sound like tire noise. -Pete, in Tacoma WA USA '83,88 Venture Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSTDdog Posted September 1, 2012 Share #4 Posted September 1, 2012 I would say tire noise as well. What brand tires and how many miles on them? Once tires get a flat spot in the midlle they can make some noise on the transition point. Do you know if the drive hub splines and pins were cleaned and greased when the tire was installed? Attached some before/after photos of my drive pins on my 06 RSTD at 22,000. The pins go into rubber bushings in the wheel, the splines that mate to the final drive are on the other side hidden in the photos. Clean and grease everything really well and be sure the rubber bushings are seated in to the wheel. There are metal inserts in the rubber bushings that the pins slide into and used a 45 cal bore brush to clean those. Thought I took pictures of that but I didn't. There is a TSB here in the Tech section on removing and cleaning this part and checking the bushings. RSTDdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jilldwr Posted September 1, 2012 Author Share #5 Posted September 1, 2012 Yes, I just removed-cleaned-regreased those last month. I wondered about tire noise but my tires don't really have flat spots yet. I'm running metzlers & the tread crosses the centerline with lots of depth in the grooves. I just had them installed last year with about 3k miles on them. Would tire noise only occur at a specific rpm? I would have thought it would be a little more constant, like at any speed. How many miles should a set of bearings last? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreezyRider Posted September 1, 2012 Share #6 Posted September 1, 2012 Yes, I just removed-cleaned-regreased those last month. I wondered about tire noise but my tires don't really have flat spots yet. I'm running metzlers & the tread crosses the centerline with lots of depth in the grooves. I just had them installed last year with about 3k miles on them. Would tire noise only occur at a specific rpm? I would have thought it would be a little more constant, like at any speed. How many miles should a set of bearings last? I had a 99 RSV, and the right rear wheel bearing went out at just under 50k. I'd be pulling it down and replacing them if I were you. Not that bad a job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcarl Posted September 1, 2012 Share #7 Posted September 1, 2012 Depends on the grease you used for the splines. If you didn't use good stuff, they could be dry by now, for the time it takes, take a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jilldwr Posted September 1, 2012 Author Share #8 Posted September 1, 2012 Well, I used that Honda grease everyone raves about so they should be good. I pulled the drive shaft as well and greased the splines in there too. To change the bearings, is there any special tool I need to buy first, was planning on using a threaded rod with nuts and washers to press the new bearings in but not sure how difficult to get the old bearings out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreezyRider Posted September 1, 2012 Share #9 Posted September 1, 2012 I did not buy any special tools, just drove them out using what I had. Just be aware that one side has a large internal snap ring that must be removed before removing the bearing on that side. It is easy to not see the snap ring if there is a lot of grime on the hub. :whistling: And then you'll feel like an idiot when you can't get that bearing to budge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcarl Posted September 1, 2012 Share #10 Posted September 1, 2012 You need to pull the wheel, then drive the bearings out from the opposite side. The spacer in between the bearings moves over to allow you to set a driver tool on the bearing inner race. Not all that bad of a job. Bearings are available from your local bearing dealer and at a lot better price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jilldwr Posted September 1, 2012 Author Share #11 Posted September 1, 2012 Thanks for the tip, Freezyrider, I had a hard time removing the drive hub until I noticed the clip ring ! When you purchase the bearings from a bearing shop, can you purchase seals as well? or do you reuse the old seals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcarl Posted September 1, 2012 Share #12 Posted September 1, 2012 Thanks for the tip, Freezyrider, I had a hard time removing the drive hub until I noticed the clip ring ! When you purchase the bearings from a bearing shop, can you purchase seals as well? or do you reuse the old seals? Always use new seals!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jilldwr Posted September 1, 2012 Author Share #13 Posted September 1, 2012 Sounds good, I'll give it a go. Thanks guys for your help. D.W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pofarm Posted September 1, 2012 Share #14 Posted September 1, 2012 You can buy a kit with both bearings and seals cheaper than going to the stealer. I got mine from OEM CYCLE Here is a tutorial on replacing the bearings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jilldwr Posted September 1, 2012 Author Share #15 Posted September 1, 2012 Wow! Thanks Pofarm! Thats a great tutorial, and thats a great price for the bearings! Cheers! D.W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now