| Author | Message | ||
     Johnnylunchbox |
200 miles from home. Bike stars doing the shimmy. Grinding squealing noise. No real warning just a catastrophic failure. Yep bearing is toast. We were in the middle of nowhere in PA. A kind stranger called a friend with a dirtbike/atv shop who sends a pickemup. Atv bearings seem a perfect match and I am on my way again. Hub was full of rusty water. 13000 miles in bike. Orange seal bearings. I was not pleased. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Glad you got help. Here's a list of ATV bearings that match the XB rear wheel bearings that I compiled last year: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show .cgi?tpc=142838&post=1400233#POST1400233 | ||
| Froggy |
Wish I knew that you had an issue, I have spare bearings and fully assembled wheels just wasting space in my garage, I would of toted one out to you somehow if you didn't mind a few hour wait. Although I think a shiny hero blue wheel with polished sprocket and wave rotor wouldn't match the orange + mud of the rest of your bike  | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
Hughlysses, I remembered that thread. Thank you. Spacer was a little damaged. I am hoping this will get me throughbthe weekend and back home. Al lightons primer on bearing installation sounds like rocket science. Hope they hold up for at least a lttle while. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
Thanks Froggy I know you'd get out here somehow. Hopefully the install was ok. I had him torque per the book. | ||
| Metaldude |
You're comment about the rusty water in the hub makes me want to drill a weep hole in my rims... gotta put it on the list! | ||
| Towpro |
wonder if I should I drill a hole on my 2010 wheel or leave it alone? | ||
| Yamafreak |
Could we fill the hub with grease,Like the bearing buddies on my boat trailer? A zerk fitting could be installed and a small vent hole. Pump it full until it comes out the vent, then plug it? Just thinking out loud. | ||
| Yamafreak |
Oh,and remove the inner dust seal so the bearing always have lots of grease and force out the unwanted water. | ||
| Yamafreak |
Or 90 weight gear oil?  | ||
| Etennuly |
I had a hub full of water. When I replaced my bearings I did a hole, tapped it and put in a grease fitting. I was just looking at making sure that water could not get into the cavity again. I filled it with marine grease, it took four tubes. Because I was just looking to fill it to prevent water intrusion I left the inner seals in the new bearings. Hindsight would have me do two things differently. First would be to alter the inner seals, next would be to hand pack wheel bearing grease at the bearing areas and then fill the cavity as much as possible with the marine grease before installing the spacer tube and second bearing. That would give a lifetime of fresh grease to the bearings, and keep water out for ever, but mostly it would have kept me from having to pump a grease gun for what seemed like hours.  By altering the inner seals what I mean is pull them out and drill a couple of 5/16" holes in them. After thinking about how the grease would freely push the outer seals out of place when greasing the hub, and causing them to be over filled with no airspace, the inner seal could act as a bit of a restriction as to not have grease slinging out of the outer seals when riding on hot days. But it would allow for a bit of new grease to come in with a little shot from the grease gun. | ||
| Badrap |
Why is there a bunch of water in your wheels? | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
I was thinking about putting a weep hole in between two of the the spokes. I just replaced a set of rear bearings last week and the hub had rusty water in it. Every time you went for a ride it would fling the water out.... every time washed the bike.... it may let water in I never wash mine so I should be good to go | ||
| Rwcfrank |
Here is a thought, why dont we all sign a letter of interest and send it to a few aftermarket wheel companies like PM or (insert name here) and show them that there is an interest and a market in a replacement rear wheel for the Uly. I have never owned an aftermarket wheel but it seems like the wheels are mostly the same with bolt on modular components to fit different types of bikes. I wouldn't mind having a rear wheel that wasnt exactly like the front. If it lasted. Just a thought..... | ||
| Reepicheep |
Interesting. 30k miles on an XB9SX with the rear wheel off maybe 5 times, and it was never anything but dry in there. Had the Uly wheel off twice now, and no water in there either. I generally don't ride in the rain on purpose, but have done it a few times, including a couple of all day rain rides on the 9sx. I don't touch the bearings with a pressure washer. FWIW. | ||
| Larryjohn |
why dont we all sign a letter of interest and send it to a few aftermarket wheel companies like PM or (insert name here) and show them that there is an interest and a market in a replacement rear wheel for the Uly Or you could buy a 2010 rear wheel which was upgraded with larger bearings, has three bearings (two on the drive belt side), and improved seals. The fine folks at American Sport Bike can hook you up and will even press in the new bearings for an extra $20. The UPS man delivered mine yesterday. btw - I have not had any rear wheel bearing problems, but I figured it is money well spent. | ||
| Etennuly |
I still believe that the water intrusion is from condensation. Ride your bike for a few miles and feel the rear hub. It gets really warm, friction, exhaust, brake, belt, engine all combine to get it warm and keep it there. Aluminum being what it is, transfers moisture rather easily with the right conditions.This could happen like maybe when a very warm hub runs into cold rain? Or a very warm hub dipped into a cold stream or creek? I don't think it happens all at once, but mine, over 33,000 miles on the original bearings had about three ounces of water in the rear hub. The only thing that makes it rusty is the exposed surface of the inner side of the bearings. The rust tells you it has been in there over a relatively long period. I too have changed bearings for a buddy, his had no water at all in his hub. He and I did the same water crossings three weeks before mine failed. His lasted another two years(less miles), again no moisture in his and we change his for preventative reasons. If condensation is the problem a weep hole should cure it. The heat of the hub will drive moisture out as it is running, beyond being in a position to drain or sling it out. Chances of letting water in is limited. If you were to submerge that wheel with a 1/8" hole it could take a long time for the air to escape while letting water in, especially while rotating. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
The condensation theory doesn't work unless there is ambient air getting to it. My theory is that temperature differentials create vacuum in there that inhales water through the path of least resistance=>the seals. The weep hole would solve the vacuum theory but make the condensation theory worse. My warranty is up as of this month and I plan on warming up my drill soon! 1/8" a good size? does it matter where it goes on the hub? | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
1/8" a good size? does it matter where it goes on the hub? my best guess would be right between a set of spokes. When I had mine apart, you could see a groove the ran between every spoke creating a low spot. | ||
| Tastroman |
The day my warranty runs out will be the day I switch to the 2010 wheel. I would hate to ruin the swing arm after its out of warranty. Harley should step up and provide a fix before someone gets hurt. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
Follow up info. It was the brake rotor side bearing that went. The belt side was a tiny bit crunchy though. | ||
| Reepicheep |
This is an interesting thread, but lets not loose sight of the other "highly likely" failure mode that Al Lighton at American Sport Bike mentioned (thanks for the "jump kit" bearings and spacer Al, I'll be bringing them on the Memorial Day road trip). That theory is that people over torque the rear axle on install, the aluminum spacer collapses slightly, and the bearings then get loaded improperly. So the failure has nothing to do with moisture. I'm not saying that is the only problem or that the moisture is never an issue, just trying to keep all the theories at the forefront. So the torque wrench and service manual may (or may not) be more valuable then weep holes. FWIW. | ||
| Court |
Hahaha . . WAIT . . I know better than to say that. I hope it gets fixed. (Message edited by court on May 21, 2010) | ||
| Xbimmer |
 | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
My rear wheel has always been removed and replaced by the dealer. So unless they ignored the torquing sequence and specs, something else is to blame. I'm thinking it was the near quart of water in there. Maybe I'll have a stainless spacer machined. | ||
| Rwcfrank |
\Maybe I'll have a stainless spacer machined.{ I think that is a great idea. I have seen most failures after a tire was replaced or the wheel was r and r'ed. Granted all tires go in the first 6k or so, but over tightening that spacer will destroy bearings very quickly.} | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
Maybe I'll have a stainless spacer machined I thought I would make one out of a PVC pipe. | ||
| Motorbike |
I thought I once read on here about someone who was making a precision steel spacer for the Buell wheels. I am not having much luck finding it though. When I replace the bearings at the first tire change ( or sooner), I would really like to upgrade to a better spacer, just in case anyone else ever works on my bike. ( Very unlikely ) | ||
| Motorbike |
I guess I should explain my last statement. I always use a torque wrench on every part which has a torque rating listed in the service manual with the exception of the small bodywork screws and the locknut for the primary chain tension adjuster. ( Please tell me that you cannot really get a socket on that nut either because the kickstand bracket is in the way.) If I am forced to have someone else remove and reinstall the rear wheel for any reason, I would like to be sure they don't crush the spacer if they do not use the proper torque. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
do not use a tq wrench on the oil drain plug. you'll be looking for a new swing arm Just in case ya didn't know |
