What are the symptoms of shafterd wheel bearings?

[GhostRider]

Just coming back from the in-laws house, breaking at a roundabout I hear a squeaking/creaking sound eminating from my front wheel, thought thats strange but carried on.

About 4 miles down the road and it started again, it's like a creaking/clicking sound and like somethings rubbing against the wheel, I pulled over and checked everything as best as I could and saw nothing obvious, but was getting worried it might be something to do with my brakes and started having visions of them locking up on me at 40mph.

Did the last mile home at 15-20mph and the creaking was continuing, it was rhythmical as well so again makes me think it has to be something to do with the wheel itself, I can feel vibrations coming up from it everytime it sounds off.

I then wondered if the bearings might have gone in the wheel, but have no idea what this looks/sounds like. Think I will run it down the garage in the morning but would rather turn up and say "I think this is the problem" than saying "I have no idea, go fish" and letting him clock up a few hours labour finding the problem.

Cheers,

GhostRider
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I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

[.....]

Get the wheel up in the air on a stand and try and wiggle it from side to side. If there's any movement then it's likely our bearings are shot.

[Casper]

What joe says. It does sound like bearings have collapsed. Easy DIY job.

[GhostRider]

No real practical way of doing that, only have sidestand, no bricks handy and no paddock stand as I did think about lifting the front wheel and spinning it to see if that was definitely the source of the noises - does it absolutely have to be free in the air, or can I perhaps lock the wheel between my legs and turn the bars - kind of like how you check the tightness of the stem on a BMX bike?

GhostRider
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I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

[andy_uk]

Ideally it needs to be free spinning...
You could get a friend to gently tilt the bike on it's stand, just enough to lift the front wheel off the ground while you check it for any sideways play.
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Aprilia Classic 125, GS500E, ER5-A1, ER5-C4, ER6 & an XJ6 project frame...

[GhostRider]

Only have the missus to hand and she ain't know for her brute strength or deftness large heavy unbalanced objects.

In any respect, fixing it would not be a job I would do myself, garage is 5.5 miles from my house, since the problem only just started, assuming it is the wheel bearings, do you suppose they will hold out for the duration of the journey, or am I likely to get half way there, hear a terrible crunching sound followed by a completely seized wheel and me screaming "well thats me truly fucked now"?

GhostRider
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I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

[.....]

Balance the bike on the side stand yourself and get the missus to wobble the wheel. If there's play you'll be able to tell.

A tiny bit of play I'd ride the bike, loads of play I wouldn't.

[promufa]

Ghostrider I have a paddock stand which you are free to use or borrow... I see you are in Birmingham so if you want to pop by at anytime send me a pm
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'02 Triumph Speed Four

[Kickstart]

Hi

Unusual for wheel bearings to go quickly like that (had it happen once), but worth checking. If back enough to be making an audible noise when riding then I wouldn't ride it until I had checked it.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[GhostRider]

Curiouser and curiouser.

Just went down and lifted it on it's sidestand and tilted back to get the front wheel off the ground, got the missus to check it, she didn't really know what she was looking for, but said she thought it was very slightly giving some wobble. I got her to lift it up instead and had a go myself, having no calibration of whats norma, I would say there was a mm or 2 of play, and something didn't sound right when placing the wheel back on the floor, although again I can't say I know what a wheel hitting the floor normally sounds like.

So then I figured I'd see if it was still giving grief, done 20 laps round the car park and not a peep is coming from it, sounds like it normally does, I tried some aggresive front back stops, fast acceleration, anything I could do to stress the front wheel and make it sound off again, but so far nothing....

Seems a bit stupid to drive it down the garage, and say "It was making a sound, now it's not, what do you reckon", as there isn't really a starting point for him to go on.... or you reckon it's worth running it down there and getting it checked over anyway?

I'm thinking I might set off for work early tomorrow, and if it starts sounding off again I'll divert to the garage which will give me enough time to get it there then train back to work while he assesses the damage.

Bikes, bunch of bastards.

GhostRider
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I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

[.....]

A mm or 2 of play sounds like knackered wheel bearings.

[Kickstart]

[GhostRider]

Cool, I'll run it down the garage first thing then. Shall I prepare my wallet, and hence poohole, for a beasting?

Cheers,

GhostRider
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I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

[Kickstart]

[GhostRider]

[jimspeed]

it may be quiet now because its cooled down, you may find after a mile or 2 it starts making noises again.
Take it to the garage carefully and just ask them for a second opinion if your not sure, those bearings are the only thing making the wheel go round so you need to be sure they are right and not just guess it.
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Hyosung cruise 125(passed test on, sold) Kawasaki el 252 (better than expected but sold on) Kawasaki GPZ500S first "big"bike.(sold) ZZR600 E5..Z750 2007,ER5, currently on a 2008 Enfield bullet electra x and loving it..
,"Alpha-9: Is there any correlation between dyno rod and dyno kits?"

[CaNsA]

Dont cheap out on the bearings, and labour should be 1hr tops.

[GhostRider]

Just got back from garage, he got it up on the ramp, had me put weight on the back then "fucking hell" was the response, got me round the front and with two fingers was rattling the wheel side to side, said it was right on the verge of collapsing!

Quoted an hours labour plus cost of the bearings, so seems right on the money. It didn;'t make a single noise on the way to the garage either , so lucky I still took i there as I did for a brief second think that something must have got stick in the brakes or something and the problem had resolved itself.

Thanks for all the advice.

GhostRider
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I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

[Alpha-9]

[Mac_Black]

Hmmm I've heard of allot of people who's bearings have gone completely shot recently, A friend of mine had it happen just outside of his workplace.. and the thing is he knew they weren't in the best shape so he shouldn't have left it to chance, as has already been mentioned checking bearings is a simple task that requires little in the way of mechanical aptitude so I think that all bike owners should take it as seriously as the state of their tyres, pads, oil level etc..
Just check them periodically for lateral play, smooth, notch free operation and in the case of non sealed bearings remember to clean & grease them at certain mileage intervals or at least make sure that your mechanic is doing so..

Second to wheel/hub/sprocket carrier bearings is head bearings I'd say, these don't require so much attention but usually do need readjusting after say 500~600 miles from being fitted, and should be just tight enough so that any free play is taken up. Again these should be greased when serviced as they are typically needle type (better than) or ball cage bearings, which are of course unsealed.

Lastly there's swing arm and linkage/bearings which if you're not spanner worthy you probably won't want to touch yourself, but again these can be simply checked for lateral play by having the rear raised off of the ground and checking the swing arm for side to side movement. Linkages can become stiff or even seized so if the rear suspension feels notchy or unusually resistant then it more than likely points to these parts rather than the rear shock.

[.....]

[Alpha-9]

Thanks Mac & Joe

Don't know why I said new, new on the scale of CGs, it's 2001 lol
It was meant to have been rebuilt and fully serviced when he bought it but now the bearings have already gone

Let alone the idle revs and fuel mix being all wrong at first

Cheers
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Fzr-600 1999

[GhostRider]

Cost me £55 total with kyo bearings so im told.

GhostRider
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I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

[Fairies attack]

Get someone to lean the bike over so the offending end of the bike is off the floor and give the wheel a good shake.

If the bearings are knackered then there will be plenty of sideways movement in the wheel.

Last time mine went, I took it to the bike shop wondering what the noise was. I was told I was lucky it didn't kill me, since the bearings had totally collapsed and the back wheel was more than able to touch the swing arm.
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