Changing Front Tire

[konarider94]

you truly are the "poster child" for everything that's wrong with open forums such as this and unlimited internet access. by your own admission you've never purchased wheel bearings which allows the logical inference that you've also never removed and replaced motorcycle wheel bearings. spend less time dicking around emailing bearing companies in the transparent attempt to prove your point and prop yourself up....and more time studying up on CORRECT removal....spacer service limit specs.....CORRECT replacement using conflicting temperatures and basic hand tools....and most importantly addressing what i consider to be a glaring XB design flaw:::::::excessive drive belt tension. you're going to need all the help you can get and doubt Helen Turner can provide it.

Always so angry lunatic, no need to attack someone because you disagree. Why do you actually care if he doesn't want to use a chinese bearing? Do you have some connection to all balls or just trying to reaffirm to yourself that its okay to cheap out on them? I've used all balls too but I'm also okay with saying they are cheap chinese bearings. Nothing wrong with saving some money if you are willing to accept a lower service life/higher risk of failure.

I did a lot of testing at my last job in regards to bearings, and have attended training at an NSK facility. There is a pretty big difference in the quality of steel used. Wheels bearings are low duty on motorcycles so its not as big of an issue as other applications. That being said with the testing and application background I have I can confidently say no name chinese bearings are not as good as your well known companies. Its too bad all balls can't/won't set up a purchase agreement with a quality bearing manufacturer. Their direct pricing is incredibly low on something like these mass produced smaller bearings compared to what you pay from an industrial distributor walking in off the street.

 

[pdksh]

Just my 2 cents, my opinion won’t even get me a cup of coffee. With that said, I’ve been using All-balls stuff for years on my ATV. I have enough of those stickers to cover my house. My experience is; price, availability and quality. With Buell parts you can have two of the three. All-balls does a pretty good job of compromising all three. If John is willing to stock Buell parts and sell/ship for cost, that’s a great deal!

Oh on the ATV, OEM parts were two to three times as much as All-balls (aftermarket). Dirt and water ruined them, quality of steel ment nothing. Both factory and All-balls parts lasted the exact same amount of time.

If I can get the parts reasonably quick and reasonably priced for my Buell, I’ll take them. I don’t race, but I like to play hard.

 

[wickedchop]

Does anyone on here subject their machines to the brutal beatings that I do???? Maybe, but I doubt it. All balls in all three race bikes, the two big bikes will hit 160+mph lap after lap for twenty relentless mins all day long for 8+ hours, fast corners thrown over at around 80mph and another fast corner at 120ish. NEVER A PROBLEM WITH ALL BALLS! That right there should say enough!!!!!!!!!

 

[njloco]

And That's his wife riding it !

 

[konarider94]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
always so dramatically superior in every way konarider. precisely what i would expect from you. my only "connection" with All Balls Corp is that i typically stock about 50 assorted sets of buell wheel and steering neck bearings and sell them to board members AT DEALER COST and 0 mark-up shipping to help out those in need. just dying to know what you've done lately for board members. flaunting your vast knowledge and self-proclaimed expertise doesn't count.

Didn't mean to come off that way but I can see it. I was trying to say that all balls work fine but there is still a quality difference that is hard for some people to ignore. There is some reason they are cheaper right? I used chinese cnc levers for a while but have since upgraded to ASV. Maybe its not relevant for this application but experience creates a bias to everything.

Its great you are in a situation to help out the board members and everyone thanks you for that. I've sent out some parts to help people in the past, but I don't have many extras at this point. Sadly the forum doesn't see the traffic it once did either. Going after a newer member looking for help over a personal brand preference seems counter productive though. No hard feelings here. Ill keep what you said in mind.

 

[konarider94]

Oh on the ATV, OEM parts were two to three times as much as All-balls (aftermarket). Dirt and water ruined them, quality of steel ment nothing. Both factory and All-balls parts lasted the exact same amount of time.

I think you are probably right on with that statement

 

[user_deleted]

Decided I'm going to take the plunge and start doing my own tire changes.

Front tire on the 1125 is my first go at it.

My first speed bump was lack of a 22mm hex bit. Mine did not come with that adapter in the tool bag and jamming a spark plug wrench in there didn't seem like a great idea. Ordered the multi-size axle socket from Amazon.

Next potential problem is getting the caliper off. Since I have it on a standard front fork stand I can't easily rotate the caliper holder to remove it as instructed in the service manual.

If I remove the axle and drop the wheel (thereby allowing it to move towards the motor a bit) will I have enough room to wiggle off the caliper?

I suppose this is a long way of asking if the front tire be changed using a standard front fork wheel stand?

If no one knows I'll follow up and answer the question for posterity.

hey bat: your learning curve is straight vertical on this little project and i should not have sniped at you as i did. i apologize for that. having lost my wife to breast cancer many years ago at Christmas time this is a very difficult time of year for me. having said that if you're having new tires mounted at the same time just have a competent tire shop do the bearings for you. if not and you're near southern PA bring the wheels and bearings to my shop and i'll do them for you for a few bucks all-in. if you're tackling them yourself email me and i'll walk you thru the bearing procedure using simple hand tools, a micro-torch and your kitchen freezer. these italian wheels are beautifully designed and manufactured and even have a "floor" for the bearings to perch against but they're fragile in the hub area and won't withstand ham-fisted attacks. john
[email protected]

 

[Bat-1]

Thanks for the offer John but I've fixed a lot of bikes, just haven't done bearings. They are not listed as a service item for any of my bikes and so I haven't given them any thought. That's why I asked about this being an issue with the Buell.

Bought a bearing removal/kit that knocked them out with little effort and includes the exact size driver to punch them back in. Shouldn't be an issue. I'm aware the new ones should spend the night in the freezer for easier install.

And I don't mind being "poster boy" for finding out the truth The Internet could use more of it. Hell, maybe Helen's a crack tuner who can help me out with that belt drive issue. Lol.

It's my first belt drive bike so all I know so far is the chain lube keeps dripping off.

 

[user_deleted]

Thanks for the offer John but I've fixed a lot of bikes, just haven't done bearings. They are not listed as a service item for any of my bikes and so I haven't given them any thought. That's why I asked about this being an issue with the Buell.

Bought a bearing removal/kit that knocked them out with little effort and includes the exact size driver to punch them back in. Shouldn't be an issue. I'm aware the new ones should spend the night in the freezer for easier install.

And I don't mind being "poster boy" for finding out the truth The Internet could use more of it. Hell, maybe Helen's a crack tuner who can help me out with that belt drive issue. Lol.

It's my first belt drive bike so all I know so far is the chain lube keeps dripping off.

yes sir always my pleasure and sounds like you'll be just fine. i've listed a few things below to consider which will make the job alot easier. and avoid the temptation to remove one of the seals and pack more bearing grease into the new bearing. it's a bad idea.
1-clean out the bearing pocket and lip/floor on the bottom with a solvent or cleaner.
2-take a piece of steel wool and lightly massage the bearing cavity and lip to get it clean and shiny.
3-check the bearing hub spacer---the long tube---for straightness and that each end is pristine in appearance. if it's corroded simply hand clean or media blast in a cabinet.
4-do NOT apply assembly grease to the bearing cavity. apply it ONLY to the outer shell of each bearing prior to installation.
5-elevate the wheel assembly off the floor with simple hunks of evenly matched wood. you're looking to elevate it several inches off the floor.
6-freeze bearing if possible......heat bearing pocket with micro-torch and use common sense. don't get it so hot that you harm the finish of the wheel.
7-apply a light coating of generic grease to the outer shell of each bearing. i always install the BRAKE SIDE BEARING first till it bottoms against the floor. then flip the wheel over....drop in the spacer tube...and doing the same install the pulley side bearing.
NOTE: most struggle to get the spacer tube centered as they're installing the pulley side bearing. here's a little trick to simplify things: when that bearing is installed about half-way stop right there....lift up the wheel....insert the axle....place a wood spacer under the axle to hold it in place so that just the tip of it is close to even with the bearing being installed....place wheel back down on the wood blocks....then drive the bearing in the rest of the way.

i'm sure you know this but NEVER EVER place an old bearing atop a new one to drive it into the hub. doing that typically destroys the new cages and races of the new bearing assembly.

 

[Bat-1]

Cleaned everything real nice like, froze my new bearings over night and everything went together with little problem.

It helped to have the bearing driver kit. Pushed them in straight with minimal pounding.

Kinda wondered what all the fuss was about and since I bought the driver kit and just picked up a salvage ZX9r thought I'd go ahead and do the bearings on that bike.

Wooo boy, I musta lucked out on the Buell. These bearings were not budging for love or money.

Ended up ordering the Pit Posse Bearing Extractor Kit.

It did get the bearing out but the extractor split in half after the one use. Not recommended.

 

[gggGary]

New to me 08 1125R 16K miles. Mounted, balanced desperately needed front, Shinko Apex. Hand tire irons, tires, rim warmed by wood stove, no issues. ordered FAG bearings, existing bearings feel like a box O rox, scary. Brake pads "getting thin" new on order. My 1/2" drive spark plug socket allowed the extension inside LOL. With fender removed, t-rex stand works fine with a bushing I turned to fit the Buell stem.

 

[gggGary]

I don't have a hard answer for this, the set up should be mostly universal?
While changing a tire, I felt a bad bearing in the front wheel. New to me bike 2008, 16K street miles no obvious water intrusion. Ordered new bearings and pulled the old, yup one was well on the way out felt rough and notchy, pulled a seal and it was ugly in there, bearing was too close to failure for my taste, inner race sloppy loose. Before pulling the old bearings I had noticed one race was sitting proud of the wheel flange, the other side flush, the axle sleeve was a bit loose. I tapped the bearing til the sleeve was snug but the bearings felt awful. So new bearings, seated one side, set the sleeve in and things just didn't look right. Got out gauges and found the sleeve is .014" strong of the flange to flange distance. Now I don't know the engineering, but it seems like those two dimensions should be the same? anybody know?
old bearings, bad on the right.


Measuring, zeroed at the flange, consistent at zero all the way around.

then the end of the sleeve .013" to .015" tall of the flange.

 

[gggGary]

Ps I am aware that the machined flange has two "levels" I am comparing the sleeve to the higher outer area of the flange where the race sits.

 

[gggGary]

Thanks for reply;
My question I guess, the spacer (sleeve) as found in this 1125R is longer than the flange to flange distance. So is the factory procedure to tighten the second race to the spacer and the outer race just "floats" in it's bore, by design it does NOt contact the inner flange? I quickly ran through the service manual and did not find a service length spec for the spacer, do you know of one? This seems like a departure from "standard practice" where the inner and outer race both are positively located for width? Is this why front wheel bearings are a periodic replacement item on this bike while other bikes I own seldom if ever need wheel bearing replacement? Does the method as I understand it have something to do with the relatively unsupported "buckyball" hub? My gut says I should machine the spacer to match the flange to flange distance. Thanks again for comments.

 

[gggGary]

Sorry, reread your reply and you are saying what I am, that the spacer length must = the flange distance. will post back here with both dimensions on this assembly.

 

[LazyZ]

Yes, the spacer should be slightly longer than distance between the flanges. Read service manual for proper bearing installation. You have to press one bearing on one side up to the bearing pocket bottom, then install the spacer and then press the opposite side bearing until the inner races of the bearings will hold the spacer between them. Do not try to force the bearing over that point otherwise you will damage the bearings. Opposite side bearing will never touch the pocket bottom by outer race.

 

[Cooter]

I concur with the above statements. Do NOT try to bottom out the outer race in the bearing bore. The bearing inner races and spacer make the solid 'tube' the axle torques too.

 

[LazyZ]

when installing new bearings on a FRONT wheel assembly it makes NO difference which side is installed first....as it does on the rear wheel.

Just follow manual, always install the brake side bearing first with the lettering facing out from the hub. The brake side bearing pocket bottom is datum surface for determining the brake rotor base surface position. The manual even considers bearing tolerances stack up so orient the brake side bearing properly! Just do what manual says, you don't want to end up with brake caliper and brake rotor misalignment even it might be insignificant.