Topic: Care and Feeding of Wheel Bearings

[BobbyR]

I have a 78 750K. I winched it out of a basement 5 years ago with only 5K original miles on it .  When I got it ready to ride I put some grease in the wheel bearings and that was the last I thought of them. I have been doing a lot more highway riding lately which averages about 70 mph and I don't even have to pass people often in this crazy place. How often do they need service, should I replace them just because they are Old, or just rpack them?. I have only 26K miles on her at this point.

[Steve F]

You'll probably find out that by the time you bash the old bearings out of the hub, they're pretty much junk at that point.  New bearings are about $15 at any bearing supply house, and I recommend the double sealed type.  You don't have to pack/repack them.  Much more gooder.

[HondaMan]

To test your existing bearings:

Method 1:
1. Put bike on sidestand and have someone sit on it.
2. Pushing at the top(s) of the wheel(s), try to push the wheel sideways and release (a few times) to see if you find any play. If there is any detectable movement, they should be replaced. Honda's stock bearings were not known for long life: I replaced mine at 10,000 miles with Timken, which lasted until 55,000 miles.

Method 2:
1. Remove the wheels and install the axles, but tighten the nuts finger-tight only.
2. Hold the axle up in both hands, and spin the wheel (with your tongue?) at a slow, but steady, rate. Try to feel for roughness. If they seem bumpy or rough, replace them, because they are getting rusty inside and will fail soon. This is common on lower-mileage bikes that sit a lot.