Topic: Bearing brands, which is best?

[westondc]

I'm doing my first full engine rebuild on a small 250cc 2 stroke. I ordered a All Balls bearing and seal kit to do the bottom end. I've been to a local 2 stroker bike shop and they said that the new bearings that came in the kit (Koyo brand) were cheap and poor quality compaired to the NTN brand that I was replacing. They tried to sell me different bearings for 2x the price of the new ones i already had. I moved on and went to a local ATV/bike shop to have them pull the old bearing off the crank, they also told me i shouldn't use the cheap Koyo brand   on the other hand my brother works at an industrial plant and he said they use Koyo bearings in their machines and its a good quality product. hoping for some input on bearings and which bands are best...

[MCRider]

I'm doing my first full engine rebuild on a small 250cc 2 stroke. I ordered a All Balls bearing and seal kit to do the bottom end. I've been to a local 2 stroker bike shop and they said that the new bearings that came in the kit (Koyo brand) were cheap and poor quality compaired to the NTN brand that I was replacing. They tried to sell me different bearings for 2x the price of the new ones i already had. I moved on and went to a local ATV/bike shop to have them pull the old bearing off the crank, they also told me i shouldn't use the cheap Koyo brand   on the other hand my brother works at an industrial plant and he said they use Koyo bearings in their machines and its a good quality product. hoping for some input on bearings and which bands are best...

I went down that route with bearings for my motor rebuild. (Transmission and wheel, about 10 altogether) I think there was a time when brands mattered. All I found were conflicting anecdotes. Everybody has their pet favorite, and if that's not available, suddnely another brand became the favorite. I just said chuck it and told my supplier (cbrbearings.com) to get me "the best" they could get. My fate is in their hands. I ended up with several brands. Doubt I'll never know the difference.

If you find different let us know.

[simon#42]

i rebuild quite a few two stroke cranks, for road race bikes i prefer to use german made INA bearings, for everything else i use either KOYO or NTN bearings . have had no problems with either , could it be they are just trying to sell bearings? ask                                them if they have had any specific problems with the KOYOs

[westondc]

i rebuild quite a few two stroke cranks, for road race bikes i prefer to use german made INA bearings, for everything else i use either KOYO or NTN bearings . have had no problems with either , could it be they are just trying to sell bearings? ask                                them if they have had any specific problems with the KOYOs

the guy at the first shop said Koyo bearings are ok for wheel bearings but not for cranks (after i told him that i noticed they sold All Balls wheel bearing kits at their store). i think he said they install American brand in cranks and of course he said that i should let them install them for me. did i little research and found some other forums where people claim this brand or that brand is better... it also seems that Koyo and NTN are made in the same factory in Japan.

[Duke McDukiedook]

Even the chinese bearings will be built to a certain minimum standard.

However the metals used in some brands will not be equal, some brands like Timken will use metals with higher yield strengths and hardness.