I Think Im Good To Go But What Are You Guy's Thoughts

Joined
May 8, 2018
Messages
1,955
Location
illinois
Bike
2000 ST1100
I had to get a new shoe installed on the rear of my beloved ST1100. After the guy got the rear tire off he told me to come and check out the wheel bearings. The outer one was real loose it was replaced 6 years ago and the inner one has never been replaced. Long story short he replaced both bearings with All Balls bearings. The one that was replaced earlier was an All balls one and the new double roll bearing is an all balls bearing. I hope they last a lot longer than 6 years 15K miles. What's your experience with all ball bearings?
 
I had to get a new shoe installed on the rear of my beloved ST1100. After the guy got the rear tire off he told me to come and check out the wheel bearings. The outer one was real loose it was replaced 6 years ago and the inner one has never been replaced. Long story short he replaced both bearings with All Balls bearings. The one that was replaced earlier was an All balls one and the new double roll bearing is an all balls bearing. I hope they last a lot longer than 6 years 15K miles. What's your experience with all ball bearings?
I hope they knew that one side has to be installed first. Makes a difference.
 
I have All Balls front and rear. 20 k and counting on the front, just did the rears this winter. I have no complaints. Actually my steering head bearings were just replaced with them as well. I do yearly maintenance on them as well.
 
After seeing mixed reports on all balls I stayed with buying my bearings from CBR Bearings. They are gone.
However, the bearings were by NSK.
I know an ST1100 that had 100,000 miles on the NSK bearings and they still felt fine.
 
That is pretty good for bearings installed at a tyre change. They hammer them out, hammer them in.

There is a lip inside the hub which appears to be there for the outer race of the bearing to seat against. That is true for the first bearing, but not for the second bearing. The bearing meets the distance collar first.

Probably, the bearing has had a high side load placed on it due to the way that they were installed.

Also, because only one bearing sits on the lip in the wheel hub, it matters which bearing is installed first.

More info here :

 
I understand that on a 1300 but he has an 1100.

Is that true on an 1100?
 
Yes, the same applies to both models. See extract from Honda workshop manual - bottom lines in the remarks column)

This is for the rear wheel - LHS first (Not the brak disc side)

httpsst1100-1300.wmco.orgst1100Honda_ST1100_service_manualHonda_ST1100_service_manual.pdf.png

This is for the front wheel (RHS First ie brake lever side, not the speedo side)

ST1100 Front Wheel Bearing.png
 
Last edited:
I bought all new bearings from mother Honda with the intention of swapping them with the new tires this spring. The original bearings were so smooth, tight and clean I just left them alone. Why not just source them from Honda? Yeah, I know, pricey but they last a very long time.
 
On 1100s?

Did he pop the seals off and check the new ones for grease? I've never had much luck with All Balls.
ya pop off the seal, then what, add too much or incompatible grease, did you damage the seal? Most manufacturers of grease do not recomend mixing grease. I had all-ball bearings for 40k and had no problems. Maybe the ones who have problems mixed grease or compromised the seal. Just my thoughts and are not the opinion of St-owners and/or any affiliates. :law1:
 
I bought all new bearings from mother Honda with the intention of swapping them with the new tires this spring. The original bearings were so smooth, tight and clean I just left them alone. Why not just source them from Honda? Yeah, I know, pricey but they last a very long time.
I had my bike in the shop on a lift. Did not want to wait for them to be put on order and leave my shoeless bike there at the shop for weeks. So when he said he had all balls bearings in stock i bit.
 
That is pretty good for bearings installed at a tyre change. They hammer them out, hammer them in.

There is a lip inside the hub which appears to be there for the outer race of the bearing to seat against. That is true for the first bearing, but not for the second bearing. The bearing meets the distance collar first.

Probably, the bearing has had a high side load placed on it due to the way that they were installed.

Also, because only one bearing sits on the lip in the wheel hub, it matters which bearing is installed first.

More info here :

Good to know I'm just changing mine.
 
You are right back on the road and those bearings by any reasonable minimum expectation are fine until the next tire change.
That leaves plenty of time to source some high quality bearings for next time.
 
left side first. see post 16

It is different for each wheel. Rear Wheel is left first. Front wheel is right first.
I know that you know that Al - but just in case someone takes that statement out of context....


Just for info - I once took my wheels in for a tyre change - from my first 1100 - before I knew much about them.
Fitter said that he couldn't balance them - the bearings were binding so much. So I asked him to replace them.
I watched him do it.
Those bearing lasted just 5,000 miles. When I replaced them, I came across an odd problem. The spacer seems to be preventing the second bearing from seating against the lip in the hub.
I puzzled over this for a few days, and got through a couple more bearings in the process.
I even joined this forum and asked questions. Suggestions came back - 'wrong size tube', 'bit of grit on the face of the bearing or on the lip preventing it from seating properly' - but nothing that gave me an answer that explained a spacer tube that appeared to be too long. In the end I decided that the spacer was correct and went looking for a better answer. Thats when I came across an an on-line copy of the service manual. They are commonplace now but at the time this one was hidden away at sharetheexperience - it is no longer available - so a good thorough read through revealed the answer. It is supposed to be too long !
Most of us would probably ignore the 'assembly is the reverse of disassembly' information, but in this case it is accurate. The diagrams in the ST1300 manual provide a bit more info for the wheel bearings - 'enough to touch bottom', and the diagram (for the front wheel) shows a gap between the bearing and the lip on the left hand side.
It matters mainly because it affects the position of the wheel on the axle, and that affects the position of the tyre on the road and the position of the brake disc in relation to the calipers, and the pulsar ring in relation to the sensor. I've never worked out whether or not it affects the position of the rear spline on the wheel in relation to the spline on the hub.
It also matters because if you drive them in as I watched the tyre fitter drive them in - there is nothing to stop the outer race after the inner race has met the spacer. Any susbsequent hammering simply puts a load on both bearings and knocks the first bearing out a little. And that is why those bearing lasted only 5000 miles.
Once I found out about it - I just go and look up which one goes in first. I deliberately don't try to remember it, 'cos I'll forget. So far I haven't, but I force myself to go and look it up each time.
 
Last edited:
You are right back on the road and those bearings by any reasonable minimum expectation are fine until the next tire change.
That leaves plenty of time to source some high quality bearings for next time.
Yes that is what i have to do. In hindsight I should of had a set of those High quality bearings ready to go. Just did not think about it. Still good he caught it and good to know I can travel this year knowing I won't have a wheel bearing break down on the open road:)
 
Top Bottom