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.