Went in for a new rear tire, came out with new rear bearings!

[Eagle59]

So I'm going over my newly aquired 97 ST. It has 16k on it, not too bad. It's got some things going on that need to be fixed. One was the worn rear tire, a Metzler. I ordered a Lazertec from a local shop and dropped it off it get mounted. (I know, it's a bias ply not a radial. It's V rated, okay. I live on a gravel road the the Lazertec has a better all around tread. I'm not going to be grinding footpegs or visiting 150+ mph so I'm thinking this is a good compromise) When they drift out the rear axle, ball bearings come out with it! Yikes! The right-side bearings were a mess. Oh, and it's also missing the rear caliper stop bolt! I'm glad they spotted that! I think this is probably the first time the rear tire had been off the bike. At 16k this may have been the original tire.

Needles to say, two new rear bearings are in it now. I ordered two front bearings and a replacement stop bolt. The new front bearings are going to go in "just because" after this experience. Next spring I'll probably put on a new front tire too. My question is what are the risks of not having that rear stop bolt? I'm a bit dissapointed the dealer let it out the door that way but that's another discussion. The rear brakes seem to work okay but they take more foot pressure than I think it should.

 

[George]

If not ABS, the lack of the stop bolt will let the caliper rotate forward and lock up the back brake. If it is ABS, the caliper will rotate forward unit a should on the caliper comes up against the swingarm and then works normally. Tell us about it.

Either way, I wouldn't ride the bike 'til that bolt is in place.

16K is low miles for a bearing failure. 50,000 is more like it. If they had to "drift" out the axle, tho, sounds like water/rust and time were more likely the cause. Did they use Honda Moly 50 when the reinstalled the wheel? Hope it was all cleaned and re-greased around the the drive gears.

No problem running a bias rear tire, you can even match it up with a radial front if ya want. I've used every combination and only ran into a problem once in 400,000 miles.

 

[GreenZR]

Not a good idea to ride it without that stopper bolt.

It would be a good idea to ask the shop if thy put moly paste on the drive splines. Then also ask them if they checked the three o-rings while they had the wheel off.

If they did not do those things, & they might not have any idea what you are talking about.....Not a good sign! It should be checked and done if they didn't.

 

[Eagle59]

It’s not an ABS system. I agree that the bearings should have lasted longer than this. I think the PO stored the bike in a damp garage or on a dirt floor or something. The center and side stands were a bit rusty. I scrubbed them off and hit them with black rustoleum already. Whatever caused the rusty underparts may be why the bearings got damp and rusted up. That’s also why I’m replacing the front bearings too.
I stopped by the workshop when they had the rear wheel dismounted to observe the carnage. The splines were well greased as they came off the bike so that was encouraging. I don’t know if they used moly grease on re-assembly. I had already ordered the three o-rings last week. When they come in, I’ll make everything gets greased up properly. Since I rode the bike into work, I’ll have to keep off the rear brakes on the way home. It’s going to be a long weekend.

 

[Mulski]

Check the age of the front tyre, if you think the rear was original, the front is more likely to be the same. If the tyres over 5 years old, change it; the contact you have between the bike and the ground is small enough as it is, without running on an age hardened tyre that's not going to give you optimal grip.

Cheers

 

[STArnie13]

If the tire was a Metzler it was not the original. Bridgestone Excedra or Dunlop were the stock tires.

 

[George]

If the tire was a Metzler it was not the original. Bridgestone Excedra or Dunlop were the stock tires.

Maybe not in Yurp, Arnie. Anyone? Bueller?

 

[dwalby]

If the tire was a Metzler it was not the original. Bridgestone Excedra or Dunlop were the stock tires.

Not only that, it would have had 16k miles on it, which is pretty hard to do unless you do nothing but long tours. 16k in 16 years would kinda rule out that being likely. Also, the fact that the caliper stopper bolt was gone is very likely because someone forgot to put it back in or torque it down when the original tire was replaced with the Metzeler.

 

[maximark]

While you at it, check the bottom of the swingarm. When I got my 94 1100, there were holes that I could put my finger into. Got another one off eBay and changed swingarm bearings too.

Mark

 

[Eagle59]

You are probably correct about the rear tire not being original. It was pretty well worn. The front tire is in decent condition but it will get replaced in the spring. I read of the problems with the swing arms on some bikes. This one seems pretty solid and looks to be in good shape. I'm getting the impression that the previous owner tried to do maint and fix-ups on this bike but couldn't quite get it right. The two front brake pin bolts are rounded out. I think the pads are original so I'm not sure why he thought they needed to come out. I have two more of those comming in the mail too. The o-rings came in last week. When the front bearings and new stop bolt come in, I'm going to have a party!

 

[st1300r]

Next time you have the rear off make sure it gets moly paste not moly grease on the splines.
A 97 with 16k have any of the fluids been changed?