Kawasaki Concours Forum

The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: kzz1king on April 08, 2019, 07:53:41 PM

Title: Wheel bearing life
Post by: kzz1king on April 08, 2019, 07:53:41 PM
What kind of miles are the C14s getting before bearings are needed? I know I changed my front in my C10 about every other tire. I have close to 60000 on it now.

On another note I am looming for the axle diameters . I want to make a little better center shaft for my  H F changer. The threaded portion of rear is 17.5 mm.
Thanks
Wayne
Title: Re: Wheel bearing life
Post by: lather on April 08, 2019, 08:21:41 PM
My first c14 went 175000 miles never changed wheel bearings.
Title: Re: Wheel bearing life
Post by: lather on April 08, 2019, 08:23:52 PM
Wise men say change wheel bearings when they are bad, not before.
Title: Re: Wheel bearing life
Post by: VirginiaJim on April 09, 2019, 11:17:13 AM
I did mine because I thought that they needed it.  I don't think that they were bad.  I'm thinking it's basically your riding style.  Somewhat more spirited or you are carrying a lot of weight around, could lessen life I suppose.
Title: Re: Wheel bearing life
Post by: gPink on April 09, 2019, 04:17:55 PM
Who you calling fat?  ::)
Title: Re: Wheel bearing life
Post by: maxtog on April 09, 2019, 04:29:52 PM
Who you calling fat?  ::)

If the sandwich fits.... eat it...  :)
Title: Re: Wheel bearing life
Post by: MAN OF BLUES on April 09, 2019, 05:24:09 PM
my take on it is to buy them, good ones, like NTK (don't start that China thing... I ain't buying your diatribe on quality..) and have them with you, in your bags, and when needed... simply do them.
Having replaced wheel bearings many times, (for myself, and others, and sometimes in emergency failures en-route on rides and rallies), I'll just say "replacing a fine bearing, may result in the new bearing failing in much less time, and at an un-opportune time", then just running till it's clearly "needed".

no guarantee on ANY life cycle, of any bearing, when a working one is pulled, and replaced, with another... just like tires.... they all can change ....
Title: Re: Wheel bearing life
Post by: kzz1king on April 09, 2019, 06:03:02 PM
I like this advice. Murphs the place to get them?


my take on it is to buy them, good ones, like NTK (don't start that China thing... I ain't buying your diatribe on quality..) and have them with you, in your bags, and when needed... simply do them.
Having replaced wheel bearings many times, (for myself, and others, and sometimes in emergency failures en-route on rides and rallies), I'll just say "replacing a fine bearing, may result in the new bearing failing in much less time, and at an un-opportune time", then just running till it's clearly "needed".

no guarantee on ANY life cycle, of any bearing, when a working one is pulled, and replaced, with another... just like tires.... they all can change ....
Title: Re: Wheel bearing life
Post by: VirginiaJim on April 10, 2019, 06:15:35 AM
Yes, front and back.  https://murphskits.com
Title: Re: Wheel bearing life
Post by: tjhess74 on April 10, 2019, 08:28:58 PM
The front ones on my 08 went bad prior to 20k miles. The dealer replaced them under warranty (shockingly). With just a hair under 100k, I have a bearing on the back wheel that is starting to squeak. I noticed it was a bit tight the last time I changed tires. I'll get around to it one of these days...
Title: Re: Wheel bearing life
Post by: Rexter on April 13, 2019, 08:11:37 AM
I'll get around to it one of these days...

Here ya go.....

(https://i.ibb.co/2ZMK6qT/7-E349-E2-F-149-C-43-B6-97-D4-1-BA2694263-E2.jpg)
Title: Re: Wheel bearing life
Post by: VirginiaJim on April 13, 2019, 10:38:02 AM
 :thumbs:
Title: Re: Wheel bearing life
Post by: katata1100 on April 15, 2019, 11:43:46 AM
my take on it is to buy them, good ones, like NTK (don't start that China thing... I ain't buying your diatribe on quality..) and have them with you, in your bags, and when needed... simply do them.


Reminds me of an old story. The local european car repair shop is the go to place for Porsche repair. I guy brought in his 911 and needed the wheel bearings replaced. Owner ordered some aftermarket bearings (I think they were sankin), when they came in, owner flipped, said he didn't want any jap made crap on his baby, he wanted genuine Porsche parts. So the owner obliged and got the bearings from Porsche, and they were double the price. When he took the bearing out of the Porsche box, it said Sanken, made in Japan. He showed it to the owner and told him to keep the box as he paid for it!
Title: Re: Wheel bearing life
Post by: kzz1king on April 24, 2019, 06:03:53 AM
Murphs has the seals as extra. Are they generally needed or can the old ones be easily removed and reused?

Wayne
Title: Re: Wheel bearing life
Post by: Freddy on April 24, 2019, 06:39:51 AM
They will be worn to the point of letting water in.  I replace then every second tyre change.
Title: Re: Wheel bearing life
Post by: kzz1king on April 24, 2019, 01:03:56 PM
Are you replacing just the seals every other change or bearings and seals? Thanks
Wayne


They will be worn to the point of letting water in.  I replace then every second tyre change.
Title: Re: Wheel bearing life
Post by: MAN OF BLUES on April 24, 2019, 05:21:33 PM
They will be worn to the point of letting water in.  I replace then every second tyre change.

I can't verify that..
just saying I do pack(smear a finger load) of grease, behind said seal, and that precludes any water ingress to anything behind it.. I only replaced an "outer seal" on one C10 I owned, as a preventative P/M once, as I had a chewed up seal on the speedo gear side, from a stupidly and rapidly found mis install..so I did both.(the seal on the gear side, and also the wheel r/h side) When proper bearings are installed, and a goober of grease is layered over them and outer seal in place, its a hands off, totally sealed thing, and can be cleaned, and reinstalled the same way for the life of the bike.. I do polish and clean the r/h "wheel" spacer o.d., that the seal contacts, every time, and have no issue after that.
Title: Re: Wheel bearing life
Post by: Freddy on April 24, 2019, 06:06:53 PM
Are you replacing just the seals every other change or bearings and seals? Thanks
Wayne

When replacing the seals for the first time I very carefully flip the bearing seal out with a tiny screwdriver, push a fingerful of grease into the ballrace, refit the bearing seal and fit new outer seals.  I've helped friends do this on bikes which have come say 50,000 and there are water stains and slight rust on the bearings outer faces F&R.

With the wheel off, rotate the 'top hat' spacer/sleeve that the seal runs on and check how much tension, if any, the seal has.