[quote=Gz Rider]
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Originally Posted by "Water Warrior":36z7x0kp
Ah yes, the old spacer trick. Almost found out the hard way one day. After re-installing the wheel with a spacer in backwards I noticed an irregular noise and could feel it getting worse. It is called bearing failure at 120 kph. Pulled into a nearby dealer and left the bike. No where near home so a hotel was on the to do list. Next morning the bike was repaired with new bearings and the spacers put in as they were found. HUH. Luckily I noticed this and corrected the situation before any damage was done. Just the idea of a wheel locking up at any speed makes my blood run cold.
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Correct me if I'm wrong but even if the bearing locked up completely, the wheel would continue to spin on the actual axle. The axle is just a large bolt going through the whole wheel. I touches the bearings but is not locked to them. Normally it appears the bearings do not slide against the axle because the friction would be too great and the friction in the bearing itself is less so the bearings turn instead.
If the bearings locked up, I would think you would get a much different scraping sound from the wheel with the locked up bearing. If that is not dealt with in short order, I would think damage to the axle would start to create a dangerous situation. That's why they tell you if you hear new/different sounds from the bike, take it in for service.[/quote:36z7x0kp]
The axle bearing and sprocket bearing(both on left side) were replaced. The sprocket bearing was generating the noise and jerky feeling. Left unchecked I would imagine both bearings would eventually weld themselves solid and create a deadly situation. As for the axle bearing spinning on the axle, yes it would for a while until that welded solid too.
With the spacer installed backwards the axle bearing doesn't just support the load but is also forced to accept a tremedous sideload when the axle is tightened up. The sprocket bearing suffers the same unwanted load but gives up earlier due to a less robust design and mechanical purpose.
I am by no means a mechanic and was truly mystified by the noise and feeling at 120 kph. After stopping safely and spinning the wheel with the bike on the cenerstand I was in more of a quandry. Luckily there was a dealer 4 blocks away and I successfully chanced a short ride at low speed. The actual repair was about $100 and a lesson learned without bloodshed. My Guardian Angel was working and I thank her.
As a preventative measure against breakdown I now replace bearings with every tire change. Every 25,000 kms is a lot of spinning for small bearings. Peace of mind is priceless and doesn't hurt.