Sealed bearings - service life

[rmarshall234]

Anyone have any first-hand knowledge of how long I can expect my sealed wheel bearings and swing arm bearings to last on my 06 883 Sporty? The manual recommends a 30K mile replacement for the swing arm bearings and doesn't address the wheel bearing life. I'm doing my 30K inspection/service now and am planning on replacing these components "on condition" anyway, just wondering if anyone has replaced these parts due to time and wear. I'm only 165 lbs and almost always ride solo under "good" riding conditions here in So.Cal., i.e. minimal dust and rain.

Thanks!

 

[Terry Jackson]

I can't speak from a service standpoint, but since I do work for a bearing mfgr, and one that makes bearings in these sizes, I can tell you ther are minimum standards. Most well exceed these, but some just meet them. From a durability standpoint, they could last 30K miles or 3 million miles. It just depends on the individual bearing, how clean is is before grease & seal (or shield), handling, and installation. Just dropping a bearing can cause spalling, and you won't know it except for pre-mature failure. Meaning, if the person installing the bearing at the factory drops it, & picks up back up & installs it, he just installed a latent defect caused by handling.

Maybe some else here can speak about wear from experience, especially someone who services them.