Maybe, but they were still fine in the Wing after 8 years/75k miles: I only changed them because I asked here if it was worth doing while I had the forks out. Fecking nightmare ever since. -- | ___ Salad Dodger |/ \ _/_____\_ GL1500SEV/CBR1100XXX/CBX1000Z |_\_____/_| ..79553../..21469.../..31308. (>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 WG* |__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 PM#5 \ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4 \|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4 YTC#4 two#11 '^' RBR'06 Points: 75 Miles: 317
10 quid or so extra is bearable and Honda will probably be using Toyo bearings, but 50 quid is taking the piss.
Depends a lot on road conditions. My steering head bearings used to last for utterly ages, but sometimes they don't[1]. My mileage since coming here has plummeted, but on the UK motorways and roads a set of head bearings was lasting 60 to 100k. The state of Irish roads has probably slashed that to 10k. [1] Best one was a recently fitted set of head bearings was notched by plunging down a pothole in Hounslow, accompanied by a loud '****!' which got some old biddy staring daggers at me from the pavement.
They can be, for non-standard stuff. Standard fitments are usually cheaper from them though, especially if you take the Volvo example[1]. M&P obviously stock the more demanded odd-fit stuff relevant to bikes, BSL would have no need to, unless loads of people started to ask for them. Another thing to bear in mind though, is that bearings are made to different tolerances depending on who's specifying them. Toyo are the best, exceeding SKF and all of the others. [1]First Volvo I had, a 144 estate, needed a propshaft bearing. Something like 30quid with a nice Volvo box - a tenner from the local bearing stockist for exactly the same bearing from the same maker - SKF.
Given the roads round here, and the fact that this appears to have a single notch bang in the middle, this sounds *very* likley -- Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3 Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply) Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 TS 156 TS S2 Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk
The muttering was at having to change them after less than 25K miles. I used standard cheap SKF bearings from a local engineering supplies firm. Sorted.
ChrisDC said... The sprocket carrier bearing on the Bandit recently failed, after 57K miles. I have a replacement bought from a bearing suppliers for 4 quid.
