Rear wheel bearing fail at 10K, NO warranty?

[JeffK]

Came at a squeaking stop last week, rear wheel bearings desintegrated.
Was it the salt from last winter? I don't know.
But at 10K (kilometres, 6 months) seems a bit early to me, on my other bikes the rear tyre is gone long before the bearing.
I was pretty convinced that it would be covered by my warranty, but the dealer refused, charged full amount and labour.

What is your opinion on this?

[00049 (AKA SopFu)]

You and me both.

I did not ask about the warranty since I didn't notice mine was bad until 2 weeks after the warrantee lapsed (13k miles), but I am pretty convinced there is something wrong with my wheel since the wheel is still not working correctly. The left side bearing keeps slipping out of the wheel, which is visible when on the bike because there is a gap between the cush drive and the wheel. My next step is asking for a schematic of the wheel to see if I am missing any spacers, but I am pretty sure I am not since they appear to be solid through the whole system - at least with the wheel off the bike.

FWIW, bearings should be covered under warranty since they are not a wear item. I've had them replaced on cars under warranty (and that was an autocross car running a good 1/4" toe), and I see no reason why it would be different for motorcycles.

[Richard230]

BMW considers all bearings (and a whole lot of other moving parts) to be "wear items" and not covered by their warranty.  However, dealers have been able to convince them to replace bearings at times on a case-by-case basis. (Which appears to be related to how good a customer you have been in the past.)  On my F650GS the steering bearings notched at 8K miles and after some discussion on my part, my dealer (after speaking with the BMWNA rep) replaced them for free.  This was in spite of many other F650/800 owners with similar problems reporting that they were denied similar warranty service.

I think the question would be were the bearings installed correctly at the factory, were they properly greased when installed, was there a manufacturing error at the wheel hub or bearing retaining parts, etc.?  Issues like these should be covered by the warranty.  On the other hand, dropping the bike into a big mud hole or river (like some BMW riders do with their "adventure" bikes) would likely be a reason to deny wheel bearing claim.   

[thespecialone]

Bearings are indeed considered normal wear items. However, I will raise this topic with the Head of Service on Monday and he will contact you directly JeffK. At the very least we will look into what happened and attempt to determine the underlying cause.  Adrian at Brammo.

[Athlon]

10k is really too early for a bearing failure , normal bearing life is about 50-70k however life may vary with bike type and usage.

Big enduros like Africa Twin , Transalp used on paved road and at low speed (less than 130 kmh)  will have a bearing life very long ( there are some AT with wheel bearing in good condition after more than 150k)
on the other side on sport bike where everithing is tuned for look and lightweight bearing can last way less if used at high speed (more then 250kmh) or on dirt road.

the worst thing for wheel bearing is the so called "Tole ondulee " , you can see a car entering a tole ondulee from  00:12  to 00:16 on this video

[GSX750ES]

my rear wheel bearing is also broken, are there exploded view drawings , so I can fix it?
7000 km

[JeffK]

my rear wheel bearing is also broken, are there exploded view drawings , so I can fix it?
7000 km

I got a spare set from the Lagerboer.

2 x    6006-2RS SKF € 5,50 € 11,00   

You do not really need a drawing, just common sense/experience.
Just take some pics of where the spacers go.
There are two cases reported of incorrect installation of the spacer tube by dealers, both in US and EU, so if there are factory drawings, there might be room for improvement. 
It is better to rely on common sense.

Your nickname suggests you know classic bikes... Bearing replacement on the Brammo will be not much different than with the Suzuki, even less parts, as there are no seals on the Brammo.
 

[GSX750ES]

my rear wheel bearing is also broken, are there exploded view drawings , so I can fix it?
7000 km

I got a spare set from the Lagerboer.

2 x    6006-2RS SKF € 5,50 € 11,00   

You do not really need a drawing, just common sense/experience.
Just take some pics of where the spacers go.
There are two cases reported of incorrect installation of the spacer tube by dealers, both in US and EU, so if there are factory drawings, there might be room for improvement. 
It is better to rely on common sense.

Your nickname suggests you know classic bikes... Bearing replacement on the Brammo will be not much different than with the Suzuki, even less parts, as there are no seals on the Brammo.

Thanks

[Virtually Yours]

Being we're talking about bearings. Somehow I got this notion in my head that it would be possible and worth upgrading to ceramic bearings.

http://www.woodcraft-cfm.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?search=action&category=OOOV

EVs love low rolling resistance stuff and this seems to make sense to me. Combined with lighter wheels, how much range and performance would this increase and is it worth it?

[vtbrammorider]

Being we're talking about bearings. Somehow I got this notion in my head that it would be possible and worth upgrading to ceramic bearings.

http://www.woodcraft-cfm.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?search=action&category=OOOV

EVs love low rolling resistance stuff and this seems to make sense to me. Combined with lighter wheels, how much range and performance would this increase and is it worth it?

Now that would be something I'm interested in.  Anybody talked to Woodcraft yet they'very usually been pretty responsive about our bikes.

[00049 (AKA SopFu)]

Here are the videos I created on the topic:





Good luck!

[kingcharles]

Add me to the rear wheel bearing failures...

I started to hear noises from the back at 14.000 kilometres and thought is was the chain getting old.
But as I did some maintenance on the rear brake this morning (the salt corroded the front and rear brakes badly) I noticed a piece of metal sticking out where the bearing cover should be. This cover was pushed out completely and I think that I have a few bearing balls missing already!!
I filled it up with grease, removed the metal and will ride slowly to the dealer in Amsterdam on Tuesday.

[kingcharles]

Well even though I took it real slow to the dealer, I did not make it there...
Halfway I heard a nasty noise and things started getting bumpy. I guess the remaining balls had escaped.
I came to a stop and called the dealer, they could not pick up the bike but I also have roadside assistance and they came within 10 minutes and replaced the broken bearing on the spot!

Great service!

[Shinysideup]

Now THAT's great service!
Nice rear stand too.

[JeffK]

Since the day my bearings failed (at 10K km)I always have an extra set at hand.