Warped Router/Bearings

[foggyhelmet]

There is an extremely microscopic warping on the front rotor. On decel, you can hear a single gentle 'clunk' every rotation. Hasn't affected performance or gas mileage. That being said, we clearly don't want to have it metastasize this Summer.

How would a gently warped rotor damage ball bearings in the wheel system? Would it at all?

What do the bearings specifically do for the front wheel of a PCX?

[honkerman]

A warped rotor is more likely to do damage to your brake pads and calipers than it is to your bearings. It's not connected to the bearings, so it would have to be really bad to cause any real damage there. Now, that said, you don't want to screw up your brake caliper either, nor the pads (though there's a fair chance that if the rotor's messed up, the pads are too.

[gn2]

You need to check the wheel bearings because worn bearings can warp the rotor.
But a warped rotor does not always mean worn bearings, they can warp from excessive heat caused by sticky caliper disease.
The rotor may not actually be warped at all, there is a certain permissible run-out which someone with a service manual might look up....?
So check: pads, caliper, rotor, bearings.

[honkerman]

What do the bearings specifically do for the front wheel of a PCX?

GN2 hit the question from the opposite side,it is good to check all four aspects as he suggests, and there is a small tolerance for some light warping. If I had my new service manual I'd tell you what it is, but it's still on it's way from eBay.

As to your little question here that I missed. Bearings primarily allow an axle (be it a camshaft, wheel axle, steering stem, crankshaft or whatever), to move in a stationary support without producing as much friction as the contact would cause with a direct metal on metal contact. Bearings generally must be lubricated and the lubrication will vary depending on the location of the bearing. There are also different types of bearings in motorcycles: Ball, Roller, tapered roller (generally in steering stems), needle, and plain (Babbit) bearings. You won't see sleeve bearings as far as I know, though Babbit bearings are like a half sleeve bearing.

Suffice it to say, properly lubricated bearings allow for the connection of a rod and the support for that rod without causing massive amounts of friction and heat.

[foggyhelmet]

You need to check the wheel bearings because worn bearings can warp the rotor.
But a warped rotor does not always mean worn bearings, they can warp from excessive heat caused by sticky caliper disease.
The rotor may not actually be warped at all, there is a certain permissible run-out which someone with a service manual might look up....?
So check: pads, caliper, rotor, bearings.

Seems basic now that you say it -bearings have not been serviced since purchase. Thanks!

[foggyhelmet]

What do the bearings specifically do for the front wheel of a PCX?

GN2 hit the question from the opposite side,it is good to check all four aspects as he suggests, and there is a small tolerance for some light warping. If I had my new service manual I'd tell you what it is, but it's still on it's way from eBay.

As to your little question here that I missed. Bearings primarily allow an axle (be it a camshaft, wheel axle, steering stem, crankshaft or whatever), to move in a stationary support without producing as much friction as the contact would cause with a direct metal on metal contact. Bearings generally must be lubricated and the lubrication will vary depending on the location of the bearing. There are also different types of bearings in motorcycles: Ball, Roller, tapered roller (generally in steering stems), needle, and plain (Babbit) bearings. You won't see sleeve bearings as far as I know, though Babbit bearings are like a half sleeve bearing.

Suffice it to say, properly lubricated bearings allow for the connection of a rod and the support for that rod without causing massive amounts of friction and heat.

Makes sense. I spend so much time gearing up and down for the abrupt temperature changes here in Colorado that I haven't kept my eye on the ball bearing.

[honkerman]

What do the bearings specifically do for the front wheel of a PCX?

GN2 hit the question from the opposite side,it is good to check all four aspects as he suggests, and there is a small tolerance for some light warping. If I had my new service manual I'd tell you what it is, but it's still on it's way from eBay.

As to your little question here that I missed. Bearings primarily allow an axle (be it a camshaft, wheel axle, steering stem, crankshaft or whatever), to move in a stationary support without producing as much friction as the contact would cause with a direct metal on metal contact. Bearings generally must be lubricated and the lubrication will vary depending on the location of the bearing. There are also different types of bearings in motorcycles: Ball, Roller, tapered roller (generally in steering stems), needle, and plain (Babbit) bearings. You won't see sleeve bearings as far as I know, though Babbit bearings are like a half sleeve bearing.

Suffice it to say, properly lubricated bearings allow for the connection of a rod and the support for that rod without causing massive amounts of friction and heat.

Makes sense. I spend so much time gearing up and down for the abrupt temperature changes here in Colorado that I haven't kept my eye on the ball bearing.

It would be helpful to know the year of your machine, how long you've had it, etc (you can add that info to your profile). The grease on bearings that are out in semi exposed places, like axles and steering stems, can become contaminated or just turn into paste over time. The seals can also crack and allow contaminants in. It is good to inspect them.

[montliz44]

This caught my attention because of the discussion of the front wheel bearings, which sent me out to my Honda service manual to see if I was mistaken. As I suspected, the service manual shows no maintenance schedule at all for wheel bearings. That would be because they're surely sealed and not designed to be serviced. The manual has a page on how to replace them if they're damaged or otherwise ruined, but there's no mention of service or even inspection of them. This type of bearing is usually designed to be weather-proof and dust-and-dirt proof, and normally will last for tens of thousands of miles and years of service before replacement.

Interestingly, the manual does show service and inspection schedules for the steering head bearings, which are not sealed and are recommended to be inspected at every oil change. Here I assume they mean inspecting them by physically checking for play or looseness, not disassembling the steering head to look at the actual bearings. It's unlikely that those are the problem, anyway.

I'd say ask your local Honda service manager about it before you worry too much about the wheel bearings. I doubt they're causing any problems at this point. The rotors are another matter. They can get dinged or warped fairly easily, and then you have to decide whether the problem is just annoying or something more destructive and unsafe. There's only one disc to replace and it's easy enough to do if you decide to go that route.

Johnny

[honkerman]

This caught my attention because of the discussion of the front wheel bearings, which sent me out to my Honda service manual to see if I was mistaken. As I suspected, the service manual shows no maintenance schedule at all for wheel bearings. That would be because they're surely sealed and not designed to be serviced. The manual has a page on how to replace them if they're damaged or otherwise ruined, but there's no mention of service or even inspection of them. This type of bearing is usually designed to be weather-proof and dust-and-dirt proof, and normally will last for tens of thousands of miles and years of service before replacement.

Interestingly, the manual does show service and inspection schedules for the steering head bearings, which are not sealed and are recommended to be inspected at every oil change. Here I assume they mean inspecting them by physically checking for play or looseness, not disassembling the steering head to look at the actual bearings. It's unlikely that those are the problem, anyway.

I'd say ask your local Honda service manager about it before you worry too much about the wheel bearings. I doubt they're causing any problems at this point. The rotors are another matter. They can get dinged or warped fairly easily, and then you have to decide whether the problem is just annoying or something more destructive and unsafe. There's only one disc to replace and it's easy enough to do if you decide to go that route.

Johnny

Right, the manual should not say anything about servicing, nor would you service a sealed bearing; however, the bearings should still be checked and inspected. There's tons of videos on how to do that. If there is visible damage to the seals, lateral movement, clunkiness, etc, replacing the wheel bearing is recommended.

[foggyhelmet]

2013 PCX-150, 1st winter wasn't anything. Then, 2 winters with plenty of road salt and fluctuating temps.

Thing about the saids and unsaids of checking and maintenance -from a newbie's perspective, we may not be thinking of what may turn into a real problem very quickly if it's an unsaid check. I'd love a manual that would be written from the perspective of behaviors and negligence in checking that would have irreversible consequences in the near AND distant future. Especially since our two-wheeled friends are of that very nature and can turn on us quickly.

If I bought the thing to save money, and the red flag of the bearings check doesn't pop up until it's damaged....I could have used an inspection chart that details things to keep an eye on depending on climate. We all know to keep the corrosive road salt clear of our undercarriages here in Colorado, but I personally had no idea what a ball bearing did mechanically.

Ain't anyone's fault, just thinking there is another class that they should force you to take before you get your license in Colorado. Question #99, "Why would you check your semi-exposed bearings?" and you don't get a license unless you can answer that.

Because, someone who is even less inquisitive than I, will be riding out on the highway and those bearings are going to cause a scene.

[foggyhelmet]

Oh, and btw, road salt or not the PCX runs beautifully up here. Honda could stand to sell a version of the PCX for individual driving climates though.

On the high plains we need fully sealed components, mandatory heated handlebars, emergency skis, and about 25 more cc's to combat the stubborn winds.

[honkerman]

Oh, and btw, road salt or not the PCX runs beautifully up here. Honda could stand to sell a version of the PCX for individual driving climates though.

On the high plains we need fully sealed components, mandatory heated handlebars, emergency skis, and about 25 more cc's to combat the stubborn winds.

There is a company that caters to all weather riders. You may have heard of them. They're called BMW.

[honkerman]

2013 PCX-150, 1st winter wasn't anything. Then, 2 winters with plenty of road salt and fluctuating temps.

Thing about the saids and unsaids of checking and maintenance -from a newbie's perspective, we may not be thinking of what may turn into a real problem very quickly if it's an unsaid check. I'd love a manual that would be written from the perspective of behaviors and negligence in checking that would have irreversible consequences in the near AND distant future. Especially since our two-wheeled friends are of that very nature and can turn on us quickly.

...

Because, someone who is even less inquisitive than I, will be riding out on the highway and those bearings are going to cause a scene.

This is where a good mechanic comes in, and why keeping to a regular service schedule as per the owner's manual is so important. Per the PCX manual, the wheels and tires should be checked every 2500 miles, and the steering head bearing should be checked at 7500 miles. Part of checking the wheels is checking the wheel bearings. It's one of those things you learn and pick up as you go along.

Unfortunately, a lot of people look at bikes the same way they do their cars. They don't bother to fix anything until it breaks and often don't even know that something is wrong because they aren't mechanically inclined. In a car, if something important breaks and a wheel falls off at 80 mph, you might survive...on a bike, you'd have to be very lucky.

So really, the best bet is, educate yourself (as you are doing, bravo!), have a good bike mechanic to fall back on, and definitely check things on your bike regularly. Truth be told, and few do this, you should always do a quick pre-flight check before every ride, just to be safe.

[you you]

Oh, and btw, road salt or not the PCX runs beautifully up here. Honda could stand to sell a version of the PCX for individual driving climates though.

On the high plains we need fully sealed components, mandatory heated handlebars, emergency skis, and about 25 more cc's to combat the stubborn winds.

There is a company that caters to all weather riders. You may have heard of them. They're called BMW.

KTM might argue about that.


But what do they know