Check those swingarm bearings regularly!!

[gmoss357]

and all the others as well. replace or grease them regularly. Otherwise, you can end up like me. I have never really heard about folks having issue with them or replacing them regularly, but I guess I should know better. I have never felt any notchiness or anything odd either. I doubt they have ever been replaced.

I have learned the hard way, and expensive way. Looks like a new swingarm is in order. On the left side of the hole, the lip is gone, what you see is the needle bearing cage, the rollers have disintegrated and the bushing has worn into the swingarm due to load. the hole is now oval...

[wolfpacker]

GMoss

Looks like one that came off Jared's bike a while back! Did the same thing, just kind of started looking at it one day and the more I tore into it, the worse it got! Lucky for us, I found a swingarm on KTMTalk with pretty new bearings (even Heim joint!) as well a decent chain slider and lower chain guide for $40! Just keep your eyes open!

[Ttoks]

i recently had a similar situation with a mates CR 125, there should be another small lip on the inside of the swing arm for each bearing race (are these blind holes? the ones on my amtes CR 125 were blind holes), find a socket that snugly fits inside the swingarm hole, i actually had to machine up a little dowl on the lathe, and slide it in, clamp the swing arm down hard to a bench or in a vice and using a long breaker bar or something through the other side of the swing arm give the sicket/dowl a few good solid whack, if that fails get a heat gun or a small LPG touch and heat the aluminium, it's not to critical if the race get's hot as well since the aluminium will expand more then the steel race.

as a last resort if you still cant get it out, take it to a welding shop and get them to run about half an inch of weld on the bearing race with a 2.5mm arc welding rod, that will shrink the bearing race and should then just slide out once it cools.

may or may not work, i supose you'll find out, as long as the aluminium where the races seat into isnt damaged the swing arm can still be used.

[gmoss357]

the race is worn thru on the left side of the hole, into the swingarm. The races are just about cold welded to the aluminum. The needle bearings chewed up the aluminum betweend the bushing cup and seal. The bushing cup on that side is all chewed up and worn.

The hole on that side is oblong now. Without a build up of weld and machining, it's not fixable or usable in this state. I bet it will be cheaper to buy another swingarm.

getting that inner sleeve out, in the pic, was not easy.

[Ttoks]

the race is worn thru on the left side of the hole, into the swingarm. The races are just about cold welded to the aluminum. The needle bearings chewed up the aluminum betweend the bushing cup and seal. The bushing cup on that side is all chewed up and worn.

The hole on that side is oblong now. Without a build up of weld and machining, it's not fixable or usable in this state. I bet it will be cheaper to buy another swingarm.

getting that inner sleeve out, in the pic, was not easy.

you could always see if you can get a rollor bearing with the same internal measurment as the old ones, but with a slightly larger external measuement (slightly larger rollors), and if so just the the hole machined slightly larger, i don't know what a swing arm's worth but i can't see it being cheep.

[gmoss357]

you could always see if you can get a rollor bearing with the same internal measurment as the old ones, but with a slightly larger external measuement (slightly larger rollors), and if so just the the hole machined slightly larger, i don't know what a swing arm's worth but i can't see it being cheep.

may be cheaper than having this one machined back to spec...

the bearing races were all that was left of the bearings, no needles, no cages.

[Hedo]

Dude that Sucks!

Everyone pay attention to this. Bike maintenance is not just changing the oil, the wheel bearings and cleaning the air filter. you gotta check the other stuff too!

How much would it cost to take the bike down once a year and replace all the bearings? wheel, swing arm, shock, steering head?

[TommyB 754]

I've had to replace them as often as twice a season.

[Mike in Fresno]

G, I know you got the bike used. Did you ever check them since you got it? Since you got it have you been doing lots of water crossings and do you use a power washer in that area to blast it clean? Just want to know so I can store that in my memory banks.

[gmoss357]

G, I know you got the bike used. Did you ever check them since you got it? Since you got it have you been doing lots of water crossings and do you use a power washer in that area to blast it clean? Just want to know so I can store that in my memory banks.

ya know, I should know better, but, it's one of those things I just never put any thought to. Never heard of anyone having issues and have read a few times of folks not having to change them. Guess I just didn't think about it. That's why I wanted to make everyone, especially those new to these bikes aware.

No, I never checked and they likely have never been replaced. The bearings and cage were completely chewed up and gone. I have always used an electric pressure washer, but try to never to point it directly at the bearing seals. I don't do deep water crossings, but we do encounter quite a bit of wet conditions in the winter.

This is going to become a part of my normal routine. At least once a year replacement, and once a quarter or so pull and regrease.

My whole rear end had become loose, wheel, heim, and swingarm.

Thing is, it's so easy to pull the swingarm and check these regularly, no harder than pulling the wheel.

So guys, take heed and check those bearings!!

[JaysDirtyRide]

Yikes and Holy Cripes!

What a mess mossy.

Now I'm nervous...I'm gonna check them out during the August break in the race season.

RU coming to Yadkinville on Sunday? The weather is supposed to be in the upper 80's and sunny. Should be excellent!

-Jay

[MrBlahh]

I've had to replace them as often as twice a season.

why? please explain why you are replacing them twice a year, instead of repacking them

the needles will fall out of brand new bearings, I'm not sure everyone understands that

[gmoss357]

Jay, I won't be coming to the race. not spending the time and gas to drive 90 miles each way just to watch. lol

a very good friend and mechanic said he may be able to salvage the swingarm. He is taking it to work to press the old races out, clean it up and see what I am dealing with. if it works, I will be pleased and owe him a few cold ones.

[jfgjr]

why? please explain why you are replacing them twice a year, instead of repacking them

the needles will fall out of brand new bearings, I'm not sure everyone understands that

Good point on them being loose. Only the grease holds them in the race. I learned this the hard way. Then again I am not famous for being overly bright:banghead:

[MrBlahh]

I still want to know why he replaced them twice in a season, the only way to get them to rust/pit that fast is to leave them in salt water the whole time