Front End

[AlanB]

Hi Getty,

Best of luck with the bearings, but it sounds like the wheel is bent.

They are very strong, but I have seen a few damaged ones.

AlanB

[Getty]

Front Wheel Assembly

Right side looks complete.

Left side is strange.

Axle Spacer has something (Spacer Flange?) Stuck onto it. In the freezer in case I have to take it off. Should it be stuck there? It was on the Left side. At first I thought it was supposed to be for the right side bearing. No clue on this one guys.

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http://www.photodump.com/Anonymous/IMG_0900.html

[Getty]

YO Alan,

That's what Im worried about. But, there are lots of wheels on ebay. $50 + $25 Shipping. Not bad to solve a problem.

Replace those bearings and rear shocks. If that doesnt fix it... Then ebay/junkyard is worth the money. The bike is awesome. So I dont mind spending a few bucks. Better than a monthly payment.

[AlanB]

Hi Getty,

The spacer/flange thing on the bearing spacer is just to stop the spacer dropping to the bottom when the spindle is not through the middle of it..............

It is installed off to one end so that you can push the spacer across to allow you to knock one wheel bearing out of the wheel.

Don't worry; It is meant to be like that!

If you need to replace the wheel, lok out for a late one; they are lighter, and take tubeless tires.

AlanB

[Getty]

Good to know its supposed to be like that! It did make it easy to nock bearings off. Took me a little bit to realize... Thats just me though.

Im pretty sure the tire on it is tubeless. Metzler ME880 Marathon Tubeless. And what is up with the right bearing missing the metal seal? Can this be a different wheel? Not a Special? Or, just screwed up?

Went to the hardware store and got the right bolts. The diamond seat is comfy. Hard to say untill I drive it for an hour or more.

[AlanB]

Hi Getty,

The grease in the R/H bearing looks fairly fresh; I would guess the the PO pulled the seal to get some fresh grease in.

He would not have done that unless he was sure he had a bearing problem......

If you are already tubeless, then watch out for early wheels on e-bay; they are NOT tubeless!!

AlanB

[Getty]

Well then... Looks like things are looking bright!

After eating and amazing dinner with my wife. Then enjoying a brisk walk with my dog (Koda). I inspected those bearings. The one with grease is good. The other has play from left to right. If I was an expert... extrapolate the angle that the bearing leans into... That would be a little more than the angle I measured from the furthest aluminum circle on the rim. That being said... One bad bearing and one good bearing = crap.

That diamond seat is looking good right now. Sitting on it feels awesome. That old banana seat is for sale. It's going on ebay soon. To bad I ordered those 460 pound shocks. Some day I will step up into something real. Just a dream away.

[AlanB]

Hi Getty,

bearings are real cheap from a bearing supply shop, expensive from a bike shop...... Replace 'em both.

There will be numbers on the side which are universal; not "bike" part numbers. you want the type with seals on both sides; I prefer the rubber seals, marked as "2RS"

AlanB

[Getty]

Good to know. Thanks Alan. While falling asleep a began think about the wheel wobble. If the bearings were at fualt then the rotors would have wobbled as well. I will put the bearings in and test it out. Vibrations were really not that bad. Im hoping this beast doesnt need a wheel.

[DiverRay]

I have a spare tube type wheel from a '79 if you need one. Bearings ARE fairly new, as I replaced them before I found a tubeless rim to replace it. Send me a pm if you need it, and we can talk.

[fredintoon]

wheel source

Hi Getty,
it takes a bearing expert to tell the difference between a good bearing and a bad one. If you can feel any shake in it at all the bearing is no good for sure. Buy two new ones. I doubt that a cast wheel that is bent enough to see the wobble with your pencil method can be successfully straightened. The good news is that the same 7-spoke 19" cast front wheel is used on the XS650 (for sure, I'm running one right now) and most likely on the XS750 & XS850 as on the XS11 so there should be lots of them around. I have successfully run tubeless tires on cast Yamaha wheels that were NOT marked "OK for tubeless" nor was there any difference in the rim configuration that I could see. Note that the "OK for tubeless" legend is stamped into the wheel while all the rest of the writing is in raised cast letters. I reckon they stamped it on later to stop folks asking them about it. YMMV though.

[fredintoon]

Hi Ray,
you said:- "I have a spare tube type wheel from a '79 if you need one. Bearings ARE fairly new, as I replaced them before I found a tubeless rim to replace it."
Did you try a tubeless tire on that unstamped rim? And if so, what happened? I did good doing that but I wondered what others who tried it had found.

[DiverRay]

Fred,
I've been a Yamaha mechanic in a "previous life", and would not even THINK of putting a tire WITHOUT a tube on the rim. You can run a tubeless tire on it, I just make sure there is a tube in there as well. But them, my cruise speed "over the mountain" to work every day DOES include a three digit reading on the speedometer.

[fredintoon]

Urban legend?

Hi Ray,
so, you never tried to run a tubeless tire on a cast rim that did NOT say "tubeless" on it?
What I hear is that tube type tires lack a final airtight inner coating to ensure the tire itself don't leak so the mfrs insist you use tubes in them even if they are fitted on tubeless rims. Also, some BMW cast wheels were (very rarely) cast porous so they leaked through the metal and for those a tube should be fitted even in a tubeless tire.
In the specific case of Yamaha XS series cast wheels I can see no visible difference between the rim configuration of the wheels stamped "suitable for tubeless tires" and the wheels that are not so stamped.
Thus I have fitted tubeless tires (without tubes in them) on unstamped wheels and they have worked on my bikes with no problem.
So, have I been sliding down the razorblade of life in doing this or has the danger of doing so been greatly exaggerated?

[DiverRay]

Fred, I KNOW you don't travel at the speeds I normally do. For your riding, you CAN do as you have been. For MY style, I try and stack the deck in my favor...