Most recent Motorbike failure

[Timbone]

So...I am riding to work, cruising along early in the morn across a long bridge that crosses the river. The Moto is zooming, smooth and fast. No traffic. No problems.

Wham. Without a sound, I feel crazy wobble in the rear wheel. Get off the throttle, squeeze the clutch ever and kill the engine. Off to the side of the road, I grab the real wheel and it is as loose as a goose. Something is really wrong. Axle is still bolted tight - I must have broken the axle. It was a poorly lit area and I couldn't see.

I was able to coast off the bridge and back towards home - which is 4 miles away. I got into the light andI gave the rear wheel a good look over. The wheel was tight again and rolling fine. Not a broken axle. So, I began pedaling again and, since everything felt OK, I popped the clutch with the idea of soft riding home. I made it about 200 yards when the rear wheel failed again. I got into a well lighted area and was able to see that the problem was the bearing were loose. Well, actually, they were more than loose: the entire bearing cone on the ride side was shredded. I could see the bearings in there!

I had to walk it home. My job today is to find a new wheel and give her another go.

=Timbone=

 

[butre]

same thing happened to me with a cheap Chinese front hub. I just rode on it until I got a replacement. it was sketchy through turns but stayed true as long as the bike was upright. I could imagine it being worse on a driven wheel.

 

[butre]

by the time I had replaced it the bearings had all fallen out twice, I was replacing them with bb gun ammo which worked well enough to ride on

 

[Timbone]

I've always figured that BB's would make fine ball bearings though I've never used them!

Yes, having a wheel bearing blow at speed is unsettling but, like most things on any kind of bike, things happen so quickly you don't have time to get scared.

I have since procured a NEW wheel and I have already done all the work and have The Moto rolling again. Gave the bike a thorough inspection this even and everything looks good. Back to work on it tomorrow!

Wish I had already snagged a smaller sprocket because this thing wants to run out. Any time I get above 25mph, I have to throttle back because it sounds like it will lean out and rev up forever.

=Timbone=

 

[butre]

I wouldn't call them fine, it was pretty sloppy. they're a few thousandths undersized and not always totally round. it's just good enough to keep you on the road cheap if you hand pick some good ones

 

[HeadSmess]

arent they copper, usually? or just copper clad?

over here...its a jail sentence for owning BB rounds (without a license and bb guns are illegal so how do you get a license anyways?)... nice huh?

yet air rifle slugs are ok...still a sentence, but ok...

3 months for every round of "normal" ammunition if unlicensed... love my country

 

[butre]

they're usually steel, only the more expensive ones are copper clad.

I have about 8000 rounds of real ammo, it's really strange to think that what's perfectly fine and fairly routine here could land me in prison for 2000 years in your country. my sentencing would be closer to the time period that Jesus was supposedly around than the day I would be released.