ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: JaimeC on July 07, 2017, 07:57:24 PM
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Approaching 12,000 miles and there seems to be a developing vibration that comes and goes when I'm riding (depending on speed). Wondering if my wheel bearings need replacement already? Sure hope it isn't the MOTOR...
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I sometimes feel the same thing when leaned over, but it comes and goes, so I don't think it is bearings or the motor. Perhaps some sort of vibration caused by a slightly worn or improperly tensioned belt or maybe from the tire tread. ???
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I sometimes feel the same thing when leaned over, but it comes and goes, so I don't think it is bearings or the motor. Perhaps some sort of vibration caused by a slightly worn or improperly tensioned belt or maybe from the tire tread. ???
I also feel the vibration like this. I'm hoping it's just the sides of the tires grabbing for traction
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To be clear, JaimeC and DPsSRnSD have 2016 bikes with the more robust bearings (whose lifetime hasn't been established, but my 2016 DSR bearings are okay at 22k miles), and Richard230 has a 2014 SR with the older bearings that have a relatively short lifetime (often under 10k miles).
Bearing noises tend to be very noticeable on a Zero, so that'll help shed light on this when/if it happens for anyone here.
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I will double-check the rear-wheel alignment. May not be "perfect" after my last belt adjustment. Thanks, Brian.
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I will double-check the rear-wheel alignment. May not be "perfect" after my last belt adjustment. Thanks, Brian.
Sure. Come to think of it, is the speed a definite amount, like a band where something resonates? That would seem to point more to the alignment, I'm guessing.
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I have close to 40,000 miles on my 2015 and original Zero bearings and no noise or vibration at all and I have a heavy very loaded down bike all the time.
My 2012 bearings first failed at 18,000 miles with mostly the stock weight, and then about 15,000 miles after that when the bike was much heavier.
Because of the streamlining, my highway throttle usage was so little that the back tire would last about 20,000 miles. But the bearings would fail sooner than the tire. So I never had to get a new tire put on, I just got a new tire with a new wheel (and bearings) about 4 times over the next 2 years until the Vetter bike sort of retired in 2015.
So those with a 2014 or earlier bike, check the bearings frequently if you have 20,000 miles or more. Those with a 2015 or newer bike, I have yet to see one fail. Hoping for a 50,000 mile or more useful life out of the new generation wheels.
Not to say it isn't possible sooner than 50k, just it should be on par with the averages of other motorcycles. there is probably a bell curve where most average 50k miles, and some will go sooner and some will last longer. If anyone with a 2015 and up has had a bearing failure let us know so we know where the early part of the bell curve begins.
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I added some guidance to the unofficial manual:
http://zeromanual.com/index.php/Unofficial_Service_Manual#Rear_Bearings (http://zeromanual.com/index.php/Unofficial_Service_Manual#Rear_Bearings)
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I came on here looking to see if anyone else was having an issue like this. My bike has developed a vibration when I'm leaning over. Could this be bearings? I have a 2015 SR with only 3000 miles.
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I came on here looking to see if anyone else was having an issue like this. My bike has developed a vibration when I'm leaning over. Could this be bearings? I have a 2015 SR with only 3000 miles.
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It's possible, but I'd say tire cupping is more likely. But to check the bearing just jack the bike up and try to wiggle the wheel on the axle. It shouldn't move at all. If it moves side to side at all take it to the dealer for closer inspection, but at 3000 miles it seems unlikely.
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Thanks Terry!
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As Brian had mentioned, mine appears to be "Speed Related." There is a harmonic vibration that comes and goes depending on the speed I'm traveling. Doesn't matter if I'm strictly vertical or leaned over.
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Yeah, definitely check the alignment.
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I realized this weekend that something else to check for is gunk stuck in the rear sprocket. It makes getting a consistent reading for belt tension difficult.
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Yeah, definitely check the alignment.
I think I need a more accurate method than the markings on the swingarm because they sure SEEM to be the same on each side.
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I had the same problem on my last scooter, it was the tires out of balance (the were worn down which emphasized the problem). When I got new tires the problem disappeared.
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Approaching 12,000 miles and there seems to be a developing vibration that comes and goes when I'm riding (depending on speed). Wondering if my wheel bearings need replacement already? Sure hope it isn't the MOTOR...
Just got my '14SR back from 18k mile service, and all wheel & steering head bearings were in need of replacement. Weird thing was the rear wheel taking 3 bearings! Yikes!
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18k miles only! chocolate bearings... >:(
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My daughter's 1981 BMW R65LS still has the same wheel, steering and swingarm bearings that it did when it was built at the factory and they have never been greased or serviced after 110,000 miles of riding. BMW used quality bearings and grease back in those days. (I might add that it is common for many motorcycles to use three bearings in the rear wheel.)
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My daughter's 1981 BMW R65LS still has the same wheel, steering and swingarm bearings that it did when it was built at the factory and they have never been greased or serviced after 110,000 miles of riding. BMW used quality bearings and grease back in those days. (I might add that it is common for many motorcycles to use three bearings in the rear wheel.)
Sadly, BMW seems to have forgotten how to make quality rear wheel bearings. My 1999 K1200LT is on it's THIRD bearing. The first failed in less than three years (about 40,000 miles). Since it was a common failure for that model and it was less than three years it was repaired under warranty. The replacement bearing lasted four times longer and it was replaced a few years ago.
My 2013 C650GT had a rear-wheel bearing failure that left me stranded three hundred miles from home after barely 6,000 miles. Fixed under warranty but I still had to pay for transportation to get home, and then go pick it up after it was repaired. BMW gave up on their formerly famous reliability to chase after the Japanese in an ever-changing market place and their quality has suffered (they've been at or near the bottom of Consumer Reports reliability rankings for several consecutive years). Their latest fiasco involves the front forks of their most popular model (the R1200GS).