Wheel bearing?

Gents,

I plan on replacing the wheel bearings on my ‘73 750 Commando...drums all around. I keep seeing sealed bearings on-line but only bearings for the left front and the two for the rear hub? Where is the “mystery” right front and I’m assuming the rear drum is non existent unless I do some machining or double stacking?

thanks for any clarification...simplified please.

Nate.

Are these they?


And this?

Motown1 said:

I plan on replacing the wheel bearings on my ‘73 750 Commando...drums all around. I keep seeing sealed bearings on-line but only bearings for the left front and the two for the rear hub? Where is the “mystery” right front and I’m assuming the rear drum is non existent unless I do some machining or double stacking?

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The 16mm wide sealed double-row bearing (front and pre-'71rear wheel or '71-on cush drum) is available from Walridge, part 06-7688S...


...or 4203 2RS from bearing suppliers...
Example: https://www.bearingrevolution.co.uk/4203-2rs-61835

...although as the unsealed bearings may have lasted more than 40 years then frankly I don't see any great need to replace them with sealed bearings.

I must say that sealed bearing on several bikes I have owned do not seem to last very long. No doubt some bearings are not
made by the company named on the bearing.

Onder said:

I must say that sealed bearing on several bikes I have owned do not seem to last very long. No doubt some bearings are not
made by the company named on the bearing.

Click to expand...

Non sealed bearings die from foreign material that gets into the races. Sealed bearings die from running in their own wear products. Pick your poison. I prefer non sealed for wheel bearings in our Nortons. As LAB says in Reply #3 above, I see no need to replace non sealed with sealed. The felt washer does a good job of excluding dirt (saturating them with oil makes them a magnet for dirt), but the wear products are guaranteed to be present in the sealed type after sufficient time.

Sealed bearings have their place, but I cannot think of any place on our Nortons that would benefit from them, especially the gearbox!

Slick

Non sealed or sealed bearings, no matter what both need to be maintained, I have replaced all my wheel bearings with sealed, the original bearing had wear in them, I pull my bearing every so many years depends on mileage clean, inspect, repack, on the sealed bearing just have to pull the seals out to do the same, if you want them to last forever then maintenance is very important, but they all do wear over time and depends in the riding conditions as well, wet or dusty conditions then more often maintenance than dry areas.

Ashley

2nd on LAB's comment - Walridge handles sealed double row bearings with the same 4203 dimensions - just installed a set last week in a set of customer's wheels - fit perfect.