Anyone had swining arm bearings fail?

[Neosophist]

Was riding around on the ZXR today making sure everything is ok as i'm getting it all back to factory original spec as it might be sold soon.

Anyway... come around a bend and i hear a creak, from then on the rear was very slide-happy all the way home, I just put it down to a cool day / cool tyres but i noticed at lower speeds I could hear a creaking which sounded like rattling pads.

Replaced the pad pins this morning but it was still doing it, tried all the bearings the other day, front / rear wheel etc.

Thought to myself 'ill just check the swining-arm' and theres about 1/4" play in it! I'm guessing it broke a bearing the other day which also explains why the rears so slide happy.

Fortuantly i've got a spare swining arm with good new-ish bearings in there and im just about to strip it down and swap it over (will take some photos while i do it)

Never had swining bearings suddenly go before, all I can think is that theyve gone rusty and one has just bit the dust! Anyone else had anythign similar happen.

[cargo]

yes

[masterofinsanity]

thanks for sharing your experiences with us Cargo

[Tirpitz]

Perhaps it was that traumatic he doesn't want to dwell on it? At the speeds he flies round it might be a trouser filler

Suspension linkages are probably the most neglected bits of any sportsbike, and more so on those without centre stands. They are rarely stripped and regreased so they get wrecked. On my list of things to do next winter, new jack to enable the work has just been ordered ready

[Neosophist]

Well it's all done and back together.

I took plenty of pictures and will do a mini-write up on it!

I had a spare-swining arm which i knew had had new bearings (according to the prev-owner) but it had only had two needle rollers.. the one side was knackered, but using those two I only had to buy 2 more bearings.

My original swining arm must have been on its way out for a while, all 4 bearings were totally siezed solid but the roller bearing had broke a bearing which was causing the play and creaking on the bike.

Sikly smooth now though

Ironically the shock linkage on both my bike and the spare swining arm were pefect, full of clean grease and all roll like new.

Jobs a good'un

[cargo]

Thats what I did just chucked a fresh (ish) swinging arm at it more trouble than it was worth try to dig out old broken bearings...............it was two days before a race too.

I sort out the one with the broken bearings one day but for now it collects dust