Well today on my way home from work I noticed a slight click when coming to a stop, rocked the bike back and forth to replicate it I wasn't able to. So I figured eh maybe just some thing on the road what ever, so I got on the highway and every thing was fine up until I was getting off my exit and I started to get a speed wobble in the rear around 60mph so I pulled off the road and checked the rear swim arm bolts and the rear wheel for free play side to side and top to bottom there was none. So I though oh my rear break is finally showing it true issue, I get no more than a mile up the road before the back wheel grinding to a halt and the bike not being able to move under it's own power!


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As you can see the caliper apparently was the stopping force, I worked over night so I'll be tearing into it in a few hours to see the real carnage


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Yikes, that is a bad day!

... gonna' stay tuned - learn from others so I don't have to learn myself the hard way...



- Bboy

I vote bearing.

Water in brake fluid. Need to bleed, clean and make sure its dry dry dry ... one of em 5 min bleed jobs wont do. Dont worry about the air getting in the system ... you've got water, far worse. So get everything clean and dry. I take it apart and use carb cleaner.

Happened to my vulcan before. Brakes pads drag and warm the fluid. A fluid with water starts boiling and that increases the drag and that heats more and that boils more and that drags more and ....

Cool.
Buddha.

Sorry I though I was more clear, with ou a doubt in my mind my wheel bearings are shot. The wheel will move any way I want it to. I though I had a bad aster cylinder because I kept Losing pressure, this was caused by the rotor pulsing, thus making the piston retract


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Make sure spacer #9 is in there under the cush bearing, it was left out on mine once when  I was getting a tire mounted and balanced.  Can fall out and go hide when you pull  the cush drive.  Wheel bearings will be badly overloaded without that spacer.

http://www.shspowersports.com/fiche_image_popup.asp?fveh=7247&section=300632&year=2004&make=SUZUKI&category=Motorcycles&dc=3378&name=REAR+WHEEL

Thanks gsjack, I'll have to check it when I pull the wheel

http://youtu.be/7WxLIn8SXZA


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the spacer between the sprocket carrior and wheel hub will allow the wheel to torque sideways making the pads grip the disc even force the pads apart when brake is not applied,  You are correct about the Right side wheel bearing in this case, if worn out and missing a ball or 2, the axle will shift rubbing the circumference of the rotor.   there are 3 bearings and 2 seals between the sprocket carrier and rear wheel assembly. replace them all at the same time to save some future headache. ASK me how i know.

Well when i pulled my axle heres what happened.
As you can see the the bearing was crushed, so I was really worried what I might find next. the left side bearing was dislodged but still in tact. This is all that was left of the right side.



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Tomorrow I'll be checking with a local bearing suppler for new bearings....and inspecting all the parts for wear. I was surprised that the wheel was not damaged, tire was not damage, and the axle was not damaged.

Blueknyt, I will be replaceing all the wheel bearings including the front ones, this experience was an eye opener. A few minutes before I had the issue I was ridding upwards of 70+MPH, and the day before I was ridding in a harsh storm. I was lucky this time, really low damage, and no crash.  Now it seams like a good day after all.

dear GOD rob. that wheel wasn't far from being destroyed. along with you. ive had to repair stuff like this before. what jack said, and Buddha too. once the damage starts, it gets progressively worse. I guess, if anything, you caught it in time lol. well at least you knew something was up and wasn't lazy about it.

So what do you guys do about the wheel seals? I assume that you dont re-use them ? OE seams kinda expensive?

Any one have any luck with these http://www.bikebandit.com/all-balls-wheel-bearing-kits?m=6061

My rear wheel locked up at about 45k miles and I put it up on the stand and worked it free and managed to ride it home slowly about 5 miles.  Replaced the 2 wheel bearings with oem ones, no other parts.  Cause was the missing spacer between the left wheel brg and the cush bearing.  Original cush brg and seal still in there and good at 100k miles.

Replaced my front wheel bearings at 67k miles with the All Balls blue seal bearings and haven't had any problems with them for about 33k miles so far.  So I've replaced all four wheel bearings on my 02 GS without replacing any seals except the ones in the sealed bearings of course.

I put 300k miles on 5 previous bikes including 80-100k miles on three of them without ever replacing a motorcycle wheel bearing before the current 02 GS which has had all changed now.  The front brake on my current GS all of a sudden took a second or two to grip when applied in the rain caused by a small amount of freeplay in a worn bearing.  A second or two can seem like a very long time when you want brakes now.   

My experience with the missing spacer 9 on the rear is why I questioned you on that first off.  The quick and total destruction of your right rear bearing must have had a cause, you just had the wheels off to install the BT45 tires.  When that spacer is missing tightening the axle nut puts a large side load on the cush and right wheel bearings, the left wheel brg floats in there without the side load.

Well I look a look of the mess of parts I had, and gsjack you hit the nail on the head....

QuoteCause was the missing spacer between the left wheel brg and the cush bearing.

I must of been in awe of the the new tires or some thing but I did lose this spacer, and sure enough forgot about it. I looked around I wasn't able to find it on my garage floor, which dose not surprise me since 4 people go though there daily and don't care. I ordered a new spacer off of ebay for $10 shipped and got all the wheel bearings including the fronts for $40 off of bike bandit.

Sadly the GS will be down for a week, by far the longest since I had it....Might be the longest I've gone with out riding it too....

So any suggestions on getting out whats left of the outer race, I attempted to get it out with a punch, I was taking it easy since the rotor and the rim are still in good shape now. I was thinking dremmel but I dont want to do that if its not needed.

All and All the more I think about what happened I understand that I was a complete idiot and need to be more careful when working on the bike, simple things like changing a tire could of changed lives. I'm 100% sure it was by the grace of god that I was safe when the bike broke down, and I'm glad it cost me a few bucks that way I remember how important the $5 spacer really is.

Thanks for all the input.

Well I got it after an hour of destroying it.

At first I tried a plung cutting bit for the dremel no joy, the steel was harder and didnt leave a mark, so I switched to a reenforced cut off wheel, this cut really well exepct I couldnt get the tool in there to cut it so i only left marks in it.......

So I though about it a little and I remembered reading about people welding it since the metals are differnt they heat at different rates and cool at different rates. So I heated the hub with a propane torch, than I sprayed it with crc freeze off (nitrogen and oil ) after about 20 seconds it popped and I got this.




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Well finally after the longest week of nice weather the spacer finally came! Only waiting until Monday on the bearings =( hopefully ups is nice and delivers it sooner!




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Sorry for not posting back sooner, I finally go the bearing in 2 days ago, and had them installed with in an hour making sure that all the spacers were present and in order. I fitted a chain and sprocket set since It was stretched and the bearing damaged did nothing to help its case. I was going to do pictures and a good write up but I wanted to ride so after an hour of messing with both wheels they were back on the bike and I was off riding again. The bearings front and rear had a burn oder to them it could be from any thing but I would say at the very least that the grease needed cleaned out and replaced. I replaced with all balls sealed bearings and I couldn't be happier with them.

Nice!! Glad ya go her back road worthy. Thanks for updating the thread, I'm sure it will help a fellow twinner out in the future. Ride safe mang

good job brotha!