not right feeling (fixed)

[matt]

hello everyone,  so you know that feeling you get when your used to riding yur bike? you know how it feels well other day on way home from work hit a newly paved road and something felt odd. well i now feel it all the time. just feels rough, thru seat. So today on way to work I try a few things, I hear no noise but if I hit rear brake light or heavy bike smooths right out (coasting or under a load). My first guest would be rear wheel bearing or bearings, has anyone felt this before

Thanks Matt

Well it was left side (shifter side) bearing.  Did both and serviced rear end.

[Hook#3287]

While I have yet to toast a bearing while riding, I would agree with you're guess that it's a bad bearing.

[Bagger John - #3785]

Get it up to speed (whatever is prudent), pull in the clutch and coast a bit.

Rumbly?

Put the rear brake on.

No rumbly?

In all likelihood, bearings as the poster above me theorized. Applying the brake allows the wheel to move around the bearing axis and eliminate any slop which has developed as a result of bearing failure.

The exact same scenario manifested itself earlier in the year with my bicycling buddy's front wheel. Her bike was bought new last July and had maybe 250mi on it since then. On our first ride this season the front wheel began getting loose and noisy. Brake application (disc) quieted things down.

Upon teardown I found a scored cone race, and while the hub (cup) race itself didn't look bad it wouldn't stay quiet - even after new cones, bearing balls and grease. Solution was another hub.

Much easier to change out our cartridge bearings. 

[hubcapsc]

Your bike is telling you something, so don't ignore it...

Besides the bearing, it could be your u-joint failing... pulling
the u-joint for inspection involves pulling out pretty much
everything you might want to look at for the problem
you are describing...

-Mike

[John Schmidt]

Keep in mind, you don't have to pull the swingarm to remove the u-joint.

[Jersey]

Exactly how mine sounded and felt when the left rear wheel bearing was going.  Upon removal, I was actually surprised HOW smooth the ride was considering the extent of damage to the bearing.

That'd be my first check.

[flash2002]

It could be the rear bearing on the left side going. Do your self a favor and install double row bearings on both sides.

[Moonshot_1]

hello everyone,  so you know that feeling you get when your used to riding yur bike? you know how it feels well other day on way home from work hit a newly paved road and something felt odd. well i now feel it all the time. just feels rough, thru seat. So today on way to work I try a few things, I hear no noise but if I hit rear brake light or heavy bike smooths right out (coasting or under a load). My first guest would be rear wheel bearing or bearings, has anyone felt this before

Thanks Matt

Sounds like a drive train issue. Your description fits TO A TEE the description I had for my bike. The cause was a u-joint gone bad. Felt it through the seat. No associated noise. Feel it on initial acceleration or initial decel. A bit of a clunky feel at those times. A kind of shimmy or shiver. Braking would stop the shiver too.

I suppose this could be caused by a number of things in the drive train. As stated, the removal of the u-joint would require most of the other suspects to be removed as well.

[matt]

thanks everyone I get out of work at 6:30 p.m.  Hope to have enough time to tear down to night. In my spare parts I have bearings, seal, o rings, pinion cup and driveshaft. I also have used u joint that I replaced 7,000 miles ago with a new one. I am hoping it is bearing as this is not first time tearing apart valkyrie rear end, as stated had it apart 7,000 miles ago right to ujoint. Installed new boot and everything

matt

[Wayn-O]

When my U-joint went bad I could feel it as a slight knocking in the footpeg (mostly right side) upon acceleration.  At speed it had strange vibration that could be felt subtly in the handlebars.  When I replaced the U-joint, I went ahead and replaced the rear bearings too just for peace of mind.  Also did a rear end service including new wheel dampers.