I can not go a day on here with out reading about someone replacing a bearing, IPB, out put shaft bearing, what ever. I have 2012 street glide with 26000 miles. What are the symptoms for one of these bearings as they go bad? I plan a big trip later this summer and don't want to get stuck or damage the engine. What should I be watching for or listening to?

 

IMO, MOCO is spec'ing crap bearings so the execs and shareholders get more $$$. All of this can be avoided with quality parts. Nice, huh?

As far as I know, engine and drivetrain bearings announce their failures with whirring sounds. Wheel bearings might announce their failures with noise (hard to hear), restricted and/or rough spinning, wobbly tracking of the wheel, or crap oozing out of the seals.

 

Here's the deal, let's say you have a business and you install a part that costs $15.00, your purchasers find a part that costs $10.00 maybe not the same hi grade quality but will work. Now you install one million of theses parts. Do you see the savings? Maybe half will go bad and then some of those go bad out of warranty because they are in a product that isn't used for 5 months out of the year. Then the customer has to go out of pocket for a new one, but the smart customer will find a better part. It's all about the bottom $$$.

 

But what your not hearing about are the thousands of other bikes out there without any type of bearing problem.

On internet forums, your mostly only going to hear from the ones with problems.
The trouble free bikes greatly outnumber the ones with issues.

I just traded an '11 Street Glide with 46,000 miles on it, and not a single issue.

Pick a part (any part), and start searching the internet and you will find users that have had issues with that part.
I don't care what the manufacturer is, they will all be represented when looking for issues.

 

That all makes sense about moco want to make the almighty dollar. The most important issue I have is the symptoms. If I have to get new bearings, I will go after market, away from moco, if there is a better bearing to be had. If the first one fails, the second and third will probably fail. Upgrade is my theory.

If I am correct, I should be listening for a whirring sound? Should this sound disappear when the clutch is pulled in or put into gear?

 

Whirring sound is pretty accurate. I have heard a few inner primary bearings go bad, and when you put it in neutral and let out the clutch you can hear the whirring noise. You will notice it for sure.

 

Ride more and worry less.

 

lots more wheel bearing failures happen than transmission bearings. they are just junk bearings HD uses.

 

My 2015 Ultra Classic is making a whirring sound now, in first gear either with or without the clutch pulled in, I can hear it going 10 to 15 mph, pull the clutch in and click to neutral its gone, click back in gear does it again, more so when hot.

 

That's a different sound than the bearing issue. First gear is straight cut and makes that sound. It's normal.