R65LS Swingarm bearings

[wmsoller]

Anybody have any idea of the life of the sealed swingarm bearings in the R65LS? I've a bit a restoration project in the works and am not certain they need to be replaced. They look fine, but as long as I'm there I usually think it prudent to replace. I don't know. They don't do much. Since they are sealed, I suppose it wouldn't make a bit of difference to squirt some great in there. Thoughts? Thanks.

[Bob_Roller]

I've had the swing arm off of my '82 LS and the bearings were not a sealed type .

You can grease them using a needle type grease fitting, it fits into the hexagonal hole where you put the allen wrench to adjust the pivot pin .

[nhmaf]

+1 what Bob said - if yours truly are sealed bearings, then someone has been in there and replaced them before.  Otherwise, perhaps you should get some grease in there!

[wmsoller]

Thanks, guys. I chatted with a parts guy at Max and he told me the following: "All airheads from 1/81 use 33 17 1 241 546 and several K bikes use them also. They are sealed bearings. They do not come apart like the old 07 11 9 985 005 for cleaning, inspection, repacking. The seals are included with the bearing. It you try to take them apart, they are destroyed."

[Bob_Roller]

I put the part number into the part search of RealOEM.com and came up with a swing arm bearing for a mono-shock bike .

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=0462&mospid=51626&btnr=33_0642&hg=33&fg=15&hl=2

[nhmaf]

If it was Rusty @ MAX BMW he should know.. Ā It is possible that BMW chose the sealed bearing as replacement for the original non-sealed ones, and many bikes have been updated over the years.

Looking at MAX BMW's online parts catalog, the 40x17x14 tapered roller bearing in the parts fiche shows "to 01/81" for the original P/N 07119985005   but it doesn't list the new/superseded part #... BMW does like to re-use parts where they can, though.

[Bob_Roller]

If you go to RealOEM, I put the serial number of my '82 LS in the search box, came up with the same illustration as for my '81 R65, same picture, but there is no part number for the swing arm bearing .

So, like Mike said, BMW may be using a newer sealed bearing in place Ā of the old tapered roller bearing .

There is a dimensional difference between the old style and the sealed, the sealed is 3 mm more in depth, or there more ball bearings in the sealed bearing .

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=0364&mospid=51897&btnr=33_0624&hg=33&fg=20

[wmsoller]

Thanks, guys. It was Rusty at Max that gave me the information since there was no bearing listed on the fiche for the 65LS.

[Barry]

They are tapered roller Ā bearings and as far as I can remember mine also looks to have a seal but I doubt that makes them sealed bearings in the sense of a sealed and assembled bearing unit. The real question will be can the seal be removed and replaced in the same way as wheel bearings. In fact is the swinging arm bearing not the same SKF 30203 as the wheel bearings at least up to 81 ?

[wmsoller]

I asked Rusty if the sealed bearings were original to the LS or a later change and he told me: "Sealed swing arm bearings were standard starting Jan. 1981. So most (all?) LSā€™s have them." So it sounds like there was a transition period where either be either type of bearing.

[Bob_Roller]

I checked my '84 LS (which is a late '84 manufactured bike) last night, by pumping grease into the hole in the pivot pin, grease came out just like it does on my '82 LS and '81 R65 .

I think this  is a case of BMW revising the parts manual at some point after the bikes left the factory .

It looks like they started installing the sealed bearings on the mono-shock bikes from the factory starting in '85 .

The parts person, is just looking at what's in the parts manual and going on that information alone, not being familiar with the particular model of bike and application of the part .

[wmsoller]

Thanks all. Sounds like another mystery for which we'll never quite be certain.

[wmsoller]

I followed up with the original owner of the 65LS and he indicated that the bearings were never removeed...it's funny how there is never a definitive answer for things you'd think would be pretty clear.

[montmil]

Bottom line, William, it appears you may choose the bearing style that you prefer. A choice is good.

Both my R65s, an '81 and '83, have the tapered, 2-piece bearings. Good that I can examine their condition plus know what type and quantity of grease is in there.

[wmsoller]

Thanks again to all for you perspectives.