Hey dudes hope everyone is fine and well. Just sharing a quick method for removing linkage bearings for anyone who needs to do this job without a press. You need a vice, a push bike tyre lever for removing the dust seal, and 3 sockets. -1 large socket, with a diameter big enough to fit the bearing and dust seal inside it (but small enough to ensure the linkage arm touches it all the way round, to spread the force) - 2 smaller sockets of same diameter (one long and one short) which closely match that of the bearing being removed. Depending on the reach of your vice, the short and long socket of the same diameter are needed to first squeeze into the vice when the bearing is fully in situ, but then swap this for a longer one that will push the bearing fully from its place once you've made a few turns. Sandwich the linkage between each socket in the vice, and turn. I found that after one turn, the dust seal crumples, and it was a lot easier to remove with the tyre lever than when it is straight. After a few ore turns, swap the short smaller socket for the longer one (i.e. spark plug socket) and then keep turning. Eventually it pops out and jobs a good'un. To fit new ones, I found carefully tapping them into place with a mallet before putting it all back the vice helped.
Hi Peter. I got them from here, but there is a BUT! http://www.marksman-ind.co.uk/bearings/ I've been doing a lot of work to the bike recently and the parts bill has really mounted, so i was not keen on paying £60 for 3 bearings from Honda if I could get the correct ones in decent quality form elsewhere. I bought the collars from honda, but got the dust seals and bearing form marksman industrial HOWEVER I went to fit them last night and there is actually a difference in the bearings, despite Marksman basing theirs on the part numbers from Honda. Honda uses Koyo ones, closed at both ends (presumably to help keep road crap out) but the Marksman ones are IKO brand and are open at one end. There are also fewer need rollers so i guess they might less durable too, even aside from the added risk of crap getting in. So I am probs gonna be sending them back for a refund, only to go to Honda after all!! I should have done that at the start... but for the 6 dust seals, 3 bearings and 3 collars the bill is about £130 from Honda. I've used this method to remove swing arm bearings in the past though so shared it all the same. *edit - I think actually more like £108 for the lot
Left is OEM, Right is Marksman replacement. Never learn... shd just always go back to honda really. Even DS spares cost the same as them now
Ahh thought so, I knew the bearings from Honda are a fortune Need to replace mine and have looked elsewhere for replacements in either SKF or Koyo
Can you measure it for me as I have a bearing company that will make some if the quantity is at least 50
Yeah, it's a bugger. Not something I'd think to check when buying a bike either. I wonder how much a small amount of vertical play in the swingarm from these worn bearings affects the bike, when you think 99% of the time it'll be under load. I'm gonna just get em from honda i think... at least now the cost has been spread over a couple of weeks!
I think if you're doing the set, there are 3, of which 2 are the same size. I think the 3rd sits in the bottom of the swingarm (where the other 2 are in that linkage arm) The one on its own is 17x24x20 according to honda parts list. I'll check the other two later as I need to measure them.
In case this helps aswell... this is a note I'd made from CMSNL or somewhere when I'd been searching for replacements DUST SEAL (17X24X5) (ARAI) 91262-KV3-831 x6 BEARING, NEEDLE (KOYO) 91071-KV3-005 x2 BEARING, NEEDLE (17X24X20) (NTN) 91072-KT7-003 x1
About to embark on this adventure myself, had to use a blowtorch to free up the linkage bolt in the frame... Managed to order the Iko bearings you've returned. Did you attempt to fit the collars in or check fitment before you returned them? Or just saw they were different and sent them back. The state state of my OEM bearings... All 3 grinding heavily and all but seized, and collars were dented and corroded. Hopefully these Iko's will do the job.
What's the service process of these dog bones? Do they get greased annually when in with a main dealer?
