I was doing a little clean up today and spotted something that might be of interest to others.

These bearings are one of a pair in the steering head of the 900SS although they will be very similar to almost any modern bike out there. Note the darker worn areas. These are contact stress areas and will make the bearing feel notchy when spun. This can get so bad as to be felt when steering the bike although we don’t normally let it get that bad.



Some will tell you that this is called Brinelling but in this case there will be some False Brinelling occurring as well. Basically, these bearings get hammered for their whole lives and never get the lubrication they need.

Something to consider the next time you service your bike.