GSX-R1100 M/N Oil-cooled maintenance/Front/Bearing maintenance

Now for the rear wheel that follows.
 

 
It’s not necessarily bad just because it’s dirty.
It’s actually a good sign that grease remains.
 

 
The wheel hub side has some play, but oil residue remains as well.
 

 
The wheel disc side has completely lost its oil, and the retainer inside is gone.
It was only a matter of time before failure—that was close!
 

 
Insert the axle and it rattles; you can visually see the play between the shaft and bearing, and the play in the bearing itself.
This is a new one, but it’s good to know what a worn used bearing or a pristine new one looks like.
 

 
This is the color of the bearing oil seal section. Of course we replace the seal too, to keep water out.
The lip is effective for that. The rubber is so strong that the color wears away rather than the seal itself wearing in.
 

 
It’s warped quite a bit, so we use a rotary tool with a grinding stone to smooth it right down.
Not for people who ride in heavy rain or off-road. Use a non-contact bearing with a seal for those applications.
Now we test ride and we’re done!