Help me cover my bet about ball vs roller steering stem bearing

[stopintime]

My tech says he's almost sure all S2R (a.s.o.) were delivered with roller bearings.

I can't remember if the stock ones we took off a couple of years ago were balls or rollers, but....

Replacement factory bearings are rollers, but I'm not convinced they were originally.

Anyone know for sure? Maybe even a picture to back it up?

   

[Speeddog]

Every ST-style frame Monster I've had the steering head apart on, had ball bearings.

Every first generation (851-style) frame Monster I've had the steering head apart on, had roller bearings.

No info on 696+ frames, haven't had the head off of one of those.

What did we win? 

[stopintime]

If you have pictures of an 'ST'frame Monster opened up - you can have the prize (pride of knowing something a(nother) pro doesn't) 

[MonsterHPD]

Close, but no cigar, I suppose...... ST4S, ball bearings below the dust cover:



Same in the M900 2002, BTW.

[Raux]

696 has ball, stock

[stopintime]

I have placed my bet (trusting the DMF)

..let you know tomorrow

[brad black]

all new models 916 onward have had balls.  ss/ssie had roller to the end, as did 888 based monster.

aprilia and mv use them too.  in aluminium frames or frames with the adj al insert they last quite well, in steel frames they're crap.  i don't understand why they use them.

the rollers you can get to replace them have many times more bearing area.  i have a 1000 monster customer that's done 50k since i fitted the rollers and it have no discirnable notchiness at all.

can you send a # or photo of the factory roller replacements?  i thought they were still supplying balls.

if you fit rollers, fit the washer originally under the lower seal between bearing and seal, both top and bottom.  stops teh seal dragging on the outer cone.

[stopintime]

..........

can you send a # or photo of the factory roller replacements?  i thought they were still supplying balls.

if you fit rollers, fit the washer originally under the lower seal between bearing and seal, both top and bottom.  stops teh seal dragging on the outer cone.

I'll snap a photo and get the number and maybe manufacturer when I'm there next time.

The All Balls (as supplied in the SpeedyMoto kit) seal has rubber that will be crushed by replacing/adding a washer between it and the bearing.

Stock ball bearings lasted 50K km - All Balls rollers 40K km. (don't know why. Will investigate when taken apart)

[brad black]

i always use genuine ducati seals.  i used to throw the all balls ones in the bin when i used them, couldn't think of anything else to do with them.  actually, i think i threw them in the metal recycling, there's soem steel there to recycle.

50,000km is good for std balls.

[Novelo]

My S2R1K had ball took them out a long time ago