Choice of tapered head bearings?

[brad black]

number 4 is the washer, 85211031A.  get an extra one, put them between seal and bearing.  you'll need a new seal too if your bearing set doesn't come with one, as you'll most likely damage the lower one getting the bearing off.

[DarkMonster620]

Hey guys,

So, at the end, which ball/tapered bearings should I purchase in order to upgrade or if I replace the triples?

I was thinking on purchashing the SM complete w/risers and an additional top to install clip ons, maybe also SM or LSL. This is the reason I ask this question.

[stopintime]

UPDATE:

Factory set 50,000km
All Balls / Speedy kit with controversial seals 40,000km

I got the replaced upper seal and both outer races back today.

The lower seal was destroyed, but the rubber lips looked similar to the one in the photo - no damage to either of the three lips.

The affected areas were not rusty, but the lower third of one outer race is dark and not at all smooth - maybe a little dry - I don't know.

My new attempt is the same kit, but this time my mechanic added a factory washer between the lower seal and lower bearing. In stock size it would crush the inner lip, so he sanded it down to fit inside the inner lip. I really don't know if this extra washer helps, but in another couple of years I'll be back with another update

[brad black]

don't use the seals that come with the allballs, etc bearings.  the inner lips are what drag on the outer cones, making it hard to set the bearings as they drag unduly before the movement is gone.  use the genuine ducati seal 93010041B.  they're abour $10 each, and they don't rub on the cones if you use the genuine washer to space them. 

[stopintime]

Thanks for that Brad, but it's too late for me, this time.
Ducati seals weren't available when I had to have the parts put back together.

There is a spacer in there now - it should take care of the ability to torque it down properly from day one - no?

Of course, I still have no spacer on the top.
Will checking and adjusting torque a couple of times in the near future help?

[DarkMonster620]

Bottom line, or what I make out all this:

Stay with the OEM bearings . . 

[stopintime]

Bottom line, or what I make out all this:

Stay with the OEM bearings . . 

I haven't been able to prove to myself or anyone else that roller bearings are better than ball bearings, but I can't prove the opposite either. I'm only one rider and there can be a number of reasons why my rollers failed at 40 instead of xx km.

Roller bearings are what Ducati now supplies as replacement parts and their kit might be better, but then again AllBalls aren't amateurs...

[DarkMonster620]

I am just asking since, bike will be 7yrs old, but not that many kms ran . .  hi humidty, salty air . . . lots of rain . . . and also planning on getting a SM complete triple, now, also thinking about the IMA kit . . .

[brad black]

Bottom line, or what I make out all this:

Stay with the OEM bearings . . 

i wouldn't piss on the std ones if they were on fire.  i can see no funtional benefit to them at all.  the tapered rollers have a massive amount more contact area and when installed properly they seem to last and last.  i hav a m1000 customer who has had hers for 50k now and there's no sign of any notchiness at all.

50k from a std set is staggering.  in bikes with aluminium frames or bearing inserts - 916, mv, aprilia - they last quite a long time.  fitted to steel frames, they're crap.  we did lots at 10,000km  - st series and the cheap 748 were very bad.  at the first service we would reduce the torque to 10nm on the ducatis, and that seemed to make a real difference to how long they would last.  ducati specify 20nm, but often you'd retorque them to that after 1,000km and you'd reduce the tightness by 60 degrees or more!  mv specify hand tight plus 10 degrees, aprilia 40nm.  there was a 1098 service bulletin to take them to 30nm to stop a movement in them, but i don't know how they could be moving at 20 even.  i can't imagine why aprilia think 40nm is appropriate for a bearing with a small single point of contact, and i've seen high km aprilia with bearings so tight and stiff you can hardly turn the steering (with blissfully unaware riders).  i find i d.o mv due to corrosion it seems more than normal wear.

maybe i'm more sensitive too when i have a bike up on the bench and change them earlier than many would.