rear wheel tight?

[groundeffect_db]

Hi there guys. Last weekend we put my TTR230 up a little on a home made stand.


Both tires are off the ground about 1-2inches or so, and we proceeded to check for things like:


1) wheels rotating freely

2) steering bearings moving freely

3) no play or slop between the forks and the wheels etc....



Then we spun both wheels....


The front wheel was fine, no issues or binding or anything, it was freely rotating.

The rear wheel however, was a little more difficult to rotate.

Is this normal?

How difficult (if at all) should it be to rotate the rear wheel?

Should there be any resistance on the rear wheel, is it the chain?

thank you in advance for all replies!

 

[bwood]

The wheel should spin easily. It may not freewheel for very long, but it should be easy to spin.
The rear may not rotate freely if:
The chain needs lube (even if it doesn't it is a drag on the rear wheel and it will slow it down)
Rear brakes are tight to the disk
Wheel is out of alignment with the chain.

Remove the chain and loosen up the brakes, then see how it spins. Rock the wheel from side to side at the top of the tire and see if there is any play. If there is, it is time for rear wheel bearings. If the bearings feel good (no side to side play), but it freewheels for a long time, it usually means the bearings are dry (grease is gone). You can pull the seals (carefully) and pop the dust covers off of the bearings and pack some grease in them and put is all back together. This is only a temp fix and ultimately you should round up a rear wheel bearing kit. I have been using All Balls bearings from Rocky Mountain MC/ATV since I found them back in 03, and have had no issues.

 

[groundeffect_db]

Thank you for your reply!


My bike is a brand new TTR230 and I have about 35-40 hours on it so far. Do you think the bearings would be gone after this short period of time?

I will check for play in the rear wheel again tomorrow when I get her back on a stand.


thank you.

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

Gone depends on how much pressure washing have you done? If it feels gritty, it is. Without the chain, it should spin pretty easy. Remove, clean, inspect and re-grease! New, chances are good it was never greased good to begin with.

 

[groundeffect_db]

I don't do any pressure washing, just some wet down with the hose and then I break out the cloths and sponges. A little soap and water.

I hope to get her on the stand tomorrow and take a closer look.

thanks.

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

If you give the front wheel a good spin it could still be rotating a few minutes later as long as the brake rotor is not dragging.

If you remove the chain off the rear wheel it should do the same.

With the chain on, however, it will not continue to freewheel because there is simply too much drag in the system.

The chain itself has drag, each link rotating with respect to the adjacent link. The chain also rubs against the sprockets as it engages. It is common for the chain to rub against the chain guide (bottom of the rear sprocket). Since the wheel is driving the chain (instead of the engine) the slack moves to the top and the chain will slide along the plastic rub pad on the swing arm. The chain may be laying against a roller. The chain is also turning the transmission, turning gears inside. The gears and bearings are lubed with oil which has a viscosity drag.

If you give the rear wheel a good spin it might continue to rotate for a few seconds but I wouldn't expect much beyond that.

Rod

 

[groundeffect_db]

Ok, thought I'd update this thread.

Basically I went to the dealer and asked them to put it on a stand so I could show them that the rear wheel was tighter then I'd expected. Sure enough it was too tight. It was not bearings or anything like it, it was the rear brake adjustment, it was just too tight. I remember the last time I was here that THEY adjusted the brake - apparently to be too tight. So, I learned more about how to adjust the rear brake and how the rear wheel should spin pretty freely actually. I also learnt to check my bike over ( and learn more and more about the maintenance procedures MYSELF ) so I can be sure things are right with it without relying too much on the dealer mechanic. There were helpful once I brought the issue up there... but it should have been checked ( not this tight ) before I picked it up again.


Anyways, thanks for the replies here everyone.

cheers.

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

Welcome to the beautiful world of dirtbikes/mechanic!

 

[groundeffect_db]

thanks :)