Once that was all back together I thoughts, " geee that wasn't sooo hard was it? ??"
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SO I decided to go ahead and replace the front tire also with 27k miles on it. Naturally, as it seems to go now, in doing that, I found that at 47k miles one of the front wheel bearings had a rough & gritty feel to it, needing replacement. So I replaced both of 'em.
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They were only $9/a bearing at my local unauthorized bike shop, and $20 to have them changed out. :) Well- once the factory bearings were out - I found - would you believe it? - They are only 'sealed' on the side you can see! Whod'a thunk it?? The grease that remained on the backside was gritty, water damaged, and mostly washed out. I poped the seal off the other side - and there all was beautiful. The bearings the shop put in were Chinese, but nicely sealed on both sides.
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Now - - - Fearless Tom Schlenker from Alabamia (are you listenin'?), sidekick of David The Daring (now in TN): Do Youse Think That water might have gotten in those bearings (like it did in the swingarm bearings) during one of your Famous Foggy Smokie Mountain Steven-King-Rain-Storm rides we joined ??
(and we still love to talk about!) 