Buell XB 3 Bearing Wheel Envy

One of the three things my pre-purchase chikken dance research on Buell motorcycles did dredge up was that the rear wheel bearing setup for the XB series with the 2 bearing wheel is an Achilles heel that can be the road to hell.

If you have the wheel bearing pullers and have the tools to do this job I would say it's a 50/50 toss up as to whether or not you would ever want to resort to the fix for this problem, which consists of a new wheel, three new bearings, a new axle with a new spacer and the 2 bearing dust covers.

The old axle cannot be used on the new wheel and it needs a new spacer as well.

If you do a lot of adventure riding on these Buells, I would say the three wheel conversion is a bit of a no-brainer.

Paradoxically, I would also claim that if you just pootle around gently at weekends, in the summer, that sticking with the 2 wheel bearing setup is probably a lot more cost effective, depending on the cost to you to replace those bearings.

If you do all the wheel bearing replacements yourself and you have the wheel bearing puller and the other bits to install them so that they seat properly, that swings the pendulum to sticking with the 2 bearing spiel.

However, if you take your machine to a shop and pay for the bearing extraction and insertion, the 3 bearing setup will be way cheaper than the 2 bearing story.

That's because you will do it once vs with every rear tire change.

I do not expect the average user of the 3 bearing setup to ever have to replace the wheel bearings either. A 3 bearing wheel setup should be good for 200,000 miles.

The other factor to consider here is how you ride it.

If you pull a lot of wheelies or apply a lot of power on a regular basis to that 2 wheel bearing rear wheel and also drive over dusty, rocky or dirt roads, then the 3 bearing setup is kinda mandatory for you.

3 same size bearings, 1 x new Axle, 1 x new spacer, 2 x Bearing dust covers & 1 x Axle washer

If you drive it in the wet a lot, the two bearing setup is also not for you unless replacing them every 5000 miles is in your wheelhouse.

These 2 wheel bearing setups mandate you are gentle with the power application.

I already had a quote from several shops for replacing the bearings in the 2 bearing setup that automatically makes the 3 bearing wheel kit a no-brainer going forward because it simply is cheaper in the long run.

I have examined the wheel, the new hub, the new bearings, the new axle and all the engineering loads and this is what they should have done in the first place.

However, if you are one of the few that does not mind the PITA of replacing the rear wheel bearings with every tire change and you have all the tools and know how - you be you and keep on trucking!

Me, I want to ride it across Canada from the East coast to the West coast and doing it on a 2 bearing setup is kinda stoopid, because I gotta get to Vancouver first, from San Francisco...Oh, and then drive it back again....

Unlikely that a 2 bearing setup will last for that nutty mission......

Just saying.....