Headstock bearings .. variations ?

[utopia]

A daft question I think but can anyone confirm that all early/original style monsters had exactly the same headstock bearing housing dimensions, irrespective of whether balls or rollers were fitted by the factory ?
Basically, are the ball races and the tapered roller bearings a straight swap on all early models, including the seals ?

I think I can feel that my headstock bearings are on the way out.
They should be, after 16yrs/22k miles with no attention whatsoever.
Therefore I need to look at them .. which means I might as well replace them regardless.
I want to have the bearings in my hand before I strip the bike down and the plan is to fit tapered rollers but I don't know what's in there at the moment.
Just looking to make absolutely certain that I can do so regardless and with zero fuss.
I have been unable to find an aftermarket supplier listing tapered roller bearings for my particular model (yr2000 M750) so I thought I might as well ask the question .. before buying these ....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ducati-Mon...YAAOSw-tNXIKBF

[Mr Gazza]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/All-Balls-...GBuoccFm6uEpNA

This one claims their taper needle rollers will fit 1993 to 2001.. But it's the same seller that lists a chain and sprocket set for 2000 to 2002 M900ie.
I asked them if the sprocket has the unique offset required for the '00 model and they said no, Renthal don't make that one..??

[Mr Gazza]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ducati-Mon...3D351284521393
Ball races for 2000 750.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/All-Balls-...3D361184286294
Taper rollers for 2000 750.

Is this in response to my post a few mins ago for my96 750?
Cheers

[Darkness]

Or does Gazza think you should get a younger one?

But you do ask about a year 2000 one in your first post....

You must be confusing me with another post.... I replied to this post and another one a few minutes before... Born for a 1996 750

[Mr Gazza]

Sorry davkyt, I hadn't noticed your post on the other thread when I posted on this one.

When we establish the correct bearing size, can you get Utopia a free set too??...

[slob]

Pre 2001 and Post 2001 take different bearings, beware if your bike is on the cusp since you sometimes find weird mixtures of parts.

AFAIK all are balls not taper roller as stock.

Have a look at www.bikebearings.co.uk

Buying parts is never straight forward.
I have a pair of ball bearing type.... Waiting on tapered type...

What year utopia? I'll enquire..

[Flip]

Right O then!!

I replaced mine last year with a set of 'All Balls' bought from A & R Racings' eBay shop as it was a tad cheaper and free postage then buying direct although I had previously dealt with them that way and found them to be very helpful.

I know they're a bit more expensive than the ones you're looking at but for me at least, they fitted without any fuss (other than it's a pain in the ass that you have to take the tank off and strip the entire front end to easily get at the locking nut with a C spanner) and so far have been perfect.

They list them as fitting 1993-2001 with the same part number: 22-1062 here for the 900:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/All-Balls-...GBuoccFm6uEpNA

and here for your year 2000, 750 Jeff:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/All-Balls-...GBuoccFm6uEpNA

and then with the change of size and part number being 22-1039 for 2002-onwards.

Obviously as Slob points out, this doesn't help if your bike is on the cusp but you could always give them a bell first and buy both sets with the agreement of sending the incorrect set back for a refund.

Also, in true Ducati style there probably was variation in both roller and ball type being fitted at the factory but certainly my 1997 900 had rollers fitted when it was put together in Bologna and the genuine factory manual also lists them as what was fitted.



I found the vacuum cleaner extension to be just the size to drift the new bearings on with:

[utopia]

Hmmm .. can't quite figure it completely yet.
One wonders why pre and post 2001 are different if both are balls .. ?
Haynes says that 2002 onwards were balls, prior to that were rollers.
Its tempting to suspect that the change in bearing type .. if there was one .. coincided with a dimensional change .. if there was one.

Oddly enough it was not so much the bearings but the seals which initially were my focus of attention.
I remembered Capo saying that he'd had issues with the seals fouling the rollers and causing unacceptable stiffness.
The seals were the same as the ones in my original link .. and look like this ...



Adding further confusion, Haynes suggest that the lower bearing has no seal, just a washer fitted below it.

And then there's the notion that its best without the lower seal anyway, as it just holds water in there.

The upshot is that I'm wary of ordering anything that isn't specifically listed for my model (yr2000 M750, but regd in '01).
And even then, the listing might be incorrect.
I can see myself ending up hauling it all apart and having a look before ordering.

Ta for the replies though.

[Flip]

No, as I said my '97 900 was rollers from new- I think they changed to balls on the later bikes as they are cheaper (?) along with the change to the ST type frame from the 888 derived one of the earlier bikes.

A & R Racing do list them specifically for your year 2000 750 but list them with the same part number as my '97 900.

What type frame has yours got Jeff?

[Darren69]

My '02 S4 has balls!

[utopia]

Originally Posted by Flip

No, as I said my '97 900 was rollers from new- I think they changed to balls on the later bikes as they are cheaper (?) along with the change to the ST type frame from the 888 derived one of the earlier bikes.
A & R Racing do list them specifically for your year 2000 750 but list them with the same part number as my '97 900.
What type frame has yours got Jeff?

Mine has a hoop-type frame.
Tbh I was discounting there being any differences at the headstock between it and the later, tie-rod type of frame but now I'm not so sure.
And yes, the All Balls listings for either your 900 and specifically my 2000 750 .. part no 1062 .. look to be the ones I need.
..and 1039 for the later, tie-rod frames perhaps ? .. which are possibly the same as the ones I listed originally, possibly oversize, and probably wrong for my frame.

So I guess that answers my original question well enough, ie the bearings listed for the later 750 will not necessarily fit my frame .. which is enough warning to avoid them.

At first I was put off by the "All Balls" name, tbh.
It sounded a bit "mickey mouse" to me.
But reading their blurb, I think I might have been judging them unfairly.
The seals look the same though, so I'm not sure whether to anticipate issues there.
I assume you had no such issues then, Flip ?

I've been asked if my 96 750 is a "M100a" or a "M400a"

I've never heard of this.... How would I know and what is the difference?