Is that a bird in my Superhawk?!Thanks for the tip. That sounds like a possibility. Oddly enough, the sound seems to have gone away. I'll pull the wheel next chance I get and have a look. Bearings are less than 4k miles, would it make sense to lube them with something? They could be sealed, I can't remember what it looks like in there.
Wheel BearingsAK, I don't own a Superhawk and am not familiar with the front wheels. I don't find any seals listed in the parts manual I have, but the bearing pictured doesn't look like a sealed bearing either. I guess I am saying I don't know what it looks like in there either. Irrespective, I would use sealed bearings, but if there is a separate seal, I would leave it in there with a little grease applied where the lip runs.
I saw a post (Davomoto?) that suggested that for sealed bearings the the rubber seals be carefully pulled off and more grease added. The manufacturers don't put much in them. That is what I found when I replaced my Dream wheel bearings last summer. Be careful removing and replacing the rubber seals so you don't damage them. 4K miles is not much for new bearings. On the other hand, they are cheap and you don't want to find out how exciting it might be if one fails while you are going 60 mph. Bearing are not self-healing. In my experience a ball bearing that starts chirping will sometimes stop chirping. It can be a normal part of its self-destruction. As they complete their cycle of failure they will either bind/seize up or continue to wear and begin more of a grinding noise. When you take the old bearings out, you will give yourself peace of mind by giving them a good cleaning and inspecting them carefully. With no lubrication in them, the sound they make will give a much better indication of their condition. you might also see a flaw in one or more of the balls that will explain the chirping. If you decide that is/was your problem, you won't have to wonder or look further. If the bearing passes a close inspection, then you know to keep looking/listening. Hope this helps.
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