NSK Bearings for Enhanced Motorcycle Performance

Motorcycles

The unmatched convenience of motorcycles makes them popular worldwide, but the bearings inside are what keep rides smooth and safe.

As bikes come in all shapes in sizes, the number of bearings inside vary, but a typical motorcycle contains 20–30 built-in bearings. Motorcycle bearings reduce friction in key rotating parts, including the engine, transmission, and wheels, and the engine depends on bearings to reliably transmit power to the wheels.

Motorcycle bearings must facilitate a comfortable ride with low friction, little vibration, and high durability. All these factors also influence fuel consumption and safety—top priorities for riders. NSK product development works to optimize designs always with users and the environment in mind.

Bearings also play a huge role in a motorcycle’s sensory experience. The hum of the engine, the velvety feel of the ride, the power under your fingers– bearings influence all these factors.

NSK bearings incorporate riders’ eternal desires for an exhilarating, yet comfortable and easy-to-handle ride while ensuring reliability and safety. We continue to pursue smooth and reliable bearing rotation with reduced power losses as we move to the future.

Deep Groove Ball Bearings and Needle Roller Bearings for Transmission

Because bearings for motorcycle engines and transmissions are used in dusty environments where they are subjected to shock loads at high temperatures and high-speed rotation, they are required to have very high rigidity and excellent anti-dust characteristics. Wheel bearings are used for a wide variety of road conditions and riding requirements, so endurance in the face of water and mud is also a requirement. To meet these demands, NSK offers the optimum combination of material and the heat treatment technologies for exceptional durability, the best internal design of bearings for high rigidity, and excellent sealing performance.

In some cases, the motorcycle does not have enough space for the mounting of bearings, so NSK has developed a wide product lineup that meets the demands of a variety of load and rotation speed conditions in a limited space.

NSK is also actively engaged in product development that takes account of the bearing handling characteristics.

NSK pursues thoroughgoing research and development based on the key themes of reducing friction, vibration, and weight, while increasing compactness and operational life in order to provide the best possible products to the world.