Best Wheel Bearings for Harley: Recommended Brands

Alright, so mileage has decided to sunset your wheel bearings. You’re in for a replacement and there’s a sea of questionable options.

I feel you. Truth be told, I’d consider exactly three brands when it comes to the best wheel bearings for Harley Davidson.

➥➥ Get yourself some Timken bearings (see example) if you want high quality, extra sealing strength, and quiet operation.

➥➥ If you want a value-for-price option, consider All Balls Racing (check top seller). Great selection of ABS or non-ABS bearings, 1-year warranty, and a well-rounded quality of manufacture.

➥➥ Last but not least, KOYO is a classic comparable to Timken. Unfortunately, this premium brand for Harley bearings is rather hard to come across in North America compared to other options.

Important note: A crucial part of your picking process deals with your Harley model and the bearing size.

Every Harley Davidson model after 2008 features 25mm sealed bearings. Yes, every – Softail, Touring, Dyna, Sportster, whatever.

This makes replacement much easier. For other models, check out my guide to Harley bearing sizes and buy accordingly.

OK, let’s be honest – quality aside, what matters is the ease of finding these replacement parts. Whether it’s online or at a brick-and-mortar store, a replacement has to be accessible.

Both Timken and All Balls Racing have a wide range of OEM-fit spare parts that work on any Harley model. Additionally, you can find them literally anywhere.

There are some important differences between them, though.

The premium pick:
Timken

Alright, so why are Timken wheel bearings for Harley twice the price of many other competitors?

Several things.

First, there’s an extra rubber sealing present on them for better lubrication and long-lasting durability. The rubber isn’t extra in terms of quantity, but rather in terms of quality.

The second factor is manufacture. Yes, Timken’s Harley wheel bearings aren’t made only in the US or Japan anymore.

However, Timken still sources from global factories from slightly ‘upper scale’ locations like Taiwan, Mexico, and yes, sometimes even Japan or the US.

The result is one of the best non-OEM replacement options. Quiet operation, longer-lasting manufacture, and a well-made steel cage to reduce friction or vibrations.

The most common part I’ve seen is the Timken 205PP wheel bearing. This is a direct fit, HD9276 replacement on many 25mm Harley bearings. Yes, that means 2008+ FL Harley models such as 2008-2014 Touring, 2008+ Softail, etc.

The popular pick for generic use:
All Balls Racing

All Balls Racing is the king of cheaper OEM replacements. The sheer amount of replacement options are simply convenient: ABS or non-ABS Harley, pre-2008 bearing sizes, or the post-2008 25mm size…

It doesn’t matter, the brand has it.

Sure, some people criticize them for sourcing from China. However, All Balls gets the manufacture right it seems. No other budget brand sells so well (and gets that many good reviews).

Now, there is a bit of compromise for the price compared to Timken.

You have rubber sealing and a metal cage, but it doesn’t reduce noise/vibration as much as the higher-priced option. You might feel this at very high speeds.

For the general Harley owner, however, it won’t make too much of a difference.

The 1-year warranty is neat. That’s how much most vendors give on Timken bearings too, anyways. And plenty of cheap Harley wheel bearing brands stick to a lesser 90-day warranty.

As I mentioned, KOYO is a reputable, great-quality brand for aftermarket Harley bearings. Unfortunately, they have become harder and harder to come by – specifically in North America.

SKF is another brand that has well-made products but is a pain in the butt to find parts from.

From the budget brands, I guess it makes sense to introduce a short Boss Bearing review.

Boss is a direct competitor to All Balls Racing with a similar policy of a 1-year warranty. You can check them here.

A neat addition is a waterproof grease, though a friend told me it’s rather water-resistant and not completely waterproof. The sealing isn’t as great as Timken, but it’s still comparable to All Balls Racing.

The reason I recommend All Balls is general convenience – their inventory has a wider range of Harley Davidson bearings for the different models. Additionally, they aren’t as potent at reducing vibrations.

You can still read some reviews and potentially give them a try, though.

Alright, so is this your first time replacing your wheel bearings? Or were you rather looking for a new recommendation after being dissatisfied with a particular brand?

Have you had any experience with any of the wheel bearing replacement options I discussed here?

I’d be happy if you could comment on your own experiences. It will become a reference point for Stylethority’s readers too!