ASK THE MXPERTS: (02/13/10)

Dear MXA,
    Do you have any experience with ceramic bearings? Are they worth the money? Does anyone run them?

    A ceramic bearing ball is two-thirds the weight of a steel ball. The surface of the ceramic ball is nonporous and mirror-like. By themselves the ceramic balls are so smooth, indestructible and glass-surface perfect that they do not need lubrication. But the steel races they ride in do. What the lighter, ultra smooth and perfectly round balls do is make it easier for the bearing to acceleration. The light and smooth balls spin without hesitation and drag. By reducing bearing drag you create horsepower. Ceramic bearings are not pie-in-the-sky technology. They are in use today on the bikes of the stars. Most of the factory teams are using ceramic main bearings. Ceramic bearings are three times more expensive than steel bearings. A stock KX250F crank bearing costs $20 and the rear wheel bearing run $15. The replacement ceramic hybrid bearings run $85 and $69 respectively.

For more info go to www.bocabearings.com or www.cbrbearing.com