That is one of the many things on the 7.5K mile recommended service and the bike is up on stands now. Wheels still off. What should I look for?

Here is what the manual say's.

Hub Bearing Inspection
Since the hub bearings are made to extremely close tolerances,
the clearance can not normally be measured.
NOTE
?Do not remove any bearings for inspection. If any bearings
are removed, they will need to be replaced with
new ones.
•Turn each bearing in the hub back and forth [A] while
checking for plays, roughness, or binding.
If bearing play, roughness or binding is found, replace the
bearing. •Examine the bearing seal [B] for tears or leakage.
If the seal is torn or is leaking, replace the bearing.

Pretty much just reach in with your finger and spin them. If they don't feel smooth, replace them.

Yep, thanks Phil. The front does not spin real loose. It takes a little pressure to turn it but it feels tight and has no slop laterally or up and down. I see a few strands of rubber shear or grease or something on the seal - no big woop. Good to go.

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/3/2009 @ 12:27 PM *

A bad bearing will feel crunchy to turn.

A good bearing may have resistance due to the grease inside...

Yup, mine were stiff but smooth. The rear wheel seems to have a looser freer moving bearing on the sprocket side. It feels a little sloppy but I didn't think it was anything to be too concerned about. I'll see if it feels worse next time I take the wheel off.

If you static balance a wheel, the bearing will crunch or the spin will hang up and then sort of chunk over the decomposing bearing surface.

Turning hard is a seal around the, "sealed bearings." One you have the wheels torqued you then run your hands at 12 and 6 0'clock. Then you push and pull the rim so as to feel that slop in the one direction. You then spin but hold the wheel and roll back and forth with the wheel in the X to Y directions. Understand the concept of bearing load and static free play?

Any side to side movement toward the calipers [that should still be hanging on a bungie], you have no interference with the either X or Y inspections. Since you had the wheel off you could have pulled on the forks for that click-inspect of the bearings.

The previous posts should be followed as well. Those are the basic 'feel me' type inspections you want to take with each and every bearing that falls in your hand. Same goes with engine bearing at the clutch or at the transmission shafts.