Rear output shaft bearing failure right after rear tyre + brake pad replacement

[Ibaaan]

Hey everyone,
I really need some insight regarding this.

Three weeks ago, I had my rear tyre and rear brake pads replaced at a local motorcycle repair and tyre shop (not a BMW Motorrad service centre — unfortunately, I regret that now).

(NOTE: I never use the side stand, I always put it on center stand)

After about a week, I started noticing that the bike was harder to push or park, almost like something was dragging. I initially thought it was just the pads bedding in, as the shop mentioned that might happen.

Week after week, the symptoms got worse — until by the third week, I could clearly hear metal-to-metal grinding, the rear end felt like it was slipping or pulling to one side at higher speeds, and when I let go of the throttle, it felt like the bike was braking itself.

I reported it to the shop, and they said they’d “take a look.” I even paid for towing because it became too hard to move. The next day, they told me they checked brake fluid and side-stand alignment (thinking the park brake might be binding), said everything was fine, and that the pads just needed more time to bed in.

Immediately after picking it up, I still felt the slipping. Later that night, the grinding came back again — and when I took it back to them, they now told me the rear output shaft bearing had collapsed.

They’re claiming it’s just an unfortunate coincidence, saying that tyre and pad replacement are completely unrelated to that failure and that the bearing is a “different part.”

However, the symptoms started immediately after their service and worsened over time. I also noticed increased fuel consumption and that the rear rotor developed deeper marks after their work.

They’re offering to cover my towing cost but deny any link between their work and the failure.
I’m trying to be fair here, but it feels hard to believe that this all happened purely by coincidence right after rear-end work.

Can any experienced BMW techs or owners share your opinion —

• Is it at all possible or likely that something they did during the tyre or brake pad replacement could’ve led to the bearing failure (e.g., incorrect installation, over-torquing the axle, misalignment, etc.)?
• Or is the shop correct that this failure is completely unrelated?

I just want to understand before I pursue this further or go to BMW Motorrad for an inspection.

Thanks a lot in advance — really appreciate any insight from those who’ve worked on or owned these scooters for a while.

 

[Ceesie76]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. The photos confuse me a bit. The first one appears to show that there was something very wrong with the rear brake caliper/disc/pads. Pads don't cause drag as they 'bed in', much less cause the kind of damage that seems visible in the photo, so that part of the shop's explanation I find very dubious.
The second photo is confusing to me because it appears to show a wheel bearing, not an output shaft bearing (which will be burried inside the aluminum engine/driveline casing). I would tend to agree with the shop that the output shaft bearing normally is not affected by replacement of tire and brake pads, but then why is there the rear wheel / ABS disc visible in that photo.
Perhaps an idea, assuming the bike is still at the shop, is to ask a different shop/mechanic to go over to meet with this shop and have them explain to your independent mechanic what happened, and have them (hopefully) agree on what's fair to resolve this. Like how insurance companies send adjusters to body shops to keep those honest.
But, bottom line, the photos to me tell a somewhat different story than the shop is.

 

[Ceesie76]

Just took a look at my own bike. Shop is talking about one of the two rear wheel bearings that has failed catastrophically. The one thing that comes to mind is what if they installed the pads or the rear wheel incorrectly, could that cause that bearing to fail? But then you would have felt a serious wobble or vibration, not drag. So what I think is that the shop is likely correct, that the rear wheel bearing failing is unrelated to the other problem, being the excessive and strange wear of the brake, likely caused by incorrect installation of the pads or caliper. However, they mis-diagnosed the problems when you first brought in the bike for them to check, leading to it getting much worse and ultimately leaving you stranded by the side of the road.
A new bearing installation should not cost all that much, although you'll want to make sure the housing and axle were not damaged by the failing bearing, or either or both those will need to be also replaced, possibly with a good used unit from a salvaged bike if new is too expensive.

 

[Ibaaan]

Just took a look at my own bike. Shop is talking about one of the two rear wheel bearings that has failed catastrophically. The one thing that comes to mind is what if they installed the pads or the rear wheel incorrectly, could that cause that bearing to fail? But then you would have felt a serious wobble or vibration, not drag. So what I think is that the shop is likely correct, that the rear wheel bearing failing is unrelated to the other problem, being the excessive and strange wear of the brake, likely caused by incorrect installation of the pads or caliper. However, they mis-diagnosed the problems when you first brought in the bike for them to check, leading to it getting much worse and ultimately leaving you stranded by the side of the road.
A new bearing installation should not cost all that much, although you'll want to make sure the housing and axle were not damaged by the failing bearing, or either or both those will need to be also replaced, possibly with a good used unit from a salvaged bike if new is too expensive.

Hello! Thanks for your insight. Regarding the photos

1. The photo of the of the rotor being scrapped was the condition of my rotor when I returned the motorbike to the shop right after they misdiagnosed and said everything was all good with the drag (obviously it wasn’t).

2. The photo of the bearing was sent to me by the shop saying that this was the problem they found. They also sent me this photo (attached to this reply)


So do you think this was caused initially because incorrect installation of the tyre and break pad? Because I also read that the bearing doesn’t just “collapse” unless something has been putting sustained lateral or torsional load on it.

 

[Ceesie76]

I don't think incorrect installation of brake pads or the tire/wheel caused the bearing failure, however I am not an expert and recommend you consider hiring one to diagnose this with the shop that did the work, if you think it's possible/likely they caused this and you want to try and make them do the repair for free / at a significant discount.

 

[Ian650]

Are you in one of the Motoring Organisations (ie AA or RAC or similar)? If so it may be prudent getting them to give you an opinion or as you suggested trying a BMW Motorrad approved technician to give you a professional opinion. Sorry I can't be of further help as it looks expensive whatever happens and whoever repairs it.