According to Ball Bearings | YoYo Wiki | Fandom these so-called “gold plated” bearings are fake.
Are these also fake? YYF Center Trac Bearings by NSK – YoYoExpert
Or is Yoyo Wiki wrong?
Well they don’t have actual gold in them, obviously. They are built to a higher precision and I guess have special treatment on them. Imagine the smoothness of a 10 ball but multiply it by 10. Then imagine the life of a 10 ball and divide it by 10. They are different. I don’t think they are worth it, but that’s my decision.
Edit: I have been proven wrong. Maybe I should pick one up before bashing it. Lesson learned.
I believe that the yoyofactory bearings actually are gold plated.
They say gold plated. You make the decision not to buy with the knowledge that they aren’t actually gold plated as advertised, unlike most buyers who probably believe the false advertising and get it thinking it’s actually gold plated. It doesn’t cost very much to plate a bearing in gold; it’s certainly attainable with $20. I bet real gold would wear out quickly too, but I’d have to research whether or not it would be worth it. Maybe I’ll make real gold-plated bearings if it is.
Well, if the info I got from googling this is correct, the FTC requires that products labeled “gold plated” be covered in at least 20 micro-inches of gold. The first lawyer who sees this is gonna have a ball.
Oh cool, maybe I’ll get it. I’ve heard bad things about the fake gold bearings but good things about the YYF gold bearings. The lifespan issues seem to be worst with the fake ones. I’m sure it’s not good with real ones, but I don’t really care too much about them lasting forever, as long as they don’t die within a couple weeks.
My friend bought one of the YYF gold bearings and they give you super long spin times.
Most, if not all, gold bearings are actually plated in gold. Of course, it’s a very little amount of gold, and since gold is so soft, that’s why the gold wears off so quickly. I wouldn’t recommend these bearings for everyday throwing, maybe if you can afford to, put them in your yoyo for a contest or competition.
I think I’ll edit that wiki and turn it into reliable information. :
I Love those YYF Gold Center Tracks.
Though I was a bit skeptical, I discovered they provide a new feel to some YoYo’s that otherwise were just OK. They spin great !!
They also clean quite easily with just a quick bath in some acetone, and blow dry with canned air all while spinning on a chopstick. Do Not Lube Them.
They and the ceramic KK’s are my two bearings of choice.
1 Like
I’ve been messing with yoyos now, since 1998. I have Always been focused on ‘getting better performance’ out of yoyos. No matter now well they play when I get them; I like to try…‘try’ to see if I can get them to play/spin, a little better.
I started Customizing cars and Harley motorcycles in the early 70’s. I didn’t just change this or that. My first 55 Chevy could almost jump off the pavement, lol. My Harley could be seen with only the rear tire in contact with the road. I would Always try to bring out the Monster in whatever I was hot rodding.
When I got my first Yoyo in 98, within a day, I was trying to make it spin better, etc.
To me, it was just a little hotrod, with less moving parts.
I have Never invented anything. Obviously, I am just not the Inventor type, lol.
But I have been known to ‘alter things’.
I stated the above, simply to give a better insight into what I am going to say next>
I am not into gimmicks. I do not fall for dreamy descriptions or overblown advertising.
I can almost immediately distinguish if something is: part of a problem or part of the solution. I have been at this for quite some time.
I have hundreds of yoyos… And I mean literally hundreds. I have 5 YYF gold bearings. At any given time, I decide which half dozen yoyos will be on my play list.
I most often, change the gold bearings into most of the yoyos I have in the top six play bag.
I say ‘most’ for a reason. Years ago, I decided that One Drop put certain bearings in their yoyos because that is how they wanted them to be. So, I just play my One Drops, the way they come.
So currently, my play rotation is: Werrd Irony JP 2013… Gold CT bearing, MF Ape-X…Gold CT bearing, YYF Too Hot… Gold CT bearing, Turning Point Paranoid…Gold CT bearing, YYF Shutter…Gold CT bearing, One Drop T1… Stock.
So what did all that typing mean to prove? Not much, hahaha. But I love the Gold Center Trac bearings.
And I have ‘No’ budget constraints. And I am pretty darn particular when it comes to anything Yoyo performance related. I refuse to mess with lame bearings. I see no purpose to it.
There are plenty of good bearings available today. And they don’t have to be expensive or curved or ‘treated’ or full ceramic, or grooved or ‘just flat’, etc.
But… If you want to use a center trac type bearing. And you want to bounce for a gold version. You will most likely have good results with it.
I only have 5, because I originally got 5 and none have ‘tanked’ on me yet, lol.
No scam
1 Like
I tried a few yoyos with the gold CT’s and they all spun like butter…
I need to get some myself…
I’m sold - Mo, do you clean your gold CTXs? If so what’s your preferred technique?
The article refers to Taka bearings. I used to see them on another store.
don’t knock em till you try em.
they are amazing in any throw. definitely worth the price.
when you get tired of crappy loud bearings, you know just where to go
I never gave a crap about anyone’s “fancy bearings” until I got some of the Gold CT from YYF.
Seriously amazing.
1 Like
I’m sold; someone who knows the specifics fix that YoyoWiki page. ;D
Says the dude who has two signatures from yyf.
Its actually good stuff. Really try one when they restock… COME ON BRO
If you haven’t noticed, Palli (Who is NOT on YYF) just vouched for them as well.
1 Like
Yes that National Master dude…
That dude that came up with 5A
That dude that has been judging yoyo Contests for years
That dude that has done yoyo demos all over the Planet
That dude that has been throwing a multitude of various yoyos for, going on 20 years
That dude that did the 365 Tricks adventure
That dude that could actually be considered a yoyo historian
That dude that has gone through hundreds of bearings over a period of years
Yup… and now he simply stated his own opinion about a certain bearing, regardless of any other conditions or affiliations.
That is the ‘dude’.
give yourself a cookie
4 Likes
The gold bearing I had was the best bearing I’ve ever had. It is a shame I got rid of it.