Hey folks, I was just sorta curious about why my Raptor spin time was so short. Is it because of my bearing? I mean, I use 50/50 string, with the SG Duncan Response pads which seem fine to me, but is it the because of the bearing? Almost every single person I know or see with an all metal yoyo throw in a bearing of their own, which I do not have. Is it because their bearing is bad in some way? I have only worn out the factory lube it came with and put in some YYJ Thin Lube, but I have yet to clean it. So if the bearing is the problem, how can I fix it? Put in a better one or just clean it? (I will need to buy lighter fluid)
Try cleaning it. Use Pure Acetone, Lighter fluid, or Mineral spirits. Then shake the bearing up in a small container with the fluid. Put it on a pencil and then use compressed air or canned air or something to blow all the moisture off.
Sounds like you’ve over-lubed your bearing. Buy some lighter fluid or acetone. Deshield our bearing and clean it, there’s plenty of methods you can find by googling, searching here or youtube. That should help tremendously.
I already know how to clean it, thanks for the directional suggestion. But do any of you guys know if the standard C bearing it came with should be replaced for better performance? I see demo’s and all the other people using the Duncan Raptor going on for like a whole intricate set of tricks in just 1 throw, then they tell me they replaced their bearing because the old one was “sh*tty”. Is that the case?
I just ask all this because I’m going on vacation soon to HK, where I most likely will be able to buy new gear, but I don’t think I need to buy a new $100 yo-yo yet having that the Raptor itself can perform as well as the high-end yoyo’s. So I just kinda wanted to make the Raptor as good as possible or to it’s highest potential at the lowest cost, and I don’t think bearings cost that much =P
P.S. I know I sound like a newbie to have 1660 posts but I quit yo-yoing for a year so yea, I forgot most of the detailed information in regards to yo-yoing.
The standard bearing should be just fine, I had no issues with it, and it performed as well as my higher end throws. If you quit you probably need to get back into it a little more.
Technique earned through experience can reduce your loss of spin time. Muscle memory; correcting tilt on the fly, cleaner string hits, a good throw, and just overall heightened awareness. This could be a factor in loss of spin time. Also, as previously mentioned, bearing cleanliness, lube, and response can affect spin time.
Sometimes people that have been throwing for a long time make things look way to easy.
If none of these things are your problem, then your bearing is most likely bad. Which bearing is best is subjective and personal preference. There are many discussions/reviews/information about bearings available here via the YYE search bar. I use standard 8-balls, but that’s my preference.
I’ve had my raptor for about a year. It still has the original bearing, and it still works great. It can handle pretty much anything I throw at it. I can do longer combos on a Cliff, but hey… it’s a CLIFF.
Skeletonboy, if I remember right, you were on the forums a lot more right when the Raptor came out, and I believe you were all about the Raptor then. I am going to assume that you have the same Raptor, and that was about the time I got mine, So I am going to assume your yoyo and bearing are as old as mine.
The bearings that were in them back then were not very good. The one that came with my Raptor has locked up. I’ve kept it clean, but it did tarnish and develop some mild rust over time. The only other bearings I have had do that were from a Pocket Pros yoyo. I do not believe they are stainless steel like other brands. I have replaced it with a SPEC. I noticed that Duncan started using a different bearing when I got my Echo. Now they are using Concave and stainless steel bearings like everyone else.
In other words, if you have an older Raptor, it probably has a cheap crappy bearing in it. Duncan doesn’t even use those bearings anymore, and I think that’s the reason why.
Hakysak, I don’t recognize your name, but I do recognize your avatar Yea I was that crazy guy who seemed like I was advertising for Duncan XD Glad to see you here!
Thanks for the important info.
And thank you homba for those insightful tips, but I prefer to work on my biceps more =P
Oh, just wanted to also know that if I was actually to buy a new bearing to replace the current one on the Raptor, which one would be better?
I know it’s more so of a preference between KK bearings, 10 balls and those types, but I’m clueless of which brand. There are tons of different yo-yo stores that sell different brands of the same type of bearings, so I’d like to ask specifically where I can get them and/or why. For example, I have yet to research a difference between YYJ AND YYF bearings…or maybe different brands of KK bearings…or really anything. LOL
I personally find General Yo AIGR and OD Flat 10 Balls to be the best, but a lot of people seem to like the Twisted Trifecta bearing, but as I said earlier, I find that I get similar performance from a flat 10 ball.
Mmmm, I don’t really favor the 10 Balls because I’m not really looking for smoothness, more so spin time. I was looking at the Crucial Grooved Bearings and they looked pretty nice for their price. Which do you think will affect my spin time more? CG/KK Bearings or the 10 Ball/AIGR Bearings?
I can’t reccomend Buddha Co. Bearings enough. Their ripple bearings are amazing and are way more economical than other centered bearings. Even their flat tenballs are amazing and are wallet friendly! Check’em out!
Damn, I only see the Buddha Ripple to be only sold by ■■■■■■■■■■■.com and apparently there’s only 1 type of shipping, the 30$ one. =_=
I think I’ll get the Twisted Trifecta one, seems similar, and there is more information about it, even arguing it’s better than the Buddha Ripple.
