Factory-Links

09/02/2026

Wheel play isn’t where bearing failure begins.

A wheel bearing can already be deteriorating long before you feel noticeable movement at the wheel.

Contamination can compromise lubrication, leading to corrosion and surface damage. From there, increased friction, roughness and noise may develop before excessive play ever becomes obvious.

In our latest Tech Article, we look inside the progression of wheel bearing failure and explain why sealing, lubrication, bearing precision and regular inspection all matter in demanding off-road conditions.

THE KEY TAKEAWAY:
Don’t wait for the wheel to move before paying attention to what your bearings are telling you.

Read the full article:
https://shopfactorylinks.com/blogs/tech-articles/motorcycle-wheel-bearing-failure

Explore Factory Links wheel bearing kits at shopfactorylinks.com or visit the Factory Links Amazon Store at shopfactorylinks.com/amazon.

SEAL YOUR RIDE.

08/25/2026

🏆 2026 EMX250 EUROPEAN CHAMPION!

Congratulations to Francisco Garcia and Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki on securing the 2026 FIM EMX250 European Championship at the MXGP of the Netherlands in Arnhem.

Garcia clinched the title with a second-place finish in the opening moto, capping a dominant championship campaign that has included six overall victories and 15 moto wins through the first 11 rounds.

Teammate Jake Cannon also continued his strong season at Arnhem and currently sits 3rd in the EMX250 Championship standings with one round remaining.

Factory Links is proud to support Garcia, Cannon and the entire Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki team throughout an outstanding 2026 season. Congratulations to Francisco and everyone at BUD Racing on an incredible achievement.

Factory Links: Race Tested. Championship Proven.

08/17/2026

🇸🇪 PERFECT WEEKEND IN SWEDEN!
Francisco Garcia returned to EMX250 competition in dominant fashion at the MXGP of Sweden, sweeping both motos at Uddevalla for a 1–1 overall victory aboard his Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki.

After missing the previous round due to injury, Garcia wasted no time getting back to the front, earning his sixth overall win of the season and extending his EMX250 championship lead to 87 points.

Teammate Jake Cannon battled back from a difficult opening moto to deliver a strong P2 in Race 2, putting the two BUD Racing Kawasakis 1–2 at the finish.

🏁 Garcia: 1–1 | P1 Overall
🏁 Cannon: 13–2 | P6 Overall

Another impressive weekend for our partners at Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki and another demanding test for the equipment beneath them.

Factory Links. Built for racing. Proven at the highest level.

08/10/2026

P2 AT RED BULL ROMANIACS

Five days. The Carpathian Mountains. Some of the toughest terrain in Hard Enduro.

Congratulations to Sherco Factory Racing's Teodor Kabakchiev on an outstanding 2nd-place finish at the 2026 Red Bull Romaniacs, with teammate Lorenzo Gandola also putting his Sherco inside the Gold-class top 10 in 7th.

Romaniacs is more than a test of rider skill. It's an extreme test of the entire motorcycle — through water, mud, fine silt, heat, impacts and relentless terrain.

As an Official OEM Supplier to Sherco and Official Bearing & Linkage Partner of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, Factory Links is proud to support machines and riders competing where reliability matters most.

Congratulations to Teodor, Lorenzo and the entire Sherco team.

Factory Links. Built for conditions like these.
Learn more: shopfactorylinks.com

08/03/2026

When riders think about bearing contamination, deep mud is usually the first thing that comes to mind. In reality, that's only part of the story.

Fine silt consists of microscopic, flour-like particles that are far smaller than most riders realize. That tiny particle size is exactly what makes it so dangerous to wheel bearings.

These particles are small enough to work past worn or damaged seals. Once inside the bearing, they mix with grease to form an abrasive paste that accelerates wear from the inside out.

The problem usually isn't obvious until bearings begin to feel rough, develop play, or fail unexpectedly. Understanding how contamination enters your wheel bearings is the first step toward preventing premature failure.

📖 Learn More
Read our latest Tech Article:
"What Red Bull Romaniacs Reveals About Bearing Survival."
shopfactorylinks.com/romaniacs

🛒 Find Factory Links Wheel Bearing Kits
Browse the Factory Links Amazon Store:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/6FD307C1-8B7B-4016-8F5A-F5BF9573ECBD?ingress=0&visitId=59f3dba7-f00e-4eff-a4df-6b83ebb98968

OEM and Race Series bearing kits for off-road motorcycles—built to handle mud, water, and hard miles. Shop Factory Links for performance and reliability.

07/29/2026

As Red Bull Romaniacs begins in Sibiu, Romania, riders and motorcycles alike are preparing for one of the toughest tests in hard enduro.

While the spotlight is on the riders, every water crossing, rock garden, and mile of abrasive terrain is also testing the components hidden inside the motorcycle.

Our latest Tech Article explores what one of the world's most demanding hard enduro events reveals about motorcycle wheel bearing survival... and why contamination, impacts, heat, and pressure matter more than many riders realize.

SEAL YOUR RIDE.

Read the full article:
🔗 shopfactorylinks.com/romaniacs

07/14/2026

This past weekend at the legendary Southwick National, Francisco Garcia and Jake Cannon made their AMA Pro Motocross 250 Class debuts, taking on a stacked 43-rider field at one of the sport's most demanding sand tracks.

Garcia impressed with an 8th Overall finish, while Cannon showcased his speed by qualifying second fastest before battling through adversity to finish 18th Overall.

Factory Links is proud to support Bud Racing's commitment to developing talented riders by delivering the race-proven components they rely on to perform at the highest levels of international competition.

Photos: Swapmoto Live

07/08/2026

At first glance, most tapered roller bearings look similar. But the real difference isn't what you see – it's the precision of the internal geometry.

Factory Links OEM Series® Steering Stem Bearings are manufactured with precisely matched cone angles between the inner race, outer race, and rollers. When these geometries intersect correctly at a single point on the bearing centerline, the rollers achieve true rolling contact rather than sliding across the raceways.

Why does that matter?

True rolling contact helps reduce friction, distribute steering loads more evenly, minimize heat buildup, and promote smooth, predictable steering performance over the life of the bearing.

It's a detail most riders never see... but it's one of the reasons precision engineering matters every time you turn the bars.

Learn more about Factory Links OEM Series® Steering Stem Bearing Kits at the link below.
https://shopfactorylinks.com/blogs/tech-articles/steering-stem-bearing-guide

07/06/2026

🚀 Congratulations to Francisco Garcia on earning a place with the Kawasaki Racing Team MX2 for next season!

Francisco's outstanding performances with Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki have earned him the opportunity to step up to the FIM MX2 World Championship, joining the factory Kawasaki effort alongside Mathis Valin.

As a proud technical partner of Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki, Factory Links is excited to see another talented rider progress through one of Europe's premier rider development programs.

Congratulations to Francisco, BUD Racing, and everyone involved. We look forward to following the next chapter of his journey.

Read the official announcement: https://www.kawasaki.eu/en/news/2026/july/francisco-garcia-moves-to-mx2-with-krt.html

07/04/2026