I'm not a good source for information on that subject. I keep my wheel bearings lubed and have never had any issues.

Maybe Jim, Scot or another member will pipe up.

• Let's start with the basics, shall we ? Front or rear ? What year and what model ?

This is not good. Pull the axle and drop the wheel and inspect the bearings and races. If the races fall out easily this is a major issue. I would defer to Scott on this. My '73 is not exactly the same with its drum front brake hub. I have no specific experience with disc brake hubs. You might try pulling the innards out of the hub and greasing the bearings and torquing the axle and then the the pinch bolts to spec. Be aware, the races are installed with what is called an interference fit and the hub would normally have to be heated to safely remove or install the races without damaging the hub. On my '73, the the parts between the bearings have to be shimmed to achieve proper bearing pre-load (tightness) when the axle nut is torqued.

Also,...I would say that your bike is and will remain UN-SAFE to ride until you get the front hub and wheel bearings figured out. Try contacting the southern California Airmarshal and see if he can direct you to a local member to help you assess your issue in person. It might be the case where your front wheel hub has been improperly assembled in the past and there might be parts missing from the internal wheel bearing assembly, or external spacers missing or in-correctly installed. Even an error in the shimming, by itself, should not allow enough wobble to dislodge the seal.

I downloaded and looked at the photo. It shows the seal displaced, but it is a little bit too dark right down in the axle area to see what all is there.
Below is a link to the MAX BMW on-line parts fiche.

https://shop.maxbmw.com/fiche/DiagramsMain.aspx?vid=51657&rnd=07242017

It shows all the parts in the front hub. Pay particular attention to parts number 3, 4, 5, and 8. The part not numbered is commonly called the "wedding band" this is the spacer that comes in various thicknesses for shimming the bearing stack to get the desired pre-load on the bearings.

Sorry, I couldn't get it to down load last night.

Dual disc brake model with ATE and snowflake mag.... which is improperly balanced !

Bearings are shot.

► ► The best way to proceed with this is to check the date on the mag itself. It seems to be a pre-1983 snowflake which BMW will replace for free. Included with the replacement snowflake will be NEW WHEEL BEARINGS, new seals, and new axle.
https://www.airheads.org/techtips/96-tt-36-wheels-and-tires/520-19-inch-front-snowflake-wheel-recall

1978 R100RS apparently with the wheels that got recalled..something new I just learned

I spotted your faulty wheel because I have been through this myself. I just happened to read a VERY good description on another forum, It's much more detailed than Snowbum's.

Read Here: https://forum.boxerworks.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9840&hilit=SNOWFLAKE+RECALL#p118568

Here Is the Official BMW Recall Notice which you'll need because it contains the BMW and NTSB file numbers you'll be quoting to the BMW Warranty Center.

This is a long process. You need to remain calm, and tell everyone Please and Thank You. Be the nicest, sweetest self you can be, because without having these people on your side, you can kiss your new wheel goodbye. The information in that article will make YOU the most informed person of all the BMW people you talk to. You'll be teaching the very people that would normally be telling you. So the tables will be reversed and there WILL be confusion on their part.

• First let me make this very clear... This is NOT a simple "recall", nor is it a "warranty issue". It is a National Transportation Safety Board action against BMW. By US Federal Law, they MUST replace your wheel if they have remaining stock. (And they do.) Federal Law is on your side, so you don't need to argue with anyone. You won't even need to raise your voice. You need to know this going in because most people you're going to talk to think this "offer" expired long ago. But it didn't because NTSB recalls NEVER expire.

• When you call BMW North America warranty center (800-525-7417) realize that this issue is NOT in their computer system because the 1983 issue PRE-DATES the common use of computers ! So you'll need to tell them the NTSB recall file number. They will take the information and call you back in about 2 weeks.

• YOU also need to tell BMW North America that they are out of stock on the un-painted wheel, but there is a substitute (painted gold) that you will accept. YOU will be giving them the gold painted wheel part number (PN 36 31 1 238 960). (The guy on the phone is a BMW car guy, so you'll know way more than he will. The kid I talked to wasn't even born in 1983 !!)

• DO NOT mention the bad wheel bearings to anyone. They don't have to honor this if the bike is not in "running condition". So you'll just trailer the bike to the dealership and act very surprised when they tell you the wheel bearings are gone. "Gosh, darn. Well, I've been hearing some noises, but I didn't know."

• BMW North America will ask for some photos of the date code on the wheel (like in my photo), the engine number , and a photo of the whole bike. Have all those codes and numbers ready for them. Have JPG photos ready to email them. If you don't know how to take photos and send them, then it's worth $1000 for you to learn !!

• I highly suggest you take a new tire and tube with you when you are finally told to take your bike to the nearest BMW dealer. So get that lined up too.

• The whole deal takes between 2 and 3 months, but you'll end up with a brand new gold snowflake mag with new seals, bearing, axle, everything (except brake rotors). And it's all at ZERO cost to you, courtesy of the NTSB and BMW.

Hope this helps.

Any follow up to report ?

Hey Mr Wobbly,
I succumbed to taking the wheel to a local guy and not to happy about it.
I started reading about what you guys said about the front wheels, the heating of the hubs.and I kinda felt it was beyond me. so now its in the hands of a guy I'm not sure about. or at least his customer service at this point. keep you posted. thanks for checking in and have great holiday

Hey Mr Wobbly,
I succumbed....

You've used the exact right word.... "Succumbed". Because if/when this wheel breaks, you'll be Dead. Do you not understand that there is a NTSB mandatory recall on this wheel exactly because Airhead riders have died ?

Did you even read the previous information ? Was there any part of "FREE replacement" that you could not understand ? Did you not see this photo...

These are serious questions because I'm always trying to improve my writing technique for clarity, meaningful content, and when it's necessary a proper sense of urgency. I'm simply asking how I can improve. Maybe your widow will have a few words ?