Modern Vespa

My question is: How much warning does a rear bearing give before it completely grinds to a halt? My situation is: I'm in Green River, Utah, about a thousand miles from my home in the SF Bay Area. My rear wheel has developed an intermittent squeak. When I turn the wheel by hand there's a hint of a rubbing sound. Or maybe it's just me being paranoid. About 1,500 miles ago I replaced the outer/greased rear bearing, so I'm guessing the inner/wet bearing might be the problem.

I think my choices are to either try making it home on my squeaky wheel, or heading north a few hundred miles to Salt Lake City, where I think there might be a Vespa fix-it shop.

Any informed opinions are welcome. Thanks.

It will be fine, just continue with your ride and deal with it whenever. (you are being paranoid)

Can't say you can go 1000 miles but a squeak is OK. You can wait until home to replace the bearings. My motorcycle developed a squeak and the bearings were 15 years old and it made it home.

A rubbing sound could just be the brake pads rubbing on the disc and they can give a speaking sound too.

It's often hard to tell exactly what noises are what without taking the calliper off.

Bilbo, ok so bearings that are failing don't normally squeak, never ever heard one do that. They initially make a whining noise which gets louder and louder as the bearing wears over time and as the engine gearbox hub unit warms up, and then eventually goes to a rumble and grumble. Then they break if you don't fix them. I'm sure what you can hear is the disc pad/s squeaking gently against the brake disc. Mine does that too and is perfectly normal. Some days it's worse than others, and often it doesn't make the squeak at all. The inner hub bearings, as you say are lubricated with gearbox hub oil so they don't actually ever wear out until you hit really really high mileages of 90,000 + miles and even then they give you lots and lots of warning. I've only ever replaced the gearbox hub bearings in one bike so far because the owner never ever changed the gear hub oil. Not common at all to have them go.

Thanks to you all, this was great news to wake up to a thousand miles from home. Next time I near noises I'll seek psychological counseling first, and only with better evidence worry that the sky is falling.

An unworried mind is a wonderful thing. Thank you.

Ah...I didn't say the sky would not fall in! That's still worth worrying about....