On 3/16/2021 at 5:09 AM, bulldog1935 said:

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Don't tell the cyclists, cause we make a lot of $ selling and installing after market ceramic or "super" bearings to them, but it's all hype. A properly lubed ABEC3 bearing will perform as well if not better than any other bearing.  I really like "Ultimate rotation capacity" and the whole "capable of carrying extra heavy lures". A barely (pun intended) lubed basic bearing with the seals removed will be the fastest, indeed most likely too fast. Oil viscosity discussion to follow.

All fair enough, but giving up spool bearing mass reduces inertia, which adds up in the light lures, cast distance, and especially backlash control considerations - making the low-inertia bearings both easier to start and easier to stop.

(really has nothing to do with a 175-lb cyclist bouncing along potholes - his concern comes from weight-weenie imagination)

 

You might notice between the spool bearing grades shown, there are notable differences between bearing-ball size, composition, and overall mass.  I think it's fair to assume the bearings made just for light lures improve that task, and are under-qualified for throwing meat and spider-weights - there's certainly a difference in contact stress on the bearing balls and races.  

As far as Japanese language and limited ability for it to transliterate into English, it makes more sense to them if it stays in their language, and when they beta-google us, we sound just as silly to them.  They're just nicer about it.  

 

Bearing oil viscosity -  well, my surf reel with full zirconia spool bearings, there's a notable response difference in mag-brake effect (lost a bit of Lenz there) - though virtually mass-less and low inertia, and they otherwise don't need any oil,  I have to use a higher viscosity bearing oil to get a backlash-free 100-m cast with meat and spider-weight.  The real purpose of this bearing choice is the reel getting washed in surf slurry.  

Imho the Hedgehog Air BFS bearings do make a noticeable difference when casting really light presentations, so long are you are running the reel more or less wide open.  Once I start adding braking/spool tension, the gap between them and flushed/oiled stock bearings drops a lot. 
 

They also make a hell of a racket on the cast.