He ran this bike with no bearings so the races dug into the shaft... same thing on the bottom. i hope that groove won't interfere with the new bearings. i was going to put new tapered bearings on, but i'm afraid they won't slide over some parts of the shaft because the shaft is a little thicker right next to the worn out groove area... some people! the whole bearing kit is only $10 and maybe a 15 minute job!![]()