i've got been applying Black Panther Swiss bearings in a pair boards for some years. they have been sturdy and supply good velocity, sufficient to do grinds in the 9ft end of the pool. The ABEC score has little to do with velocity. It purely pertains to tolerances in manufacture and use in extreme velocity equipment. It has not something to do with the suitability of a bearing for skateboarding. for this reason maximum extreme-end bearings at the instant are not ABEC rated, as they are designed especially for skateboards.
They can be between a 9 and 10 or they can be a 1. The ABEC number is basically useless for skate bearings. It is related to vibration at very high speeds (over 200 mph on a board). The tight tolerances on the high ABEC ratings can actually slow you down which is why the high end company (Bones, Zero Drag, Twin Cam) all make bearings without any ABEC rating as their top bearings. However, there is a spec called precision that is really sloppy and was in common use before people started getting ABEC 1 bearings for the consistency. The biggest thing that 99% of the people will see as a difference in speed of the bearing is the lubricant that they maker put in the bearings. Grease will be slow at first until it is pushed mostly to the side but it lasts the longest before you need to relubricate or replace the bearings. Oil is the fastest but doesn't last long. Gels are in between in speed and life.
