A bearing support assembly adapted to support and damp radial vibration of a rotor shaft of a vertical motor is disclosed. The bearing support assembly has a thrust bearing adapted to couple to a rotor shaft and carry axial thrust loads along an axial axis, and a radial magnetic damping apparatus having one or more magnetic field-producing members adapted to provide a radially-acting magnetic force to act upon the rotor shaft to reduce radial vibration thereof. Vertical motors and methods of operating the vertical motors are disclosed, as are other aspects.