New Bike Prep (or lack of)

[KXcam22]

Serves me right.  I always regrease the steering head bearings on all my new bike before I ride them.  I didn't this time (lazy). I went to change the 450's fork oil and yikes, somethings not right with the steering. Here's the bottom bearing race, new bike 20 hrs on the meter and only one visit to the pressure washer.  Was an odd grease in there, more like a paste than a grease. Hmmm. Cam.

[BDI]

http://www.alco-metalube.com/index.html

[BDI]

Did you check out the alco metal lube stuff from what I'm told it is the end all be all of greas. I have a tube of it and it weights two too three times as much as a regular tube of greas. I'm told it's what the navy uses for everything.

[kxpegger]

Serves me right.  I always regrease the steering head bearings on all my new bike before I ride them.  I didn't this time (lazy). I went to change the 450's fork oil and yikes, somethings not right with the steering. Here's the bottom bearing race, new bike 20 hrs on the meter and only one visit to the pressure washer.  Was an odd grease in there, more like a paste than a grease. Hmmm. Cam.

Just went through the same thing on my "07" RM250. Has about 90 hours on it now. Bottom bearing was toast but the top one was fine. Same thing though! Some cheap tan/brownish grease that was used had completely dried out. Would notice that the steering felt locked up after sitting in the garage between rides. Would apply more force than I thought should be neccessary to move the steering off the stop and then it would feel smooth again. After about two months of this it started to feel notchy also.

Lesson learned for me was that at the very first sign of trouble or before any signs of trouble suspension/steering bearings have now been put on a one year inspection and regrease and any new bikes I purchase from now on will be tore apart and greased with a top quality synthetic that is water resistant and will not dry out in the desert environment.

[KXcam22]

BDI,
 That alco looks interresting.  I have some similar pulp mill grease ($100/ tube) that I use occasionally for wicked applications.  I will assemble this with the belray waterproof grease-That stuff will stick to the outside of my skiboat prop after a few days at the lake. Cam.

[hughes]

I like the high temp wheel bearing grease (red). Been using for the last few years.

[Emerica5]

Yeah I probably should of checked my bike out when I first got it but I was a bit too excited to do so. I remember getting a CR80 from a dealership here in California 10 years back that had no oil in it, low coolant, and a drop of gas in the tank.