Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

WORKBENCH By Brian Catterson Grease monkey ast week we answered a read er's . question about ca ble lubrication, so thi s week we thought we' d ta ke it a step further and di scu ss motorcycle lubrication in general. Regular lubrication is probably the best way to increase the life expecta ncy of your bike. Unfortunately, like most of the topics we've covered in Workbench thus far, it is often o verlooked. In order 10' carry out a proper lube job, you 'll need a supply of the correct chemicals/lubricants su ch as light machine oil and waterproof grease. You 'd also be better off with another one of those countless specialized tools which greatly ease maintenance procedures - namely, a grease gun. First, there 're a number of bearings on any bike which need to be greased at regular intervals (usually spelled out in your owner's manual). Bearings are generally found in your wheels, steering head, single-shock linkages and . swingarm pivots (although the latter may have bushings rather than bearings). Swingarrn pivots and sh ock linkages typically co me from the factory with grease fittings in stalled, and this is where you'll need your grease gun. To lube these components, simply push the tip of the grease gun hos e over the g rea se filling and squeeze. Keep sq ueezing until grease oozes out of the co m po nent 's ed ges. This not only ensures that you 've co m p letely lubed the part, but also pushes out som e of the grit which may have accumulated inside. L There are exce p tio ns, of co urse : si nce the swi ngarm o n Ducati Pantahpowered mot or cycl es pivo ts in the engine cases and is lubed by motor o il, it does not require grease. Ho wever , a little bit can 't hurt. In order to grease wheel bearings, yo u' ll need to remove the wh eels from the bike, and then remove the dust sea ls from th e wh eel hubs. Dip a finger in your tub of grease (no sniveling!) and coat the bearings liberally. If you're smart, yo u'll lube the wheel bearings every time yo u change your tires. (It 's called " kill ing two birds with one stone." ) . Since many bikes (especially dirt bikes) have sealed wheel bearings, all yo u really need to do is coat the axle and its co lla r with grease. If your bike has drum brakes, you shou ld also lube the brake shoe cam and p ivo t, and the backing p late bushing. To grease the steering head bearings on most bikes, you'll need 10 lift the bike up o n a work stand or on its centerstand, Loosen the upper triple clamp nut and pinch bolts, and gently lift th e upper triple clamp. Next, loosen the knurled steering head nut (some bikes, such as Moto Cuzzis, do not hav e th is) with your fingers or tape-covered pliers and smear grease on the upper bearings. To lube ·the lower steering head bearings, carefully lift the steering head itself until you can just see th e bearings, and apply grease al! before. A word of caution here: If yo ur bike has indi vid ual (u ncaged) ball bearings, Friday - Saturday - Sunday March 23rd-24th-25th be careful not 10 li ft th e steering head too far o r the bea rings will fall out. This usuall y resu lts in a ga rage-wide sea rc h a nd/or a trip to the parts counter fo r missing bearings. Reassemble th e steering head a nd tighten it 10 the point that th ere's no slop, but th at the forks will turn 10 the side without resistance when nudged. Smart owners will drill and tap their steering heads 10 accept grease fittings - one each near the top and bottom will suffice. There are few modifications yo u can make to a motorcycle wh ich will do more to ease mainte- nance. Also, tapered roller bearing kits are available to fit most models not so equipped. These not o n ly prevent the loss of bearings, but also increase rigidity. Light machine oil should generally be a pp lied to any point of movement, . not only to reduce friction, but also to prevent rust: the fuel petcockts): clutch and brake lever and pedal pivot c""'esee andtallct0tbe new fact, F,;:" SUZuki R.aceHOTTEsT befo'ear Tea",. On (12 _ 8 /ce L b;g 'ace he P ·m.) Ron .,.,.aFlocco . BOb HChenot Guv C annah Latty w.0lJret and I\f atd A•• '1'1/ 8";d/:l .t1~0 _;sto"e 8 ell _S1I"/0/J S/JecthOe; "'0 °REI 1-800-237-8159 CA Ma il Orde r Only 1-800-367-9464 Out of State Mai; Orde r Only Wo rk~nch is a weekly col umn dealing with m ot orcycle m ainten ance. perfo rma nce and equi p ment, Have something tha t Work~ch em address? Then drop a line to Workbench, Cyck Netus, P.O. Box 498, Long Beach , CA 90801-6498. All NeVY Honda Yamaha Kavyasski Suzuki MX Pants All Teams i n stock Reg. 899.95 NoVY SUZUKI BLOW·OUT! 1989 RM250 WeAre U.S. #1 Volume Suzuki Dealer. Sale Extravaganza of 1990 Guaranteed: we will not be undersold points; bra ke actuating arm pi vots , linkages a nd stay arms; kic ks tarter lever pivot; Iootpeg pi vots; and sideand centerstands. It 's also a good idea to lube beneath the throttle twi st gri p . We recommend using dry graphite (no t liqu id graphite) here, since grease and oil attract dust and may ca use the throttle to stick , defeating the purpose. Speaking of grit, it 's always best to use just enough lube to do the job, and to wipe away the excess so that it doesn 't act like a d irt magnet. Also , ensure that everything you lube is clean before you lu be it. Light machine oil sprayed directly on the part and wiped with a rag will usu ally take care of that, Do n't forget to lube your chain. If you're not sure how to do this, we covered it in our January 31 issue . And finally , although it's no t really "l ubrication," a liberal application of light machine oi l (or a protectant such as Armor-all ) goes a long way toward improving and protecting th e appearanceof frames, wheels, exhaust systems and (especially) black-painted engines. And yo u'd be amazed how much easier it is to hose mud off yo ur dirt bike (try it under your fenders). Save $800! ---1990 DR350 ON SALE _--1989 ...... RMX250 $39.99 Super Tuff T ie Dovyns Reg. 814.99 NoVY $6.99 a pair Pink-Blue Green Yellovy Black Max 4 per person Bell Moto IV Reg . 8199 NoVY Save $99.95 $800! SNELL approved R~DT'~ THE MOTORCYCLE MALL ... ·r=.~~ er 900 W Foo t h ill Blvd., Azusa, CA 818-334-1288 15

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