Bought a Harley? Another recomendation!

[trmn8r]

Just something I felt should be passed along. It kind of goes hand in hand with ole Ocho Ball's post not long ago about greasing the swingarm bushings.

I just recently did my 20,000 mile service. I didn't at the time grease the neck bearings. I felt... hey it was greased when it was new...dealer should have checked it for predelivery (I mean what did I pay them $500 or whatever it was for? I forget exact amount) figured dealer checked it at the 1000 mile service that was included with the purchase. I was lazy and forgot it at 5000, 10000, and 15000 miles my bad there... the grease zert is hard to get to... I cant get my grease gun on it without pulling outer fairing... if it was 15* or 20* further to the left on the stem it would be a snap!

Anyway moral of story, I was just reconnecting my stock antenna wire, cause I put J&M's on it so I could use the CB again, and took off the hidden amplified antenna in the fairing. Since I had the fairing off I remembered OH YEA get the grease gun ya dummy!

I did.

It took 175 pumps of the handle to get ANY grease out of it... your supposed to grease it till grease comes out top and bottom of neck. It came out the top on me first and I stopped there at 25000 I will check it and surely it wont take so much... maybe it'll come out the bottom that time?
How much grease is 175 pumps of the handle I wonder... d damn lot I know for sure. When the grease came out it was the new stuff I was putting in ... same color... I was forcing no old grease out for sure.

Anyway, just a warning dont assume the factory or dealer greases ANYTHING. The bearings were probably hand coated with grease at assembly and that was it. I doubt I did any damage in 20000 miles... not a lot of stress on those bearings I wouldn't think... and the fallaway test has been fine at each service. Still bugs me to know the dealer was as lazy as I was. :)

[8-Ball]

what makes you think they actually did the fall away test...

[jimmymac]

Just something I felt should be passed along. It kind of goes hand in hand with ole Ocho Ball's post not long ago about greasing the swingarm bushings.

I just recently did my 20,000 mile service. I didn't at the time grease the neck bearings. I felt... hey it was greased when it was new...dealer should have checked it for predelivery (I mean what did I pay them $500 or whatever it was for? I forget exact amount) figured dealer checked it at the 1000 mile service that was included with the purchase. I was lazy and forgot it at 5000, 10000, and 15000 miles my bad there... the grease zert is hard to get to... I cant get my grease gun on it without pulling outer fairing... if it was 15* or 20* further to the left on the stem it would be a snap!

Anyway moral of story, I was just reconnecting my stock antenna wire, cause I put J&M's on it so I could use the CB again, and took off the hidden amplified antenna in the fairing. Since I had the fairing off I remembered OH YEA get the grease gun ya dummy!

I did.

It took 175 pumps of the handle to get ANY grease out of it... your supposed to grease it till grease comes out top and bottom of neck. It came out the top on me first and I stopped there at 25000 I will check it and surely it wont take so much... maybe it'll come out the bottom that time?
How much grease is 175 pumps of the handle I wonder... d damn lot I know for sure. When the grease came out it was the new stuff I was putting in ... same color... I was forcing no old grease out for sure.

Anyway, just a warning dont assume the factory or dealer greases ANYTHING. The bearings were probably hand coated with grease at assembly and that was it. I doubt I did any damage in 20000 miles... not a lot of stress on those bearings I wouldn't think... and the fallaway test has been fine at each service. Still bugs me to know the dealer was as lazy as I was. :)


Get yourself a grease gun with a hose end. I've had no trouble getting to that grease fitting.

[Jams]

Are you sure that you didn't have an air lock in the grease gun?

If the gun is not primed you can pump until the cows come home and never move any grease.

That many pumps should have the entire cavity of the neck filled with grease which depending on what type you used may run like water on hot days.

[8-Ball]

I put a 90º fitting on mine. It took forever to pump that neck up with grease... I was having trouble with the gun too... I used a cartridge and a half... but I think only about a cartridge went in there. It came out the bottom first on mine, then a few pumps later, it came out the top. The grease was black at first so I kept pumping until they were both green. It was a bit of a mess to clean up the oozed out grease.

I used belray's waterproof and none of it has ever come out, even on over 100 degree days.

[Luke611]

Get yourself a grease gun with a hose end. I've had no trouble getting to that grease fitting.

Or an angled zerk, they come in 45 and 90 degrees.

[dynageno]

I need an angled fitting of 43 degrees!
















I'm jus sayin'

[trmn8r]

what makes you think they actually did the fall away test...

At 5000, 10000, 15000 I did the fall away test, and it passed as per the service manual. I doubt they did it. I am even worried if they even changed the oil in it now at 1000 :blink:

[trmn8r]

Are you sure that you didn't have an air lock in the grease gun?

If the gun is not primed you can pump until the cows come home and never move any grease.

That many pumps should have the entire cavity of the neck filled with grease which depending on what type you used may run like water on hot days.

positive, couple of squirts on the ground around the corner before I ever started to make sure.

[Q-Dog]

Be affraid....
..be very affraid!

[trmn8r]

yea a 90* or 45* fitting should have been on my shopping list this morning when I went to town... now you remind me. :doh:

I was using white lithium waterproof grease I had for trailer bearing... (thats a boat trailer by the way Al so don't start on me :roflback: )

once it came out the top I stopped didn't want to make a huge mess with it in days to come... figured if its full to the top, it should make its way to the bottom by gravity. Hopefully wont have to many issues on hot days... but if I do at least I'll no its just a clean up the mess problem and not a a DAMN NOW I GOTTA REPLACE NECK BEARINGS problem. :D

[trmn8r]

Be affraid....
..be very affraid!

of? :Scared:

[Q-Dog]

At 5000, 10000, 15000 I did the fall away test, and it passed as per the service manual. I doubt they did it. I am even worried if they even changed the oil in it now at 1000 :blink:

...of this....

[trmn8r]

oh yea that... I went to Mobile 1 synthetic at 2500 anyway, didn't wait till 5000 now I am very glad I did ... just in case

[Q-Dog]

Never trust The Stealer.....

[trmn8r]

true that... live and learn... I should have known already I guess.

[TalonChief]

I put at least half a tube in mine at the 1K. Did the 5K this Saturday while I was installing the Thundermax. Didn't take too much to get it flowing out the ends.

I also decided to pull my rear axle to check for anti-seize. I was pleasantly surprised to find a light coating on it.

[Dinero]

I bought my bike at Horney Toad HD in Temple. It was a dealer trade and the original dealer ( I won't tell you their name, but their initials are Alamo HD in San Antonio) had set it up. The first thing I noticed was that the antennas were reversed. The one spot light was aiming up and the other down. The headlight gave me a good view of the fender that first night.

I don't take anything for granted, even from the "good" dealers. They just might have gotten it from one of the others.

[BigSwede]

I had my uncle (HD mechanic since he was a teenager) check the bike over after I took delivery. No problems noticed, thank god. I did the 1000 mile oil change and all the other checks myself. Was short on time for the 5000 mile service, so I took it to an indy and was able to watch him do it (I kinow, why wait and watch when I could do it myself, well, he didnt have to refer to the manual as I would have had to :)) and he did everything to spec. I will be changing my oil this weekend and plan to go over everything again just to be safe. Now if I could just decide on a good bike lift..........