I am looking for a grease to use in the head set of my 06 YZ450F Motocross Bike. I disassembled the entire bike to polish the frame after break in. I also wanted to go over the bike to retorque everything. My question is that I need a light weight grease that is super slick but will hold up to the demands of pressure. Being that is on a dirt bike used for competition, I would need it to resistant to dirt and water. I need advise! What does the expertise of the fourm reccomend. Thanks is advance for the help. Wes Woodin
Lubricants for motocross use.
- Thread starter Wes Woodin
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Bel-Ray water proof works really well for dirt bike bearings. it is the best I have found and it is resonably priced.
The Bel Ray aluminum complex grease in the tub at your local m/c store is good, but the best grease I've found so far for steering stems & linkages is Schaeffer's 221#2 or 238#2 and we've been using it in a number of bikes (XR's, CRF's, CR's, WRF's, etc) for years with exceptional results.
Either way, you're on the right track and ahead of most people by inspecting / greasing everything up front.
Either way, you're on the right track and ahead of most people by inspecting / greasing everything up front.
i tried the bel-ray for 2 years and was not impressed at all. so i went to mobil 1 grease and also amsoil s2000 grease. now i mix them and have good results. though i haven't been in as many mud races lately. good job on the teardown and re-grease. i didn't find but a smear of grease on the lower steering stem bearing of my 06yz250f (and the 01yz250f as well).
also, make sure you change the fork and shock fluid out as well. my shock fluid was horrible at 8.9 hours and the outer fork chamber oil was pretty bad as well.
also, make sure you change the fork and shock fluid out as well. my shock fluid was horrible at 8.9 hours and the outer fork chamber oil was pretty bad as well.
Kudos to you for checking this out.. Every new bike should be getting this service as dealer prep IMO, but it is rare. Any grease is better than none, but I prefer a dollop of either the M1 or Redline CV-2. You should also do it again halfway through the season, especially if power washing. Get a brush used to apply flux for soldering for greasing activities. For a real surprise, pull the swingarm, and linkage apart and observe the lack of grease in those critical areas, and don't forget the shock bearing at the top of the shock, a small coating on the inside of the throttle tube, and the collar there, clutch pivot... but I'm guessing if you are pulling the bike apart to polish and retorque, you probably know this....
I've used Bel-Ray waterproof for the last 20 years.
...and yes, every off-road bike should be tore down and (re) greased before riding it.
...and yes, every off-road bike should be tore down and (re) greased before riding it.
very best is maxima,redline,torco
Take your favorite grease and put a dab of it in the palm of your hand. Now mix in some water with your index finger and continue mixing it vigorously for a short while to see what happens. Does the grease stay put or does it come apart, thinning out & losing its tack, etc? Does the grease still cling to your hand or does it start to float away? Does it start milking up or is the water still clear?
If the grease starts milking up, then it's probably absorbing water and emulsifying, which is not a good for your bearings. Oil in the grease is washing out and your bearings will be left with tact and other additives instead of the proper amount of oil. If the grease thins our and doesn't cling well to your hand, then look for a different grease that clings better to your hand and doesn't milk up or seperate or thin out, etc. This is a very simple test any person can do and it doesn't cost a lot of money.
Bob the Oil Guy used to preach this test and it really opened my eyes on varoius greases that were 'supposed' to be water proof when in fact they were not. Schaeffers greases pass this test with flying colors compared to the many other greases I've tested and they work superb in the real world.
If the grease starts milking up, then it's probably absorbing water and emulsifying, which is not a good for your bearings. Oil in the grease is washing out and your bearings will be left with tact and other additives instead of the proper amount of oil. If the grease thins our and doesn't cling well to your hand, then look for a different grease that clings better to your hand and doesn't milk up or seperate or thin out, etc. This is a very simple test any person can do and it doesn't cost a lot of money.
Bob the Oil Guy used to preach this test and it really opened my eyes on varoius greases that were 'supposed' to be water proof when in fact they were not. Schaeffers greases pass this test with flying colors compared to the many other greases I've tested and they work superb in the real world.
aluminum complex greases are suppoed to be the most waterproof.
http://www.usace.army.mil/usace-docs/eng-manuals/em1110-2-1424/c-5.pdf
page 9 of this link gives a good side by side
page 9 of this link gives a good side by side
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