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Hi there,
A few things which has been wandering in my head and i thought i could put it out in the open for opinions.
A few mods which can save us a lot of money and time.Some of us might already be knowing about this or may be someone has already done this.
Anyways, here we go.
Most of the moving parts have bearings of some kind and have grease packed in it while assembly.Unfortunately, these parts/joints receive no care as they are operated to failure(till the lube goes dry resulting in metal to metal contact).
The design of many joints is such that either they cannot be disassembled easily just for lubing and so we simply watch it die.. There could be a cure if there was a way for periodic lubing of such joints which normally cannot be lubed up unless disassembled.
Mind you that the first indication of damage to bearing components happen mostly due to the lube getting oxidised, caking up,loosing efficiency,moisture etc.
If a regular source of fresh lube can be assured in and around such parts/bushes, damages would be almost nil and hence the extensive labour involved.Many older motorcycles like Harleys had lube points in the past.
As most of you guys would have guessed it, iam pointing towards the incorporation of grease zerks in most moving joints and here are a few places where i feel this mod is required.
1. Swing arm bushes.
2.Steering head-would result in the whole headstock tube filled with grease, but it will replace the air in the annular space and hence no moisture will creep in.
3.Wheel bearings(difficult but possible)
4. Rear shock absorber attach points.
A zerk can mostly be tapped int a drilled hole on the outer housings(generalizing here), or a nut can be welded into which the zerk can be screwed in if the tube thickness is less.Designs will vary as per location.The best part is that, a regular lubing schedule will result in a very long life,nil corrosion,nil replacement of bushings/bearings etc for a very long time.Think about it guys...
Opinions are most welcome along with suggestions.
A few things which has been wandering in my head and i thought i could put it out in the open for opinions.
A few mods which can save us a lot of money and time.Some of us might already be knowing about this or may be someone has already done this.
Anyways, here we go.
Most of the moving parts have bearings of some kind and have grease packed in it while assembly.Unfortunately, these parts/joints receive no care as they are operated to failure(till the lube goes dry resulting in metal to metal contact).
The design of many joints is such that either they cannot be disassembled easily just for lubing and so we simply watch it die.. There could be a cure if there was a way for periodic lubing of such joints which normally cannot be lubed up unless disassembled.
Mind you that the first indication of damage to bearing components happen mostly due to the lube getting oxidised, caking up,loosing efficiency,moisture etc.
If a regular source of fresh lube can be assured in and around such parts/bushes, damages would be almost nil and hence the extensive labour involved.Many older motorcycles like Harleys had lube points in the past.
As most of you guys would have guessed it, iam pointing towards the incorporation of grease zerks in most moving joints and here are a few places where i feel this mod is required.
1. Swing arm bushes.
2.Steering head-would result in the whole headstock tube filled with grease, but it will replace the air in the annular space and hence no moisture will creep in.
3.Wheel bearings(difficult but possible)
4. Rear shock absorber attach points.
A zerk can mostly be tapped int a drilled hole on the outer housings(generalizing here), or a nut can be welded into which the zerk can be screwed in if the tube thickness is less.Designs will vary as per location.The best part is that, a regular lubing schedule will result in a very long life,nil corrosion,nil replacement of bushings/bearings etc for a very long time.Think about it guys...
Opinions are most welcome along with suggestions.
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