I don't feel any slack in the swing-arm bushings....
Well, this is going to end up being "Tapered Roller Bearing Week" for you !
• Unlike typical bikes, Airhead swing arms don't have plain bushes, they run a set of tapered roller bearings, which can withstand movement in ALL directions. If you pop off the plastic covers from both sides you'll see a shaft with a central hole and lock nut. The lock nut allows L / R sing arm adjustment so that the drive shaft can be aligned with the final drive. If you'll inject water-proof grease into that central hole, it will then exit through the bearing, expelling water and dirt as the new grease comes in. You need to do this at least annually, or after every ride in the rain. If you already own a grease gun, then a simple adapter (LIKE THIS) might be all you need. Again, like the head post bearings, these don't "roll" enough to need special grease, the lubrication is merely to keep the enemies (water & rust) away.
• Likewise the wheel bearings use specially fitted taper roller bearing pairs. However, these bearings get hot due to their job, AND they are also exposed to water, so they need special high speed water-proof greases. Most modern black moly synthetic automotive wheel bearing greases will work in this application. The specified way is to disassemble, wash, inspect and re-pack every X thousand miles. I short-cut that simply by injecting new grease on an annual basis. Once the grease seal is removed from each side, it's east to inject a tablespoon of grease into each bearing using a long stem grease needle (LIKE THIS). I find that injecting a small portion of the total between each roller gets the job done. Airhead purist may scream that the "book says...", but to me "the book" never anticipated 20 years of idle storage, and TIME is just as hard on older greases as mileage. You witnessed that yourself in the head post bearings !
All the best.
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
Once again, Wobbly, Thank you for the short cut. The front wheel bearings are now adequately greased, as well as the swing arm greased and readjusted. Luckily I had the short needle dispenser for the grease gun. Now just waiting for the caliper rebuild kits and new brake hoses, and she'll be back on the road again. To everyone who has contributed advice and wisdom, thanks a million.
On my 1981 with dual Brembos, the hydraulic line coming out of the aluminum block (under the tank) to the master cylinder went downward, not up. That's a great place to trap air. I highly suggest you push fluid up from the calipers on re-fill.
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
Speaking strictly of my own experience and practice, I don't use water proof grease anywhere. Phil waterproof grease on the bicycle, Moly EP on the motorcycle. I take the bicycle wading. The worst the motorcycle sees is rain. if one is doing water crossings or other wading consider waterproof grease down low.
I have ridden in the rain daily for two weeks on a tour and no grease washed out of anything, and that was an open bike not the RS. All the panic and drama I had gone through about it (wrong grease!!! Aaakkk!!! 5000 miles to go!!!!!") was for nothing. Doing the maintenance per schedule is worth more than anything.
All the bearings have shields at minimum and full sealed bearings at maximum. I have opened the head bearings on the 75/5 a year (and 10,000 miles) after the least greasing and the old grease was nice and clean. I never touched the grease on the RS head bearings @ 5 1/2 years and perhaps 5,000 miles.
The head and swingarm bearings do not travel through a large arc. But they do walk around in a circle. the ends of the rollers spin in huge arcs. So it all needs to be packed well.
I have modified the RS a fair bit for better greasing. The swingarm pins are drilled and tapped for setscrews so If I lose a cap the bearing passage will not be contaminated resulting in crud being forced into the bearing at the next lube interval. The brake foot pivot lever is drilled with a grease passage with the same set screw setup. Ditto the sidestand minus the setscrew.
The original BMW greaser was a push greaser. These are still available, and cheap, at the place that sells chainsaw stuff. They are used to lube chainsaw bar nose sprockets in the field. You clean out the grease they come with and put in your own special blend.
The original BMW greaser was a push greaser. These are still available, and cheap, at the place that sells chainsaw stuff. They are used to lube chainsaw bar nose sprockets in the field. You clean out the grease they come with and put in your own special blend.
You mean a Needle Nozzle Grease Gun, like This One.
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
The original BMW greaser was a push greaser. These are still available, and cheap, at the place that sells chainsaw stuff. They are used to lube chainsaw bar nose sprockets in the field. You clean out the grease they come with and put in your own special blend.
You mean a Needle Nozzle Grease Gun, like This One.
no, like this:
one hand operation. looks like the one cited comes MT
I have a needle tip for my big lever grease gun, as well as zerk tips. I use an old Walus greaser for captive wheel bearings. It has a zerk fitting. NLA AFAIK.
reference:
https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?42122-Wheel-Bearing-grease-gizmo
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