[grumpyoldgit]

Actually, here's one more bit of info:

99.9% of owners never lube their lower shock mount bearings, swingarm bearings, etc. All of this is a logical thing to do if you are replacing an endless chain, and may play into the reason that if you order the factory part number for the chain, you get another endless chain. For most of us, it's not much of an issue, but you UK boys get the worstly salted roads I know of, and so it's an issue for GSXF models there (see the just-out issue of BIKE [UK] -- the one with the Kawasaki GT1400 on the cover for more details on this issue specifically on Katana's).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

As there are no grease nipples there, that I can find, how would you?

[md86]

You just smear a bunch of grease in there . I like to do that almost every time I take a wheel off .

[The CyberPoet]

You just smear a bunch of grease in there . I like to do that almost every time I take a wheel off .

Yup. You literally repack the bearings as best as possible, pushing the old grease out with the new grease. In an ideal world, you'd force the bearing out, wash it out with something to liquify out the old grease, and then dry & repack it, but if you're going to go through the effort of pulling the bearings, it makes sense to replace them. I pack bearings in place in general.

On a side note, I've taken to using marine-grade automotive wheel grease on my bearings (the type of stuff normally used on boat trailers that get dropped in the water to launch their boats), because it holds up better to rain water and all-weather exposure, and it cost about the same.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[grumpyoldgit]

OIL OR WAX?
Note that both work, and each one has it's own benefits and drawbacks.
Wax tends to stick far firmer and longer than oil products, reducing how often you need to lubricate the chain, and providing a longer-lasting barrier against water. But wax also tends to grab onto sand and dirt and hold it really well, increasing the contamination level that can lead to excess abrasion on seals.
Oil tends to lubricate better (greater penetration), and doesn't hold onto sand & dirt contamination as well. But oil also has a tendency to fling off more readily, requiring more frequent applications. The upside to this flinging is that as the oil flings off, it takes contaminants with it, keeping the total contamination levels down.
So what should you use?
If you live in an area that has lots of sand (coastal areas, deserts), use oil.
If you are diligent about using a lubricant, use oil (keeps the contamination levels down).
If you live somewhere that doesn't get a lot of contamination, use wax.
If you are not diligent about using a lubricant, get an automatic oiler (Pro-Oiler, Scott Automatic Chain Oilers, HawkeOiler, Lubetronic, and Loobman Oiler (manual)).
If you're a starving college student, you can use automotive grease, used motor oil or vaseline in a pinch, and look at the Loobman Oiler.

The rest of the article can be found here http://www.motorcycleanchor.com/moto...mc_chains.html

I have used both and although I like the fact that the chain looked cleaner with the wax I have switched to oil and after a good clean and reoil I prefer the result.