Hi Guys,

Been working on my bike and have it stripped down and was wondering if its worth while taking the swing arm off and having a look at the bearings? Their does no seem to be any movement or play in them. I just bought the bike of ebay and dont think the last guy took to much care over the bike..........

Cheers

Andy

if its not been done by you then take it that its not been done so if i was you i would just do it as youve already got it apart piece of mind & all that

Maintenance is as much about prevention as reaction to something not being right.

By the time there is movement in the bearings they will be worn. By cleaning, inspecting and re-packing with a good quality grease now, you will know for sure that everything is ok.

If the bike is new to you and you already have part of it stripped down, it would be worth going through every aspect of the bike and checking the overall condition and that everything is greased that needs grease, wheel bearings, back brake lever bearing, all the suspension links, headstock etc. You will also then know that ALL the bolts on the bike are torqued up and nothing is going to come loose when you least expect it, as you launch off a rock step for example. It will also give you a better idea of how to strip something down if you have to do it other than in your garage or shed in ideal conditions when the bike is clean and in good lighting, ie out in the field. And you will know which tools you will need.

Peace of mind and better resale value will be your rewards.

Hope you enjoy your new bike.

Thanks guys, will carry on the good work. I love the bike its so nice to work on. Cant wait to ride it!!!!!

andy,

i recently bought a 290 off ebay and it is definately worth giving a good once over stripping it and greasing it. If its a new bike to you, you also get to learn the bike. like its little niggles and tweeks. Although it took a couple of weeks to do before i could ride it, it was worth the peace of mind.

enjoy!

Hi Jaz,

did you do anything with the top end? Clutch etc

Cheers

Andy

Now would be a good time to also grease the shock "bearings" (not sure what the real name is,, heim joint maybe?). I'm referring to both eyelets of the shock.

As part of my yearly maintenence I clean and repack the dog bones, shock eyelets, and swing arm bearings. I should probably do the steering head but just too lazy I guess.

andy;

i did the whole lot. but sayin that i didn't strip the brakes. I just wanted to be satisfied that i knew the condition of the whole bike. I suppose despite how thorough someone (especially a seller) says they are, they just might not be as thorough as you.