greasing the front uj

[moscowphil]

Finally got round to tackling greasing the front uj. Turns out it's easy if you have the right attachment on your grease gun. All you have to do is:

(1) Put bike on side stand. Stand back and admire it. Say nice things to it - it's much more likely to let you get access to its grease nipples that way....

(2) Reach over the top of the guard covering the uj from the front, and you will be able to feel the back end of the uj with your fingers. Feel around for the grease nipple - if you can't find it, move the bike slightly forwards or back to rotate the uj. The idea is to get the grease nipple sticking up vertically into the oval tunnel in the swing-arm.

(3) Push the grease gun attachment through the swing-arm tunnel from the back, and guide it onto the grease nipple using your fingers from front. You will know when it's gone on, as it clicks into place.

(4) Pump away.

(5) That's it - no dismantling at all, and you can do it with the bike on its side-stand.

 

Of course there's a catch - you have to have the right attachment for your grease gun - it has to have an angle of about 55 degrees as close to the connector as possible, to clear the swing-arm tunnel. A flexible attachment won't do it (I tried), and I don't think a 45 degree attachment will do it either. But the solution's simple - make you own 55 degree attachment. I just took a standard straight attachment, heated it red hot in the fire and bent it. Here's a pic:

And here's another of it on the grease nipple: You can see I've also included a length of flexible hose between the grease gun and my 55 degree fitting, so that the body of the gun doesn't get tangled up with the swing-arm.

[quazi-moto]

I'm surprised that no one has responded to this thread since it seems to be a pretty hot topic. Seems like a cool solution though.

[gstallons]

Finally got round to tackling greasing the front uj. Turns out it's easy if you have the right attachment on your grease gun. All you have to do is:

(1) Put bike on side stand. Stand back and admire it. Say nice things to it - it's much more likely to let you get access to its grease nipples that way....

(2) Reach over the top of the guard covering the uj from the front, and you will be able to feel the back end of the uj with your fingers. Feel around for the grease nipple - if you can't find it, move the bike slightly forwards or back to rotate the uj. The idea is to get the grease nipple sticking up vertically into the oval tunnel in the swing-arm.

(3) Push the grease gun attachment through the swing-arm tunnel from the back, and guide it onto the grease nipple using your fingers from front. You will know when it's gone on, as it clicks into place.

(4) Pump away.

(5) That's it - no dismantling at all, and you can do it with the bike on its side-stand.

 

Of course there's a catch - you have to have the right attachment for your grease gun - it has to have an angle of about 55 degrees as close to the connector as possible, to clear the swing-arm tunnel. A flexible attachment won't do it (I tried), and I don't think a 45 degree attachment will do it either. But the solution's simple - make you own 55 degree attachment. I just took a standard straight attachment, heated it red hot in the fire and bent it. Here's a pic:

And here's another of it on the grease nipple: You can see I've also included a length of flexible hose between the grease gun and my 55 degree fitting, so that the body of the gun doesn't get tangled up with the swing-arm.

Wheel is still on ! ?

[moscowphil]

Wheel is still on ! ?

Yes, I didn't have to take anything off at all. I had already ditched the hugger mind, but I don't think that would get in the way. I've posted something in the other thread that's running about this topic, which explains how I made the fitting for my grease gun. It took me a couple of hours , but worth it in the long run.

[BRENTTODD]

I might sound dumb and i havent read the other tread but u cant get to the zerk with a flex hose on the gun?

[dlaing]

On most bikes it is impossible to fit a standard fitting on a flex hose to the zerk without disassembling the swing arm or grinding down the fitting.

Bikes may vary, and even bike sag may effect success rates.

The problem is getting the fitting at the correct angle to the zerk. The roof of the hole in the swing arm that the shaft passes through is too low.

People have had success with various, non-standard fittings, and with removing the swing arm.

I am going shopping at ACE hardware, to see if I can find a 180° swivel fitting...

[moscowphil]

I might sound dumb and i havent read the other tread but u cant get to the zerk with a flex hose on the gun?

I tried with a flexi-hose, but no success. The problem is that the flexi hose has a rigid metal bit at each end, which means you can't get the bend close enough to the coupler. The bend needs to be as close to the coupler as possible, so that it will clear the swing arm tunnel.

[John in Leeds]

I can get straight on through the tunnel with a flexy (wheel off). It is tight however and I don't want to break the grease nipple (zerk) when I pull it off. What is required is a 45 degree angle connector. The bend closer to the connection end the better.

 

I'll try and make one up, seems everyone could do with one and save so much hassle.

[grossohc]

Finally got round to tackling greasing the front uj. Turns out it's easy if you have the right attachment on your grease gun. All you have to do is:

(1) Put bike on side stand. Stand back and admire it. Say nice things to it - it's much more likely to let you get access to its grease nipples that way....

(2) Reach over the top of the guard covering the uj from the front, and you will be able to feel the back end of the uj with your fingers. Feel around for the grease nipple - if you can't find it, move the bike slightly forwards or back to rotate the uj. The idea is to get the grease nipple sticking up vertically into the oval tunnel in the swing-arm.

(3) Push the grease gun attachment through the swing-arm tunnel from the back, and guide it onto the grease nipple using your fingers from front. You will know when it's gone on, as it clicks into place.

(4) Pump away.

(5) That's it - no dismantling at all, and you can do it with the bike on its side-stand.

 

Of course there's a catch - you have to have the right attachment for your grease gun - it has to have an angle of about 55 degrees as close to the connector as possible, to clear the swing-arm tunnel. A flexible attachment won't do it (I tried), and I don't think a 45 degree attachment will do it either. But the solution's simple - make you own 55 degree attachment. I just took a standard straight attachment, heated it red hot in the fire and bent it. Here's a pic:

And here's another of it on the grease nipple: You can see I've also included a length of flexible hose between the grease gun and my 55 degree fitting, so that the body of the gun doesn't get tangled up with the swing-arm.

 

 

 

Just made one of these, worked like a charm, at last my shaft is greased

Cheers moscowphil

[richard100t]

I'll throw my two cents in as well I use a flex hose & I ground the grease fitting down until I could slide it on the zerk. Getting it back off the zerk once you have pumped it full of grease is another whole bunch of fun~!

[raz]

Getting it back off the zerk once you have pumped it full of grease is another whole bunch of fun~!

On the Sporti I just rotate the rear wheel back and forth while pulling the hose, and it lets go in a sec. The grease fitting hits the access hole edges and is wiggled off. No ultraviolence, just a bit of rocking. Dunno if that will work for you.

[richard100t]

On the Sporti I just rotate the rear wheel back and forth while pulling the hose, and it lets go in a sec. The grease fitting hits the access hole edges and is wiggled off. No ultraviolence, just a bit of rocking. Dunno if that will work for you.

Hmm....I always take the wheel off so that its easier to get the fitting on the zerk. Maybe I should take the wheel off, attach the fitting, put the wheel back on, pump it full of grease, & then remove the fitting using your wiggle method?

[savagehenry]

EASIEST WAY, (imho) Pull rear wheel, slide off final drive and rear half of driveshaft (and grease it while it's out,), point zerk toward the ground, Grease the zerk using a "needle type grease tip", reassemble. NO messing around with fabb'ing or bending anything, and the tip is at your local hardware place, mine cost under $10.00 and screwed on to my grease gun. Turns out the "hardest" maintenence procedure was a snap...Good Luck with all of yers, S.H.

[raz]

Hmm....I always take the wheel off so that its easier to get the fitting on the zerk. Maybe I should take the wheel off, attach the fitting, put the wheel back on, pump it full of grease, & then remove the fitting using your wiggle method?

maybe not

 

For some reason the Sporti don't need any grinded or angled grease gun fitting (you'd want a flexible hose though). They look pretty much the same but Guzzi must have screwed it on the V11 so it doesn't line up as intended.

 

I can do all three zerks in a minute, using no other tools than the grease gun.

[Skeeve]

For some reason the Sporti don't need any grinded or angled grease gun fitting (you'd want a flexible hose though). They look pretty much the same but Guzzi must have screwed it on the V11 so it doesn't line up as intended.

 

Probably related to the output shaft on the 6-spd tranny being lower & further to the right [to allow for wider tires] & whoever was responsible for redesigning the swingarm to account for this not understanding why the holes were where they were in the Sporti/Daytona RS setup...