HOW TO // Take Apart & Grease Your Dirt Bike Bearings & Linkage - Lubricate your Motorcycle Chassis

HOW TO // Take Apart & Grease Your Dirt Bike Bearings & Linkage - Lubricate your Motorcycle Chassis
🕘TIMESTAMPS🕘
0:00 🔥 moto-metal intro
2:31 Bike Breakdown
4:58 Frame Guard Tips & Tricks
8:45 Sharpie Tips & Tricks
10:08 The Grease Job, Tools, Tips & Tricks
24:06 Reassembly
Alright guys!
It's time to stop PROCRASTINATING & finally get that dreaded grease job done on your dirt bike bearings.
Today we are breaking down the RMZ450 for a full chassis & linkage grease!
I'll show you how to take apart your bike & put it all back together with plenty of tips & tricks along the way to make this bearing grease job super easy!
Weather your bike is new, used, new-to-you, or a complete mystery - you just need to get this done!
You can get away with doing this about once a year for the avarage rider and ther nastiest parts you see in today's video are probably at 18 months!!! (swingarm pipn and steering headset)
I hope you enjoy & if you have any questions - feel free to drop a comment or reach out to me at [e-mail]
Thanks for watching! I appreciate the hell outta ya
-Charles // mXrevival
So you love moto content?!?! Well then:
mXrevival Instagram: / mxrevival
mXrevival Website: www.mxrevival.com/
mXrevivak Facebook: / mxrevivalonline
#mXrevival #DirtBikeBearings #HowToGrease

[@jcsquared1111]

As a 45 year old who stopped riding at 17 decided to scoop up a modern 2 smoker from Beta love your vids and passion. Learning how to work on them really adds a level of appreciation and pride I never realized... Thanks for the spark man

[@DonGH97]

Well said! Everyday i am learning more and more to maintain my bike myself. Like you said, it gives you a great feeling and really makes you feel proud! Take care of your baby and she will take care of you👌🏻

[@mxrevival]

📌GUYS- I totally skipped the wheel bearings. To be honest, I usually only do these once when the bike is new. typically I won't have the bike around long enough to replace them after that but I'll try and explain the procedure.. To grease your bike's wheel bearings: -remove spacers from hubs -remove dust seals from hubs, they are the black seal just in front of the bearing. KTM's will have a brass colored metal dust seal while Japanese bikes will commonly have a standard rubber-coated seal. Use a larger, more broad style flathead screwdriver, and place it under the back side of the seal, working it out slowly with gentle pressure against the hub. Like a pry bar so to speak -now you can remove the bearings actual dust seal. Use the little pic tool you see me using in the video, or something just like it, to slide underneath the back side of the seal and slowly work your way around the seal on a circle until it pops out -now you can pack your wheel bearings with grease! -front wheels will have a bearing on either side, so simply repeat the process -most rear wheels will have three bearings. two of them will be on the drive side, or the sprocket side. You would have to remove the outer bearing (with a blind bearing puller) if you wanted to grease the inner bearing. I never do it . I am too lazy and wheel bearings are super cheap to purchase -OEM KTM rear wheels only have two bearings, one on each side. -Just push as much grease as you can into the wheel bearings as you can, replace the dust seal making sure to press firmly down on it, and work your finger in a circle until you know it is again held captive in the bearing -reinstall your dust seals, your spacers, and finally your wheels back onto the motorcycle Good luck! And as always, if you get stuck, just drop a comment 😎 -Charles // mXrevival

[@toveyashby-crashbyproducti6366]

This was exactly what I needed. Thank you for the tips!

[@deanmiyamoto6724]

This is the homie. Thank you for showing multiple areas to grease for us who don’t got personal mechanics 🤙

[@mxrevival]

It's my pleasure, and really glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching!

[@oscar4605]

great and helpful video!

[@JasonMilloy]

Great video, great music! Comprehensive & informative. I appreciate your time & effort Charles. 🏁

[@tcasper_271]

Such a well thought out video! You’re the man Charles! 🤘🏼🤘🏼

[@mxrevival]

Appreciate you, TC!

[@tdhayes1]

Great, easy to follow video. I took away a ton of tips.

[@jordanpanich]

Great tips, Charles! Your videos are super informative! 👍👍👍

[@mxrevival]

Thank you J.P. 🙏

[@begleypaul1]

By FAR the best and most informative KZbin video on dirt bike maintenance. Can't speak highly enough!

[@mxrevival]

Super glad you found it, Paul! Thank you for watching & for the awesome compliment. Just got a new bike, so hopefully in the next few weeks I’ll have a new “top five things to do when you get a new bike” style vid

[@garagedoortec4083]

Dude you rock bro! I have the same stand! Definitely starting from the back thanks bro! Love and enjoy all your content!

[@markwaren5048]

Keep the content coming! Your vids are top notch. Production value is on point and content is great. Your channel can't help but grow.

[@mxrevival]

THANKS MARK! I appreciate that sincerely, -Charles // mXrevival

[@Kjames9951]

Awesome video, awesome bike, awesome presence. And just in case I didn't mention it, everything was awesome.😊

[@niconine268]

Slick work bud. Shot 👊🏼

[@michaelandmariedownes6070]

Well done, easy to understand 😁

[@Nickporter17]

I stumbled on your channel with the ssr hype :) but I really appreciate your passion for motorcycle maintenance, restoration and education. As someone with an oldy but a goody bike and average motorcycle tech skills I'm finding these videos helpful!

[@mxrevival]

Badass, Nick! Thanks for watching. They should be perfect for the average guy... because I'm the average guy... I just do this a ton so there are a few cool in's & out's that help speed things along. I appreciate you watching & the kind words. Happy Thanksgiving! -Charles // mXrevival

[@rycheek]

Awesome video thank you

[@UlisesGlez26]

I've been waiting for another one of these in depth videos of yours Charlie, loved this one, I'm gonna do this to my XR before it's too late haha

[@mxrevival]

Appreciate you young shredder. Get in there and make the XR happy 😎 Thank you as always -Charles // mXrevival

[@vasuhardeo1418]

That concept with the front wheel is pretty cool, thanks for the great tips and very informative vids.

[@mxrevival]

Nice! I am glad you found it useful, I love that one. Appreciate you watching too, -Charles // mXrevival

[@mattpoland8250]

Thanks Charles for making a quality thorough video with these maintenance techniques. Going to be doing this tomorrow for the first time on my new dirt bike, wish me luck, LOL.

[@mxrevival]

You are welcome Matt! thank you for the compliment! And... You don't need luck, you'll kill it no problem!

[@michaelstrunk7820]

Amazing video first time for me and i had no problem taking it apart and greasing everything thanks to you.

[@mxrevival]

Oh hell yeah, great job! Happy I could help you brotha 🤘

[@necrozim]

Thanks man, this has given me the confidence I needed to do this task. Well explained cheers.

[@mxrevival]

I am very glad! Anyone can do it, so I'm glad you tried. Now you don't have to pay anyone to do it either🤘 great work & thanks for watching

[@ruben48732]

Thank you so much for your videos and tips and tricks. Really helped me out a lot!

[@mxrevival]

STOKED to hear that & thanks for watching!

[@brianpolen1087]

A ton of good information here. The best I've seen on how to do it and save yourself some headaches!

[@mxrevival]

What up B.P.! Thank you, really glad you found it helpful. 😁👌

[@marioschristofi3145]

Wow! Great video! I did not even realize I was watching for 30 mins! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@mxrevival]

Stoked to hear you got some value out of it!

[@EddyLahaye]

Perfect & simply done , good mecanic and helpfull movie , many thx eddy

[@mxrevival]

Hey, thank you very much Eddie! I’m glad you enjoyed it, and it added some value for you

[@mikebellows754]

Your video really helped me do this job for the first time ever. Learned a lot from it!

[@mxrevival]

Hell yeah! Glad to hear that and thank you for watching. 💪💪💪

[@LSForce10]

First rate video Charles! (as always) 👏💪

[@mxrevival]

I appreciate that, brother! -Charles // mXrevival

[@davidminjares9556]

Hey thank you for the tips !! I use so to the same kid of thing but not as good as you showed us !! I’ve been off a bike for 25 years and my brother is back and I’m gonna be his help on bikes thanks again you da man !!!!

[@mxrevival]

You're very welcome Dave! Thanks for watching & I know you guys are going to have a blast. Welcome back to moto 👊

[@nicksmithwestaustralianbee5139]

Thanks dude, you’re a wealth of knowledge

[@mxrevival]

Glad you enjoyed! Thank you!

[@maxandrews8400]

I don’t grease my stuff as much as I should. I’m not alone there. But I did realize a tooth brush is an awesome grease applicator. After the mud at GlenHelen and pressure washer. I guess I have work to do. Thanks for the content brother🤘🏻🇺🇸

[@mxrevival]

You are not alone, Max! That's a killer tip on the toothbrushes! I'll give it a try with my wife's toothbrush... Thanks for watching, I really appreciate it. -Charles // mXrevival

[@frankthetank2824]

Awesome video 👍

[@mxrevival]

Thanks, Tank! -Charles // mXrevival

[@rdbs505]

Awesome job! I like to pop out those seals and take out all the needle bearings. Clean everything with brakleen and then reassemble with fresh belray...but im weird like that. The oem rmz manual is pretty detailed in that it tells you the # of needle bearings in each incase you lose some you know how many you are supposed to have.

[@Runk3lsmcdougal]

Awesome video thanks

[@mxrevival]

My pleasure, thanks for watching!

[@HeritageSpringer1]

Nice garage ❤

[@optony9606]

awesome info thanks heaps

[@mxrevival]

My pleasure, and thanks for watching. I'm glad you liked it!

[@badlalo59]

Your a gr8 teacher! I learned alot!

[@mxrevival]

Made my day! I am glad to hear that! Now you can do the same 💪 -Charles // mXrevival

[@Dirt_Bike_Dave]

Hi Charles, Another Great quality video....you have such good clarity, lighting and editing. How is that SSR 300 working out for you? Keep the videos coming .

[@mxrevival]

Massive thanks! It's great, I just rode Glen Helen on some 300's yestarday. Oh man that was sweet & vid coming! Thank you very much for the killer feedback. I am always trying to hone in on those exact elements you mentioned. I appreciate you watching too. -Charles // mXrevival

[@loganixon]

Bad ass channel. Do you have a video regarding how you keep parts organized during tear downs? For instance If you were doing a complete motor rebuild, how you would organize each bolt.

[@coloradodirtbike5930]

Excellent video

[@mxrevival]

Thank you very sincerely 🤜🤛 -Charles // mXrevival

[@luigilavazza3960]

Thank's, really good vidéo. I'm from Marseille ( France) 👍✌

[@mxrevival]

Hi Luigi!! Thanks for hanging out with me. -Charles // mXrevival

[@ramiretz]

superb as all your videos :-)

[@mxrevival]

THANK YOU

[@KevinPersonius]

As usual, awesome video Charles. I like to take a pick and remove all the needles and wipe everything dry and clean, when I put the needles back in I grease the heck out of the races and then use the grease on my finger to pick up the bearings about 1 to 3 at a time. I then slide my finger out and the grease holds them in place. I have always been too afraid to use brake cleaner to clean around the seals, have you had any issues with the seals hardening? I picked up a couple new tricks that I like. 1 is protecting your bike from its protection, I'm now thinking about cutting a bicycle tube to the shape I'd like and then using adhesive spray on the back of my frame guards and skid plate. The other is the spinning the tire and grabbing the front brake. I always thought it was a PIA to take my bike off the stand and pump the forks a few times before tightening the pinch bolts. Thanks for the great tips. Time for the bike washing video lol.

[@mxrevival]

You kick ass, Kevin. Thank you. Big props for going even deeper & sharing that with potential readers here too. I must admit I lost that level of patience for certain jobs, the busier I become. I like that you go the extra mile! On the brake cleaner... I honestly don't know about hardened seals. If I owned a bike long enough to notice, and we weren't using waterproof grease, I would simply replace them and not bee too concerned as the cleaning speed with the harsh chem would be worth the trade (to me) if seals do get hard. Super cheap bits ya know? That's a good idea on the rubber backer. I think the key would be to make sure it's super thin! Maybe a lightweight tube... So glad I had something of value for you in this video. I appreciate the time you take to join me here.🤘 -Charles // mXrevival

[@MatthiasvonFuzz26]

Mr. Charles, First time doing Swing arm prep to a new bike, glad to have a friendly face to guide me through said process. Ur east coast Fanboy, @elite.steeze 💕

[@mxrevival]

Oh yeah doggie! Proud to be a part of your journey 🙌

[@sewkingwet]

I like to take out the needle bearings and clean them all and the bearing housing as well to get all the dirt out. work on one side at a time and be careful not to loose one then lay a bed of grease in side bare bearing housing and the needle bearings stick well to them, then pack them after needles reinstalled. its like new bearings at that point. Just what I do, like you videos man. good content and learning tips you have in your videos

[@mxrevival]

Thank you very much, and thank you for watching. I like your style! I've gone super deep on bearings like that in the past too and it's funny like you said, the needle bearings tend to like to hide in places sometimes. Seems like the bikes that need that really in-depth bearing love you described we're always used when I've done it. Have even limped along a bike or two or "saved" bearing here and there like that.

[@ocoutdoors2355]

If you’d like a content suggestion, I’d like to see a tool related video. Maybe show a shop set of tools, an abbreviated mobile tool set for the track and a trail riding kit in a fanny pack/backpack or fender bag. I think that’s be a cool video you can do during this lame quarantine

[@mxrevival]

That's actually really cool idea. Maybe I'll dive into that someday. Hope you had a great Christmas and happy New Year -Charles // mXrevival

[@spymaine89]

excellent

[@mxrevival]

Thank you 🙏

[@superlite177]

Nice job

[@mxrevival]

Thank you and thanks for watching

[@Junior-fd8ux]

Thanks for this video Charles i needed this to relax to. Im outside burning yard waste after a frustrating day of fixing my Harley FXR got it all buttoned up and no power lol..had to hang up my wrenches for day at that point. P.s. I'm looking for a suspension guy who does can repair my projects without paying an arm and a leg if you know of any much appreciated brother. Hope all is well

[@mxrevival]

I am glad I could help you unwind! That's frustrating, sorry dude! But I know you'll knock it out and be shredding soon. Burning sh*t helps 😂 Yes for sure on the suspension guy. Please email me here just in case I miss your reply on KZbin. www.mxrevival.com/contact -Charles // mXrevival

[@Daddyof242]

Love your video. What torque wrench do you recommend? So many brands I don’t know what’s good. Thanks

[@mxrevival]

Thank you Ethan 🙏 I would say get whichever torque wrench suits your budget. Not only will you have a torque wrench, but you can always upgrade it later if you learn that you like a different one for some reason.

[@NICKDOG154]

👊🏼I'm due for a grease job

[@mxrevival]

The YZ will love it 😍

[@bknoxx]

i just watched the new video and now this one.. im not stoked i have to grease my 2022 yz.. it has 1 hour on it and it's hot AF in arizona right now so i guess next month its tear down time.. why dont they grease the shit out of these things most people can't or wont even think about this.. ive built two bikes but thought surely the new one should be good lol cant wait to see what it looks like

[@mxrevival]

Hey thanks for watching dude! It's time to shag that bad boy! It should take you about 2 and 1/2 hours, maybe three if it's not something you do a lot of the time. The best thing about new bikes is that they come apart very, very easily and they are very clean as well. You can get away with doing it once a year most of the time. When you have your shock and fork service or take them out for a service, you can redo the linkage knuckle and shock bearing really quickly because they are usually the first to go after riding in several washes. They are the most exposed. You may also find that your axles are greased, at least the front one. This is because the bike comes in a crate when it's new and the dealer does throw a little dab on the front wheel which is usually the only part of the bike that is not assembled before it comes out of the crate. The positive is that, you can document the service and all your other ones in the blank sheets in the back of your manual. When you sell your bike, you'll have a complete service record and you can even pair those service notes against an hour meter if you install one. I have a very easy time selling all of my used bikes because I have total documentation of any oil, oil filter, air filter, new tire, new aftermarket part, whatever it may be all documented in the manual. 🤘 Time to sweat it out, and have some fun!

[@nine9sixSPS]

Fantasitc video. What brand stand is that? I know Tusk makes one similar but I don't recall the bike being held down by springs.

[@mxrevival]

Thank you! I'm really glad you liked it. This was a Motorsport Concepts stand but they don't seem to be on Rocky anymore- So I started carrying the Tusk one for my riders www.mxrevival.com/shop-tools (it's probably the one you've seen). The springs on the old stand are great. I have both brands & wasn't sure that I would like the wheels on the Tusk but ended up loving that feature. Both stands are about 4 years old now & going strong. The M.S. stand just started to leak some jack oil so I'll need to address it eventually but it's still operating well enough. They both have a sweet lock-out bar in case of jack failure which has never occurred on either stand. For the money, the Tusk one we carry is a much better value now. The M.S. stand was about $300 & the Tusk is about $200. Both are killer though. Thanks again for watching 🔥 -Charles // mXrevival

[@nine9sixSPS]

@@mxrevival Right on, man. Thanks for all of that info!

[@ThisTall]

Ever had any issues packing wheel bearings full on a dirtbike? They get pretty stiff when you fill them.

[@lsx7611]

I’ll just send you my bike 😆

[@mxrevival]

It's a thing! 😂 Happy New Year

[@Xxjoeynumber1xX]

I can't for the life of me find the triple clamps torque specs in my owners manual. Any clue on where that may be? 2021 RMZ 250

[@mxrevival]

The newest manuals are a joke for sure. The little booklet. The CD or full-size digital manual should have it (my CDs never worked for 2018 or 2020 RMZ) but typically all the clamp pinch bolts are about 15lbs. Same with axle pinch bolts. Never seen over 17lbs. 🤘

[@Xxjoeynumber1xX]

On my 21 it looks like there's grease fittings on my linkage. Nothing in the manual about it so I just do it the old fashioned way. I wonder how it'd work? It can't possibly get into the actual bearings can it?

[@mxrevival]

Never hurts to take everything apart all the way! 🔥

[@jonathanborchelt9613]

Great video man!!! KZbin needs to move you up in the logarithms

[@mxrevival]

Paying my dues! One of these days! Thank you for watching, and for the compliment

[@robertwoods2505]

So, I looked at this video and thought, well, can't learn much here - wrong! I got all kinds of helpful tips. Thanks man. What is the size of the pipe you use, I really need some extra leverage.

[@mxrevival]

I love it! I'm using a handle from an electrical pipe bender (my other career) but you can just use whatever is a bit longer OR buy an actual breaker bar from any tool retailer 👌 You can even put a large box-end wrench on the end of a ratchet. Whatever gives you a little more leverage is great.

[@robertwoods2505]

@@mxrevival Thanks for the ideas bro!

[@watsonsynthetics]

👌

[@hencetirta7633]

sir . Does bearing linkage between kxf 250 and rmz same ? 2015

[@mxrevival]

Easy way to research this: -Look up the part numbers here for *_BOTH_* bikes: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/oem-parts If they match on the parts you need, then yes. But it's far less work to just order the right parts & skip all the research as the correct parts already exist and can be easily purchased. If you're still stuck, just shoot me a message here & I'll set you up with an order for the right parts you need: *_www.mxrevival.com/contact_* Thanks! -Charles // mXrevival

[@pendamoniumpaladin1798]

Love it, but it's probably a 2 day job for me lol. It's the organization of all the parts that kills me in my limited garage space...

[@robertnussbaum1937]

Please show me in the service manual where grease is applied to the axles. Did the Engineers at Suzuki, Honda and Ktm miss something.

[@robertnussbaum1937]

Kawasaki Engineers missed it also

[@robertnussbaum1937]

Yamaha manual calls for Lithium Soap-Based Grease.

[@mxrevival]

😂 either way, we're keeping our bearing races from rusting our axles after each time we wash our bikes, right!

[@madbazRC]

How log do you reckon this job would take? Have to tackle to job on my boys bike, just wondering how long it will take me😂 to

[@mxrevival]

It take me about 3 hours. If it’s your very first time, maybe double. But I hope the video cuts some time off of it for you. Although, more time is a good thing with jobs that are thoroughly done, right? 😄

[@mxrevival]

If your bearings are already toast… longer!

[@a.camden4631]

Yo whats dimensions on that cheater bar you got, lookin to make me One

[@a.camden4631]

Nice video btw

[@mxrevival]

Thank you, I’m not really sure! It is an old electrical conduit bender handle. It’s probably 4 feet long with a 1 inch diameter on the end or so. You can get anything like it at Home Depot probably. Like a piece of rigid pipe for example

[@jordanvance1193]

Do you ever do racing 4wheelers?

[@mxrevival]

I don't! Have never actually worked on anything off-road related that had 4 wheels.

[@austinsilva5054]

Can you take out the pivot bolt without removing the shock?

[@mxrevival]

Yes but the swingarm would still be attached to the linkage.

[@austinsilva5054]

@@mxrevival thanks

[@tattoohiggins1]

Hahahaha I just greased my linkage last night and I took all the needles out 😅

[@mxrevival]

😂😂😂 Damn those needles!!

[@DirtBikeNewsCanada]

Belray is garbageee. go for an EP rated Bearing grease and an aqua/marine grease such as Aqua Sheild.

[@pendamoniumpaladin1798]

Just watched this video and thought I'd do this on my bike with 2-4-c marine grease, since I have tons of it for my boat...

[@liberals_destroy_everythin2497]

Thanks for the heads-up about the roller pins. I had assumed they were captive. If they are/were loose, it would be a disaster for me.