Well just had to take the back off for the first time since buying the bike. (puncture ) Being a new rider if not really had chance to learn the fine points of maintenance yet. Soo any tips on what I could clean / check / replace or generally fettle would be awesome!

Thanks in advance, a Novice willing to learn!

 

DON'T MIX UP THE RIM SPACERS
Check the cush drives in the wheel, looking for aging / cracks / dryness
Make sure you properly grease the axle
Clean the chain / sprockets.
Swingarm

 

Awesome! Made sure I have the spacers next to the bike on the sides the came off... Bearings seem good. Axel us very dry.. What type if grease would you recommend?

Thanks again!

P.s what's a Cush drive? Lol

 

Don't have my manual for the F3 anywhere near me so I can't tell you what type of grease to use on the axle / bearings.

Cush drives are rubber wedges in the inner rim that absorb shocks.

 

sorry, don't mean to steal this thread but what part is rim spacers? where is it in comparison to the rear sprocket?

i'm changing my chain and sprockets for the first time and want to do it right. thanks.

 

The rim spacers fit on the outside of the wheel bearings ... Don't mix up which side they go on as Kuroshio said earlier ... it will offset the alignment of your front and rear sprockets and your rear brake rotor from your caliper ...

Here is a exploded diagram of how the rear looks after disassembly on an F4 ... (I couldn't get a pic to post of the F3 manual ... sorry) ... but the principles are the same ... The wheel spacers are circled and identified ...





Here is a view of the rear again with the cush drive damper circled along with where it goes in the rear rim ... (also out of my F4 manual ... concept is still the same) ...

 

It's not important what type of grease you use on the Axle. Now I'm not talking about what grease you would use inside of the bearings, just what you put on the Axle. Nothing spins or moves against the Axle. That grease is just for making it easy to insert and remove the Axle from the bike. Clean the Axle and Spacers thoroughly. Then a really thin (meaning barely visible) coating of grease to protect it from the elements and prevent the bearing races from getting stuck on the Axle. The inner race is the portion of the bearing that is in contact with the Axle and does not rotate. It sits still and the ball bearings and outer race rotate around it.

It also won't hurt to put a little grease on the inside lip of the rubber seal that rides against the wheel spacer. This helps the seal slide over the spacer and helps keep dirt and dust out. You don't need to pack that area with grease as the bearings have rubber seals on them and no grease is going to get in there unless you removed the bearings and seals. No, it's not worth the effort to do that. If you were going to remove the bearings, then just replace them. If they feel fine, then they're fine.

 

thanks guys, very helpful, and the illustrations cleared up any confusion.

if i used NGLI GC-LB instead of #2 for the axle and rim spacers, will that be fine? Although I read I could use any grease, I just ask because somebody did mention I should use #2, and that #2 can replace GC-LB but not vice versa. Just curious, because I used GC-LB anyway. what about in general? just for future reference when dealing w/ fixing mechanical things?

 

9-5, that was a great diagramme. Answers of that quality make this forum what it is, what it's renowned for. Excellence!

As for grease Willklee, general purpose grease is fine for pretty much everything in bike maintenance. Just don't get it near your brakes. Copper grease only for that area and a minimal amount at that.
A good tip is to have a chat with your local bike shop and ask what mind of products they're using. Advice like that won't cost you anything and you can bet they've tried all the latest products that the reps are pushing through their workshop doors.
Follow Ido's advice for reassembling the wheels. It's good.

 

I've been using the same can of plain-old molybendium axle grease for 25 years and 3 motorcycles, 4 cars. I use it for brakes and bearings both and no problems so far. The can is still half-full. ;-)
Ern