I have used the HD grease recommended by the service manual. It takes a bunch of it the first time to get it flowing out of both the top and bottom bearings. I then use paper towels and Q-tips to clean up the mess. After the first filling of the neck, it will only take a few strokes of the grease gun handle to get grease flowing from the top and bottom bearings.

Typically, all is well until the first hot day when the "excess" grease will puke out - mostly from the bottom bearing. Another round with paper towels and Q-tips will clean it up the second time. After the second cleaning, some more will seep out, but not so much that it makes a mess.

Typically, before I wash my bike (which ain't that often), I clean up the steering bearing area, the wheels (with the bike on a bike-jack), and the underside of the engine and frame. Then I wash the bike.

By the way, I love having the grease fitting on the neck. I had to drill and tap the neck of my FXR to install the grease fittingbecause otherwise, it would require dis-assembling the whole front end of the bike to repack the bearings by hand. Good 'ol HD designed the FXD's so that the owner had to dis-assemble the front end to repack the steering bearings - as I remember, the FXD neck is designed differently than the FXR's and installing a grease fitting does not work.

JMHO

 

I've went with the water resistant lithium based bearing grease as well. First thing I did was replace the fitting with a 90 degree grease connector so the thing is easier to clip on to. Took a lot of grease the first time.