I helped worked on 4 bikes in the last month, 00 EG, 08 EG and 2 08 SG's. Three of the bikes had zero grease in the steering neck. Put over a hundred squirts in each. I think it's a dealer thingy or some thing over looked at the required maint int. The SG that was full was from a different dealer than the others. All I'm saying is check the grease in your necks. Lowest miles on any bike is 15,000. Changing the stock grease fitting to a 90 dergreee will help next time.

 

Put the 90 degree fitting on mine and it took almost a full tube before I could see it coming out the bottom. Later when I took to fairing off I could see plenty came out the top.

Yes it was a pain but I believe they only grease the bearing before they put them together. A tube of grease beats changing bearing and complaining about wobble down the road.

 

When I did the 5K service on my 07 EG, it took a full tube of grease also. Changing the stock grease fitting to a 90 degree is a great idea. I'll do that before the next service.

 

Did the same to my last 2 bikes and my brother's.

On his, we were in parking lot of dealer where he had 1,000 mile maintenance done. I told him to check it. We took a plastic coffee stirrer(from their service area waiting room ), removed factory zerk fitting, stuck it in hole, wiggled it around and pulled it out CLEAN. We walked back into dealer, got service manager, showed him what we did and asked why this wasn't taken care of in the 1,000 maintenance as it's supposed to be. They got pissed at us, wheeled it in and back out about 5 minutes later, and said they greased it. We pulled fitting off again and did same test. Had grease this time.

They asked, "What? You didn't believe us."

We told them, "Why should we since it wasn't done in first place?"

 

Im gonna have to check mine. Especially since the shocks had 0psi in them

 

The factory only packs the bearings. They don't fill the steering neck. It'll take nearly a full tube the first time you pump it full. The neck is just about the same size as a tube of grease so using up a full tube shouldn't be a surprise. Too bad they don't seal the top bearing from the bottom and add another zerk. Then we'd only need a couple of pumps top and bottom just like tie rod ends on a car.

 

if you try a 45 degree fitting instead of a 90 you will see its even easier to grease the neck!

 

Anybody ever take any photos of that area?

 

A full tube of grease is a lot of grease.

If the proper grease is not used, when the temps go up, it will be running out like crazy.

Going to read my service manual and see what it recommends.

 

Inject grease until it exudes from top and bottom of steering head.

(Exudes means oozes out. Just to save you some lookin' up time.)