Motorcycle grease points: what to lube, with what and when

Motorcycle grease points are the pivots, bushings and bearings that need grease or oil to move freely: the lever and pedal pivots, the side and center stand pivots, the swingarm pivot and rear suspension linkage, the steering head bearings, wheel bearing seals, the axles, and the brake caliper slide pins. A few get attention every few weeks, others only when they're disassembled at major service intervals. Your service manual lists exactly which points your bike has and what lubricant each one takes.

Here's a point-by-point map, a table of intervals, and the places where grease does harm.

Why lubrication points matter

A motorcycle has dozens of parts that rotate or slide against each other. When grease dries out or washes away, you get:

• Stiff levers and pedals, which make control less precise
• Notchy steering from dry or rusted steering head bearings
• Squeaks and clunks from the rear suspension linkage
• Seized pivots that wear bores out of round, which turns a $10 grease job into a parts bill

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation's T-CLOCS checklist, which many riders use before rides, asks you to confirm that control pivots are lubricated and that the rear suspension linkage moves freely and is lubricated. Those are two of the most often neglected spots on a bike.

The main motorcycle grease points

Handlebar levers and pivots

The clutch and front brake levers pivot on a bolt or pin. Remove the pivot bolt, clean out old grease, and apply a thin coat of grease to the bolt and the bushing. On a cable clutch, a dab on the cable's barrel end where it sits in the lever helps too. Don't let grease reach the brake master cylinder's piston contact point unless your manual calls for it.

Foot controls

The rear brake pedal and shift lever pivot on bolts or shafts. They live low on the bike, in spray from the road, so they dry out fast. Same procedure: remove, clean, grease lightly, reinstall and torque. Grease the shift linkage rod ends if your bike has them.

Side stand and center stand

The stand pivot and the spring hooks. A dry side stand can stick halfway or fail to snap up, and on many bikes the stand switch depends on it moving fully. A dry center stand is harder to use and wears its pivot.

Swingarm pivot

The swingarm rides on bearings or bushings on a long pivot bolt. Some bikes have grease fittings here, but many need the pivot pulled to grease it. This is usually a major-service job, often every couple of years or at the interval in your manual.

Rear suspension linkage

Bikes with a linkage-type rear shock have several small needle bearings in the linkage arms. They're exposed to water and grit from the rear tire, and they're the classic seized-part surprise on used dirt bikes and sport bikes. They need disassembly, cleaning and repacking with grease.

Steering head bearings

These sit inside the frame's steering head and carry the front end. They're greased when installed and repacked when the front end is apart. Notchy steering or a clunk under braking means they need attention. See our steering head bearings guide.

Axles, wheel bearing seals and speedo drive

When the wheels come off for tires, wipe the axle clean and apply a thin coat of grease to prevent corrosion and make the next removal easier. Grease the lips of the wheel bearing seals and any mechanical speedometer drive.

Brake caliper slide pins

Floating calipers slide on pins. Those pins need a high-temperature brake grease, a thin film only. Dry pins make the caliper drag and wear pads unevenly.

Control cables

Throttle, clutch and choke cables get cable lube rather than grease, plus grease on the barrel ends. Our guide on how to lube motorcycle cables covers the method.

Grease fittings (zerks)

Some bikes have small grease fittings, often called zerk fittings, on the swingarm pivot or linkage. A grease fitting works as a one-way valve: pressure from a grease gun pushes a small ball inside the fitting back to let grease in, and when you stop, the ball seals again so grease can't escape back out.

To use one:

1. Wipe the fitting clean so you don't inject dirt.
2. Push the grease gun's tip squarely onto the fitting.
3. Pump slowly until you see fresh grease appear at the edge of the joint.
4. Stop, and wipe off the excess.

If grease won't go in, the fitting may be clogged or the passage blocked. Don't force it with more pressure, which can blow out seals.

How to grease a pivot: the basic method

Most pivots on a bike, from levers to the side stand, get serviced the same way:

1. Support the bike so removing a pedal or stand can't let it fall.
2. Remove the pivot bolt or pin. Note any washers, bushings and springs, and how they go back.
3. Clean everything. Wipe off old grease and grit with a rag and a little solvent. Old grease mixed with dirt works like lapping paste.
4. Inspect. Look for a worn bushing, a bolt with a groove worn into it, or an oval hole. Those need parts, not grease.
5. Apply a thin film of the right grease to the bolt shank and inside the bushing. More isn't better.
6. Reassemble and torque the bolt to your manual's spec. Many pivot bolts use a locknut or threadlocker.
7. Check movement. The part should move freely without play and return fully under its spring.

Doing a full round of pivots at the start of each riding season takes an hour or two and catches worn parts early.

Grease points chart

Point	Lubricant	Typical check	Typical service
Lever pivots	General-purpose grease	Every few weeks	Clean and regrease each season
Pedal and shifter pivots	Waterproof grease	Every few weeks	Each season or after wet riding
Side/center stand pivot	Waterproof grease	Monthly	Each season
Control cables	Cable lube; grease on ends	Pre-ride feel	Per manual or when stiff
Caliper slide pins	High-temp brake grease	At pad change	Each pad change
Axles and seal lips	General-purpose grease	At tire change	Each tire change
Swingarm pivot	Per manual (often moly or waterproof)	Check for play yearly	Per manual, often every 1–3 years
Suspension linkage	Per manual (often moly or waterproof)	Check for play yearly	Per manual, sooner for off-road
Steering head bearings	Per manual	Check for notchiness or play	Per manual
Chain (non-belt bikes)	Chain lube, not grease	Every few hundred miles	See chain maintenance

Intervals are typical, not universal. Your maintenance schedule and service manual take priority, and off-road or wet-weather riding shortens everything.

Where grease does NOT go

• Brake pads and rotors. Any grease here reduces braking. If it happens, clean rotors with brake cleaner and replace contaminated pads.
• Tires and the seat. Slippery and dangerous.
• Inside a throttle tube on a ride-by-wire bike unless the manual says so. Some have sensors that don't want grease.
• Points that call for oil. Using grease where the factory specified oil can starve a joint. A known example is the 1967–1975 Norton Commando, whose swingarm had a grease nipple but was meant to be fed heavy gear oil; owners using grease instead often caused rapid wear of the pivot bushes.
• Belt drives. These run dry. Don't lube them.
• Rubber parts, unless the grease is labeled rubber-safe.

Common mistakes

• Greasing over dirt instead of cleaning first
• Using general grease on caliper pins instead of brake grease
• Over-greasing, which attracts grit
• Ignoring the linkage and swingarm because they're out of sight
• Not retorquing pivot bolts after reinstalling them

When to see a mechanic

Some grease points need the bike partly taken apart and torqued back to spec. See a shop if:

• The rear suspension clunks, squeaks or feels stiff, which can mean seized linkage bearings
• The steering is notchy or the front end clunks under braking
• A pivot has visible play, or a bore is worn oval
• A grease fitting won't take grease
• Caliper slides are seized and the brakes drag

Stop riding if steering binds or brakes drag, since both affect control. Our suspension repair page lists shops that service linkages and swingarms, and you can browse the motorcycle repair directory to find one near you.