Best rear drive spline lube?

[brider]

Greg Bender's website has a lot to say from a lot of people about rear drive spline lube, but a few of them are NLA. Honda Moly 60 has changed to Moly 77 it seems, Amsoil 5th wheel grease is discontinued but NLGI #2 is now recommended; GD-525 is NLA, and Permatex 5th wheel grease is only sold by the box of 300+ for over $300.

Anyone want to provide their recent preferred lube?

[Toecutter]

I was under the impression that it's not so much "lube" as "water proofing"... am I wrong?

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

[Chuck in Indiana]

What Charlie sez.. tenacious stuff, won't fling off.

[bigbikerrick]

I bought a tube of what Charlie says a couple of years ago, and think its a lifetime supply. That stuff is so sticky, you wont believe its actually a grease, and not a glue! 
 
It is still there on all the splines after 7000+ miles, when doing a tire replacement. Its the only stuff I have tried that stays put that way.
I have used the permatex 5th wheel grease( black stuff) in a spray can, and it does not remain on the splines like the Wurth.
Rick.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I bought a tube of what Charlie says a couple of years ago, and think its a lifetime supply. That stuff is so sticky, you wont believe its actually a grease, and not a glue! 
 
It is still there on all the splines after 7000+ miles, when doing a tire replacement. Its the only stuff I have tried that stays put that way.
I have used the permatex 5th wheel grease( black stuff) in a spray can, and it does not remain on the splines like the Wurth.
Rick.

Yep, I tried the highly thought of Honda moly. As Pete says, I fart in it's general direction.  It was gone in no time.

[brider]

OK then! What Charlie sez!

[brider]

Yep, I tried the highly thought of Honda moly. As Pete says, I fart in it's general direction.  It was gone in no time.

Funny, after I wrote the original post, I researched the Honda stuff, found a Valkyrie Cruiser site where a guy said he wrote a pointed letter to Honda, and they actually replied and said yes, the stuff WAS junk (I'm sure in a very polite and respectful Japanese way), and Honda doesn't even use it.

I'll go with what Charlie sez. Makes sense.

[Peter949]

Would the 'Wurth' spline grease that Charlie recommends work well for the clutch spline on a California II ? 



 

[Groover]

Gonna have to get me some of that Wurth stuff. Sounds like a good investment. I've used Valvoline with Moly, and it's more like soft butter, but black (not to be confused with real butter)

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Would the 'Wurth' spline grease that Charlie recommends work well for the clutch spline on a California II ? 

I don't use any grease there.

[John Croucher]

I use chain lube in the spray can.  Spray everything a couple of times a year.  I have a MAGNI swingarm with several moving parts.  The drive shaft it open.  I can get to all the splines and the cardan joints have grease fittings. 

[RinkRat II]

  I bought this stuff 30+ years ago and still have most of it left. Tenacious to say the least
     https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kluber-Staburags-NBU-30-PTM-Assembly-Grease/123330176803?hash=item1cb70d2723:g:s6oAAOSwTmtaFc35
    Not cheap either.

       Paul B

[Roebling3]

I'm w/Charlie, mostly. I have used Honda moly on U joint & main shaft splines for many years. Some that go way back w/bmw airheads will recall the 'red stuff', for the purpose. It was as clear as cherry jello. It was used for years by the cognoscenti and factory. My belief is that they broke traditions in small ways when introducing the K series bikes. They actually put down power. bmw lube choosers either didn't get it, or more to the point some bean counter said; 'this will work'. They smeared on what had to be lubriplate. My new '93 K75S wouldn't change gear, except on back lash. Pulled the drive line and found a feathered, petal shaped cream (of lubriplate), radiating from the splines of the  clutch disc. A Honda mechanic friend suggested their answer, Honda 60. It didn't fling off any of the splines. Worked great 'til the real problem was discovered. That's for another day.

5th wheel grease? OK. It's sticky. I'd much rather have something a bit more refined for spline lube. Think about it. No tolerance, temperature or compatibility requirements. It's cheap as s***. It goes on over road grime.
No one ever cleans a 5th wheel. They steam off the grit/grease on the rare occasion work needs to be done on or near it.  5th wheel grease is likely worse than its predecessor: IOW = Bear grease.  R3~   

[Roebling3]

Rink Rat: Thanx for the name. Starburags was the manufacturer of the red jello I was speaking about.  R3~

[bigbikerrick]

I have a Guzzi riding buddy that uses chain lube in a spray can on his splines,  I have helped him do tire changes / checked the splines on his bikes, and the chain lube seems to stay put pretty good. He used some Bel Ray stuff in a blue/white can.
 If I didnt have the Wurth  sticky stuff, I think a good quality chain lube would be my second choice , in this application.
I also would not put any grease on the clutch hub.  I believe It would make an abrasive paste with the clutch dust, and eventually you would have a real  gummed up mess in there.
Rick.

[timax]

Brake calliper grease is high in moly also.  Their is another  aeroshell product and some gun grease that some of the BMW guys like. If you look on the "Bobs the oil guy" forum there is a thread devoted to it. Some of those guys even make their own using a lithium base stock with molly powder. Penrite and many others are really low percentages of moly.

[bodine99]

I have been using Red-Line CV-2 on my Airhead trans and final drive splines for a very long time, along with the RL- HD Shock Proof in the tranny

[Madtownguzzi]

I use marine spline grease available at Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sierra-18-9200-Spline-Grease-Cartridge/dp/B0000BXHOV

[antmanbee]

I use Flamingo Maxima EP. Pretty thick stuff.

http://www.askflamingo.com/grease.html

[Wayne Orwig]

I tried Honda Moly 60 paste. It was gone in a short time. Worthless, especially at preventing corrosion.

For years I then made a mix of Moly 60 and PJ1 chain lube. Then painted that on the splines. That worked pretty well, but still went away.

Now I use stuff that a friend of mine at a machine shop got me. It must be a version of the Wurth stuff that MG Cycle sells. It is more like glue.

[Mr Revhead]

Weird, the Honda 60 stuff I have works great on the splines of my CX500. Checked after 20k and still plenty there.

If I didn't have assces to that, I'd look for a CV grease. Sticky, and works good in high pressure. Someone mentioned NLGI2, that's just plain normal grease.

[fossil]

BRP (Evinrude/Johnson) Triple Guard Grease.

[Rick in WNY]

Since I'm in the middle of re-working the final drive on my 82 Goldwing, I'm looking for some top-notch spline lube.

I ordered the tube from MGCycle. I'm expecting that will be a lifetime supply for myself and my motorcycle buddy Mike. I've got two shafty bikes, my Guzzi and the Wing. Mike has a Ural sidecar rig with the 2wd setup. Should be three good platforms to test this on.

[Fontain25]

What Charlie said is the stuff. I also use it to "glue" valve keepers in place to assist in reassembly.

[Rick in WNY]

Got home last night and my tube of Wurth had arrived.

Tip o' the helmet to the fine folks at MGCycle, they know how to pack things!

It took me a solid two minutes to get down to the tube... and a good knife.

From the outside in:

USPS Flat Rate box that had packing tape around every seam and joint.
Box was filled with packing paper to keep things from shifting.
There was a heavy poly bag that was taped closed with packing tape. Cut that free and unwrapped it.
Discovered there was a second heavy poly bag, also taped closed. and I don't mean a couple strips of tape, both bags were completely sealed.

Once I managed to cut my way through all the packing material I was holding an absolutely perfect tube of grease.

So, kudos to MGCycle, for the bast packing job I think I've ever seen!