squeak followup

[Weaver, Mark]

so i just skipped all my planned steps and took the front wheel off. it's pretty darn easy, except i know that front axle nut was torqued higher than 58 ft lbs. i had to lean almost as hard as i could on 12 inch wrenches to break it loose. anyway, the bearings are clean and look and feel fine. i put a light coat of grease around the seal or dustcap or whatever it is (not the one on the bearing itself, but the separate metal piece), and i also greased the seal on the speedo gizmo. i'm guessing something in the speedo gizmo seal was the culprit. after putting it back together, i only very occasionally get a squeak now, only when slowing to around 15 mph, and not nearly as loud or shrill. i only heard it 2 or 3 times for a second or two during my 45 minute commute, which is a big improvement over constantly. what's up with a mechanical speedometer anyway? talk about stone-age. electronic bicycle speedometers are much more accurate and cost about $20, and have no drag, and they've been available for 20 years. i can't believe they aren't standard on all motorcycles by now. mw