Anyway… isn’t it kind of funny? That’s what we at Decoboco think. ← We’re talking about funny bikes here.
Today I had the chance to handle a vehicle that uses titanium axles and titanium bolts.
Sure enough, this long axle shaft is light—so light you think, what on earth is this?
Pretty surprising.
Of course, the price is surprising too.
The tightness is quite solid.
It’s got that grrr… click feeling, just right.
Hard, or rather, solid.
I was a bit picky and checked the axle to see how precise it was.
There’s actually some play.
Well, no problem.
There’s play between the bearing and shaft just like Kawasaki OEM parts—that’s not a problem either.
I’m not sure, but I guess that’s how it is…
I could even see some marks where the bearing had struck the shaft.
Since it’s a premium item, I was very careful.
I remember back when I over-tightened the titanium M10 bolts and titanium nuts on my old GS1000 and made them seize with a screech.
That happened because
when you seize titanium, it really won’t come loose. Remembering that made me nervous.
I applied a thin, even coat of Neutech to the shaft and just a light dab of molybdenum grease to the threads.
My old mentor once told me that molybdenum changes the torque coefficient compared to regular grease, so be careful.
I kind of remembered that.
“You can’t just slather anything on and call it good,” right?
I don’t know how much effect titanium really has since I don’t have it on my own bike.
But that evening, I was genuinely amazed by how light it is.
