Mavic Headset question

[Gtpulse]

So I removed the Mavic headset from a bike I’m rebuilding. It worked perfectly just wanted to get access to touch up the paint on the forks off the bike.

The bottom race is nicely smeared in what looks like creamy beige grease like the Campagnolo stuff. The top race is completely devoid of any grease, very clean, no pitting, all surface perfect, like it was installed with no grease at all or maybe a very very light oil.

Is this a thing? I’ve not come across it before. The installation instructions for Mavic say to grease the bearings before assembly.

Just wanted to check in case for some unimaginable reason it’s something that is best practice.

 

[mdvineng]

Requires grease just like all bearings do.

 

[Gtpulse]

Requires grease just like all bearings do.

That’s what I thought and what I will do just made me stop and think why would someone use nice grease on the bottom and zero on the top.

 

[mdvineng]

The top is lightly loaded compared to the bottom but still needs lube.
Back in the day we used parrafin on the wheel bearings for short sprints