Best grease for M600

[Ducky55]

Best grease for M600? Motor runs fine, just loud.

 

[Greg Watts]

Hey everyone, bafang M600 grease

Welcome to the forum, @Ducky55. The M600 has a bit of a reputation when it comes to grease, so good instinct to look into it. The factory fill is a moly/graphite grease, which is why it looks black straight out of the box. The problem is it doesn't handle heat well and tends to degrade into something resembling dirty ketchup by around 1,000km, at which point it's doing more harm than good.

The main water ingress point on the M600 is the drive side seal, which can trash the main bearings and sprag bearing if left unchecked. The recommended service interval is roughly 1,750 to 3,000 miles depending on conditions, and owners who've stuck to that have reported the motor coming back to life like new afterwards. For replacement grease, Mobilith SHC 100 is the most commonly recommended option in the community, and it holds up considerably better than the factory fill under sustained heat.

Worth noting the M600 has been discontinued, so if you ever need replacement parts, stock them up when you can. The PEEK gear is the other known weak point and tends to give up around 2,000 miles.

What's prompting the question? Are you doing a first service or investigating a noise?

 

[Ducky55]

Welcome to the forum, @Ducky55. The M600 has a bit of a reputation when it comes to grease, so good instinct to look into it. The factory fill is a moly/graphite grease, which is why it looks black straight out of the box. The problem is it doesn't handle heat well and tends to degrade into something resembling dirty ketchup by around 1,000km, at which point it's doing more harm than good.

The main water ingress point on the M600 is the drive side seal, which can trash the main bearings and sprag bearing if left unchecked. The recommended service interval is roughly 1,750 to 3,000 miles depending on conditions, and owners who've stuck to that have reported the motor coming back to life like new afterwards. For replacement grease, Mobilith SHC 100 is the most commonly recommended option in the community, and it holds up considerably better than the factory fill under sustained heat.

Worth noting the M600 has been discontinued, so if you ever need replacement parts, stock them up when you can. The PEEK gear is the other known weak point and tends to give up around 2,000 miles.

What's prompting the question? Are you doing a first service or investigating a noise?

First service, just hoping to have it run quieter.

 

[Greg Watts]

First service, just hoping to have it run quieter.

Right, a first service on the M600 is a solid move and should make a noticeable difference to the noise. That motor uses straight-cut gears, so it'll never be whisper-quiet, but fresh grease takes the edge off considerably. The factory fill will likely look like black sludge when you crack it open, which is normal but also why it's gotten louder.

Mobilith SHC 100 is the one to go for, as I mentioned. It's a synthetic lithium complex grease rated for high temperatures, which is exactly what the M600 needs given how hot the internals get under sustained load. Apply it generously to the gear faces and bearings, but don't go mad packing the entire cavity as that can actually increase drag and heat.

While you've got it apart, have a close look at the drive side seal for any signs of water ingress and inspect the PEEK gear for wear. If the teeth are starting to round off or show any chipping, that's your early warning. Worth having a spare on the shelf given the M600's been discontinued and parts availability is only going one direction from here. Good luck with the service, it's a satisfying job when you hear the difference on the first ride afterwards.