The 2022/2023 season brought about a few changes with one of them being the introduction of a grease zerk on one or both of the knuckles. The reason is that by having a closed grease system, the adapter bolts and bushings will last longer. If you look in between the knuckle and adapter on both sides you will see the top of a black rubber O-ring to help seal the system. All bikes leaving the shop with a grease zerk were properly lubricated. If you remove the adapter, you will want to make sure the O-rings get put back in place when reinstalling the adapter.
What do you do with the grease zerk? You will want to check to make sure there is still grease inside the system periodically. The easiest way to do this is to purchase a grease gun with a grease cartridge (we use a marine grease), attach the gun to the zerk, and see if you can put more grease in. You will know if it is full because you won’t be able to put any more in.