How can you tell if a yoyo bearing doesn’t have lube?
Usually when the bearing start to get loud.
Tricky to answer. Some bearings are still quiet even without lube, and some other are loud even with lube.
I tend to see it from how responsive it is. An unresponsive bearing is either dry or very thin lubed.
Most of my yoyos will start to get louder, or make a different noise when they are dry. If you hold the yoyo up to your ear, sometimes it will sound bumby. They usually begin to have more vibe as well.
Right after you clean it…
Eventually you may be able to tell by the sound.
But some bearings don’t sound any different.
I run all mine dry so I don’t have to use lube.
When I do lube it’s with Dry Lube.
I usually lube a yo-yo, and string it up, as soon as I get it brand new. Once, I didn’t put a sting on it right away and forgot if I lubed it already. I just touched the bearing and I could see a bit of lube on my finger. So, I knew I was all set. Once you’ve played it awhile, this might not work as well.