Final Drive Oil Check

[Gerbs]

Hi GS Geniuses
Is it possible to check the level & quality of the oil in the final drive on a 2006 without dropping the wheel etc?
(for context, I don't have a centre stand and don't want to do all the work unnecessarily)

 

[mikeyboy]

When was it last changed?

 

[G5RJO]

Hi GS Geniuses
Is it possible to check the level & quality of the oil in the final drive on a 2006 without dropping the wheel etc?
(for context, I don't have a centre stand and don't want to do all the work unnecessarily)

On a 2006, the fill/drain is on the rear-most edge of the final drive, so you'll have to drop the final drive back to drain it out.

I suppose you could potentially get a syringe and thin pipe in there to draw off a small amount of oil, but I really don't know how you'll assess it beyond a look to see if there are metallic sparkles in there.

In reality, it's a half hour job, and excellent preventative maintenance to get it done.. Without a centre stand, you can stack wood under the sump to raise the rear wheel.. What I've done in the past (a bit Heath Robinson - I accept) is to put the rear wheel on a 1" thick sheet of ply, stack out the sump, then 'pull' the ply out carefully.. you can just about get a ratchet strap over the swinging arm onto the frame and tighten it to compress the rear spring to 'raise' the rear wheel a bit..

180ml of oil, and a good greasing of the splines whilst there...

Roger.

 

[Gerbs]

When was it last changed?

I'm unsure. Previous owner claims it was serviced "Recently"

 

[Gerbs]

On a 2006, the fill/drain is on the rear-most edge of the final drive, so you'll have to drop the final drive back to drain it out.

I suppose you could potentially get a syringe and thin pipe in there to draw off a small amount of oil, but I really don't know how you'll assess it beyond a look to see if there are metallic sparkles in there.

In reality, it's a half hour job, and excellent preventative maintenance to get it done.. Without a centre stand, you can stack wood under the sump to raise the rear wheel.. What I've done in the past (a bit Heath Robinson - I accept) is to put the rear wheel on a 1" thick sheet of ply, stack out the sump, then 'pull' the ply out carefully.. you can just about get a ratchet strap over the swinging arm onto the frame and tighten it to compress the rear spring to 'raise' the rear wheel a bit..

180ml of oil, and a good greasing of the splines whilst there...

Roger.

Sound advice. Thank you.

 

[Pale Rider]

Might be worth looking for a second hand centre stand, would make maintenance a lot easier going forward.

 

[Steptoe]

Centre stands, who needs “em”… vastly overrated

 

[Gerbs]

Might be worth looking for a second hand centre stand, would make maintenance a lot easier going forward.

I have the original centre stand ( none of the fitting kit ) but it doesn't fit with the exhaust system currently fitted.

 

[mikeyboy]

I'm unsure. Previous owner claims it was serviced "Recently"

Hmm,
Given that the final drive is a very well known issue with the 1200 ,I’d be draining the oil and giving it a good check over as a priority.
If it fails and is not serviceable you’ll struggle to find a decent used one,
A new unit ,if and when they are available will probably be close to 1/2 the value of the bike.

 

[mikeyboy]

On a 2006, the fill/drain is on the rear-most edge of the final drive, so you'll have to drop the final drive back to drain it out.

I suppose you could potentially get a syringe and thin pipe in there to draw off a small amount of oil, but I really don't know how you'll assess it beyond a look to see if there are metallic sparkles in there.

In reality, it's a half hour job, and excellent preventative maintenance to get it done.. Without a centre stand, you can stack wood under the sump to raise the rear wheel.. What I've done in the past (a bit Heath Robinson - I accept) is to put the rear wheel on a 1" thick sheet of ply, stack out the sump, then 'pull' the ply out carefully.. you can just about get a ratchet strap over the swinging arm onto the frame and tighten it to compress the rear spring to 'raise' the rear wheel a bit..

180ml of oil, and a good greasing of the splines whilst there...

Roger.

The later recommended 180ml of oil is insufficient,
It can lead to premature input nose bearing wear.
I’d refill with 200ml,this seems to be the “happy” volume

 

[Santa-2512]

Hmm,
Given that the final drive is a very well known issue with the 1200 ,I’d be draining the oil and giving it a good check over as a priority.
If it fails and is not serviceable you’ll struggle to find a decent used one,
A new unit ,if and when they are available will probably be close to 1/2 the value of the bike.

Budget £1900+ for a new OE gen2 unit, and thats not including any consumables, or parts that are required to be replaced during replcement , refitting

As mikey says drop the oil and have a looksee, check the bearings for free play and if any -- Send the unit to Mikeyboy and see if he can rebuild it , he comes very very hiighly reccomended

 

[timeandtide]

Budget £1900+ for a new OE gen2 unit, and thats not including any consumables, or parts that are required to be replaced during replcement , refitting

As mikey says drop the oil and have a looksee, check the bearings for free play and if any -- Send the unit to Mikeyboy and see if he can rebuild it , he comes very very hiighly reccomended

Doesn’t he just!

 

[Gerbs]

Thanks for the advice guys.