My first final drive lube - help to assess condition

[Einar]

Hi everyone,

I have just done my first final drive lube on the new-to-me R1200GSA (2010 w/vent) that i bought last august with 140,000 km.
As it's the first time I open one up, I have little experience evaluating the mechanical integrity, so any remarks/comments on the general condition and the job performed based on the below photos would be highly appreciated (obvious mistakes or concerns etc).

The final drive decoupled easily from the shaft and inserting it back was fiddly, but once i managed to align, the insertion was smooth.
There was rust to clean up (the best I could), remnants of grease and possibly paste, but discoloured. I have tried to research the correct paste and grease, quantity of lube to put on, etc. (No Staburags where I live, on the wishlist for next year).

Best regards,
Einar/

Opening up




After cleaning up






Lubricant and grease

 

[Boxerboy55]

Your clean up looks good.

The fact it came apart easily is a good sign.

I cannot comment on the particular grease tubes in the picture.

I do have a mini tub of Staburags, but may have used Honda Moly 60

 

[edzt]

Looks exactly like mine and I use Honda moly


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[Einar]

Your clean up looks good.

The fact it came apart easily is a good sign.

I cannot comment on the particular grease tubes in the picture.

I do have a mini tub of Staburags, but may have used Honda Moly 60

Thank you that's reassuring! Yes, I was relieved it came apart, few dents in the housing, possibly someone has had to knock it loose at some point earlier in its life.

Looks exactly like mine and I use Honda moly


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Great that's good to know. I purchased what I understood to be the OEM paste (Castrol).
For the accordion boot seal, I was surprised to see it was a transparent grease and not a white-coloured one. Perhaps white is the Lithium-based version, not silicone-based. My understanding is they both can do the job of keeping water out.

 

[botus]

on the LC bikes (which has no reason to be any weaker) - just of an age BMW bother to talk about - new service stds came in for 2024

BMW have updated ALL servicing for any shaft bike going back 11 years (except forgot about K13 bikes), to have mandatory

every 12k miles drop the bevel during routine servicing - look at shaft, check universal joints and lube splines
every 36k mile regardless, fit a new drive shaft

in case you think these are well made
my bevel just self destructed at 39k miles, the 26 k mile replacement from big UK BM secondhand parts supplier has slop outside tolerance and whines at 70 mph and my K1300 had slop outside tolerance in the rear bearing at 14k miles

 

[GADGET]

Splines look good and I’d say good job done by you!

 

[Pukmeister]

Great job

A moly grease like that is perfect for those splines.

A silicon grease will not chemically attack or degrade the rubber boot.

 

[Einar]

Thank you all for taking the time to check my work and reassuring me. It was a task I dreaded, now I wonder why...

I am however surprised the only separation between the shaft and the environment is some silicone. I will therefore be doing this yearly.

 

[DrFarkoff]

Thank you all for taking the time to check my work and reassuring me. It was a task I dreaded, now I wonder why...

I am however surprised the only separation between the shaft and the environment is some silicone. I will therefore be doing this yearly.

You can do it any time that you want, your service (Oil and Filter) is every 6000 miles

So just make it good practice to drop it and relube each service

I generally do all of my bikes oils every 6000 miles give or take a couple of hundred miles Including Brake fluid on my "Integral / Servo" Braking 2004 1200GS AND dropping out pads and cleaning out road crap and dust and making sure the pistons are all still free moving

For the cost of 5 litre of your selected oil, a litre of gear oil, a filter and a couple of hours I think it is a worthwhile exercise A quick valve check will tell you if you have a tightening valve and allow you to investigate rather than let damage occur

Also NOT to start an Oil war! I generally use 85W140 GL5 or similar "HeavyWeight" gear oil in ALL my FDs and just GOOD GL5 spec gear oil in the gearbox I use 80W90 GL5 but for you Whichever one you prefer

And your Rubber swingarm boots Treat them to a massage with GummiFlege and keep them in better condition

 

[Einar]

Also NOT to start an Oil war! I generally use 85W140 GL5 or similar "HeavyWeight" gear oil in ALL my FDs and just GOOD GL5 spec gear oil in the gearbox I use 80W90 GL5 but for you Whichever one you prefer

I'm new on this forum so i'll tread carefully on this one...

GummiFlege / Silicone spray is a good idea. I will add that to my list.
And thank you for taking the time to respond. I do usually change Transmission and FD fluids every 2 year/20,000 km but I may increase frequency given bike's age, (light) internal corrosion, and easy access to the splines.

 

[bigwelshmac]

That looks grand to me. I'm not a motorcycle mechanic but I grew up on trucks and I know splines and shafts well.