Oil coming from drive shaft

[SkyGod]

Currently in the middle of my USA trip and arrived in Boulder Colorado to find a bit of oil on the back tyre and a drip from under the drive shaft.

Have put a thread on adventure rider and they have already kindly replied with dealer recommendations etc. ( good bunch they are) if its the final drive seals then how big/expensive a job is this?

Nearest dealer is 33 miles away, is it safe to ride that far?

Couple of pics

 

[Spout]

Gary,

if the oil is coming out of the hole on the underside of the swingarm then the oil will probably be from your gearbox.
Reasons - either slightly overfilled (gearbox) in inusually hot conditions or a blocked breather.
You can check you breather by blowing through the filler hole (or try to).

If oils not coming from this, then could be final drive seals, I'm assuming it's not the cheap quick to fix outer one, so it'll have be a trip to a dealer for the inner one.

As to cost, I had a new bearing and seal fitted for less than £100 (independant)

Good luck mate............

 

[Pukmeister]

My 1200 developed a leak from the input seal of the final drive due to me overfilling the fd and riding in hot conditions. No breather on the fd so with the reduced air space inside due to overfilling, it started to leak.

Hopefully thats all the problem is with your bike, but best to get the dealers to take a look and determine if it is gearbox rear oil seal leakage or final drive leakage.

33 miles should be fine if ridden sensibly.

 

[Spout]

No breather on the fd so with the reduced air space inside due to overfilling, it started to leak.

Has the FD been filled with 220ml or the new recommended (so it don't leak) 180ml?

 

[Mav]

If it looked like this, then it's likely just the outer seal which is a pretty straightforward job and not that expensive even at a dealer.

 

[Pukmeister]

It was 220 ml and I was living in Western Australia at the time with ambient temps typically 45 degrees. That bike has now been px'ed for my newer GSA, but lesson learnt with adding FD oil, once drained and refilled it was fine.

 

[gipsymagpie]

funnily enough...

Spookily I rode 33 miles yesterday to take my gs to a dealer with exactly the same leak. It does get on the tire but the leak rate meant it wasn't too dangerous. No ideas on cost as hopefully my warranty will pay. Good luck with getting it fixed.

 

[VAL. H.]

If it looked like this, then it's likely just the outer seal which is a pretty straightforward job and not that expensive even at a dealer.

That's interesting to know. I had this seal go about three years ago. The whole FD was replaced under warentee.

Currently in the middle of my USA trip and arrived in Boulder Colorado to find a bit of oil on the back tyre and a drip from under the drive shaft.

Have put a thread on adventure rider and they have already kindly replied with dealer recommendations etc. ( good bunch they are) if its the final drive seals then how big/expensive a job is this?

Nearest dealer is 33 miles away, is it safe to ride that far?

Couple of pics

I wonder if you have the same issue I have? I get a weepage around the rubber boot, which I have put down to a leak in the gearbox seal. It's been there for about two years and only looks bad when the bike is really dirty as in the pic of Mav's above. I just keep an eye on the leval in the gearbox. I suppose I'll have to get it looked at somewhen, but it hasn't got any worse (no drips) and dosen't make any strange noises. Maybee I too have a bloked breather. Where would one look in order to check it out?

Hopefully I have managed to post a couple of pics.


Val.

 

[Spout]

Where would one look in order to check it out?

i) With bike on sidestand, undo gearbox filler
ii) Make sure nobody is watching
iii) Get on your knees
iv) Forget how much you really like your bike
v) With your lips sealing around the filler hole, gentley suck and blow
vi) You should hear your breath travelling through the breather (on top of gearbox)

 

[Ash]

i) With bike on sidestand, undo gearbox filler
ii) Make sure nobody is watching
iii) Get on your knees
iv) Forget how much you really like your bike
v) With your lips sealing around the filler hole, gentley suck and blow
vi) You should hear your breath travelling through the breather (on top of gearbox)

when cold

 

[MickDB1]

wipe it all up and keep yer tyres clean
I bet thas overfilled it
It will stop when its empty
Keep an eye on it and get on wi thi trip matey
Gu Steady -ish

 

[SkyGod]

Cheers lads, its not leaking where Mavs is, its at the opposite end on the underside. The bit thats closest to the centre stand.

Meeting a bloke from adventure rider site tonight who for a crate of beer is putting me up and taking me to dealers,

 

[SkyGod]

I haven't added any extra oil at all, Yesterday was 400 miles though in very hot conditions and most of it at 90 mph.

 

[Spout]

Sounds like a "one off" leakage from the gearbox.

I've had it a few times

Check your breather.

 

[Aidan1150]

I haven't added any extra oil at all, Yesterday was 400 miles though in very hot conditions and most of it at 90 mph.

Neil23 & the Lost Soul (Martin) had some oil weepage from their final drives on our trip Gary with no ill effect.

Martin and I checked the level in his FD which was full, so we put it down to a combination of speed and the heat which was over 30C every day and as high as 41C on a couple of days.

 

[Micky]

Sounds like a "one off" leakage from the gearbox.

I've had it a few times

Check your breather.

Sounds like a 'one off' but you've had it a few times

 

[SkyGod]

Currently drinking beer with a guy who is also putting me up for the night. Going to take me to local specialist in the morning to look at. God bless America

 

[SkyGod]

ouch

Took it to a specialist this morning and he says the final drive is dying, I put my hand on the drive and spun the wheel and it sounded and felt like 2 robots shagging in a skip.

The guy says labour is only an hour or so but the part could be $2500 dollars

How much are the parts alone in the UK, anyone know?

At least I let the BMW warranty lapse last month

These things are sent to try us eh!!

 

[Shep]

FFS thats a pain

If it was the BMW warrantee that has just run out i'd try for a goodwill gesture, i'd be confident of a result over here, but them septics are known to be ornery at times.

If it was the extended warrantee that ran out i'd still go for the goodwill gesture but with less confidence

Good luck

Shep

 

[Timolgra]

$ 2,500 he's either having a laugh or thinks you work for BP.

Good luck mate