Shaft drive

[malcopopolo]

BMW recommend that the drive shaft is replaced at 38k. Rear bevel drive oil changed at 6k miles.
With labour you could easily have spent a grand in maintenance in this area by the time you reach 40k miles.

When you also consider that the rear bevel drive bearings are starting to wear... the convenience of shaft becomes less appealing.

 

[Woland]

BMW recommend that the drive shaft is replaced at 38k.

Source?

 

[MartinK]

A BMW ruse to get us all off 1200/1250 "LC" and onto new 1300's ???

 

[clutchspring]

To be honest never had a problem with chain driven bikes , previously owned a Varadero 1000 & managed 42,000 miles on the same chain which was still showing in the green at the adjusters but the sprockets were well past it.
I've had many shaft drive bikes including BMW & never had any problems.

Ian.

 

[leadfarmer]

The only real advantage to chain drive is that you can change your gearing easily if you want to, apart from that it’s shaft every time for me

 

[Deleted account 250319001]

Shaft drive since 1999, would never go back to chain. My 1150 covered over 90K miles with original shaft and rear drive.
Im interested where this claim has come from.

 

[ilkleymoron]

my gsa is due its 6 000 mile service this week and as i was flicking through the manual and service schedule i didn't come across any of this

in fact, apart from the oil and filter and plugging it into a computer, they appear to do not a lot - not much more than at 600

 

[bosnjo]

"Better safe then sorry", told me the mechanic at the dealer (very cool lad) while he was installing the rubber valve. "Keep on lubing the splines and cleaning the shaft tunnel at least every 2 years. I'm doing it on my GS once a year"...
He's got 1250 and does 10000 miles a year. As I do 5000 miles a year, he said doing it every two years is ok. Even he doesn't believe in rubber valve solution.

 

[casbar]

"Better safe then sorry", told me the mechanic at the dealer (very cool lad) while he was installing the rubber valve. "Keep on lubing the splines and cleaning the shaft tunnel at least every 2 years. I'm doing it on my GS once a year"...
He's got 1250 and does 10000 miles a year. As I do 5000 miles a year, he said doing it every two years is ok. Even he doesn't believe in rubber valve solution.

But the splines are not normally the issue, it is the joint at the other end. And I know of at least on bike which had had a shaft check by an independent lubed etc and the joint failed less than a 1000 miles later. So although it is probably a good thing to do, it won't stop a shaft failure.

 

[Bigcats]

I have no idea where you got that info from but the oil for the bevel gears only need changing every 12k miles (20k km) on a R1250 GS/A and there is no mention anywhere in the service schedule to have the shaft changed.

 

[Deleted account 250319001]

But the splines are not normally the issue, it is the joint at the other end. And I know of at least on bike which had had a shaft check by an independent lubed etc and the joint failed less than a 1000 miles later. So although it is probably a good thing to do, it won't stop a shaft failure.

What Exactly happened to the shaft ?

 

[Deleted account 250319001]

I have no idea where you got that info from but the oil for the bevel gears only need changing every 12k miles (20k km) on a R1250 GS/A and there is no mention anywhere in the service schedule to have the shaft changed.

Thanks for that. Wasn't aware

 

[casbar]

What Exactly happened to the shaft ?

The UV joint at the rear bearings broke. They were checked, no play evident, but they snapped. Apparently there are hardly any failures from corrosion on the splines as they don't move.

 

[Deleted account 250319001]

The UV joint at the rear bearings broke. They were checked, no play evident, but they snapped. Apparently there are hardly any failures from corrosion on the splines as they don't move.

So stripping and greasing the splines wont make any difference. It was a UJ fail.

Exactly what I've been saying for ages now

 

[team duvet]

As said in a previous thread, mines in for it's 36K Feb and told "we will just replace the shaft and if it's seized to the rear hub, that will be replaced too"

Basically any bike over 36K won't even be inspected.

Is that where the confusion lies about replacing ya shaft?

TD

 

[bosnjo]

If splines don't move freely because they're frozen by rust, the stress on U-joint is huge, so it fails. When I greased splines on my bike, I also covered U-joints with grease.
Greasing the splines doesn't mean only applying the grease on them. They have to be carefully inspected and if there was any sign of rust, they have to be cleaned with wire brush until they shine, both on the shaft side and final drive side and just after that greased with propper grease.

 

[Deleted account 250319001]

If splines don't move freely because they're frozen by rust, the stress on U-joint is huge, so it fails. When I greased splines on my bike, I also covered U-joints with grease.
Greasing the splines doesn't mean only applying the grease on them. They have to be carefully inspected and if there was any sign of rust, they have to be cleaned with wire brush until they shine, both on the shaft side and final drive side and just after that greased with propper grease.

Codswollop

 

[casbar]

If splines don't move freely because they're frozen by rust, the stress on U-joint is huge, so it fails. When I greased splines on my bike, I also covered U-joints with grease.
Greasing the splines doesn't mean only applying the grease on them. They have to be carefully inspected and if there was any sign of rust, they have to be cleaned with wire brush until they shine, both on the shaft side and final drive side and just after that greased with propper grease.

The shaft on this bike was meticulously maintained, including greasing the splines and inspecting. But you can only visually look for wear in the uv font, if you can't see anything and everything looks ok, then you are good to go. Never heard of anyone replacing the shaft routinely at 36k or it being recommended by anyone.

 

[Arsey]

The only real advantage to chain drive is that you can change your gearing easily if you want to, apart from that it’s shaft every time for me

You’ve converted your Forza to shaft drive ???

 

[leadfarmer]

You’ve converted your Forza to shaft drive ???

You mean it’s not ?