Shaft drive - Main diff bearing failure

[beech]

Your first post hinted at lack of oil. The new style final drive bearings have few failures so you may be onto something. Yes change it every year or some figure you like. The drain plug is Torx be sure to use the correct size. There is one just below it that fits but can slip. I can't remember but I think the correct size is T47. It will be snug not rattly. Also there is an oring on it that is the seal. Clean the bore well and if any chips out of that oring use a new one. Torque is 20 Nm, not too much really because there is no crush washer. I fill from the ABS sensor but there is a plug that is Hex also. (you have to remove the rear wheel) Use a good GL5 rated oil and don't go thick, stay with the 75W90 or 80W90 stuff. I had over 100,000 miles on mine when I changed to a younger one just for fun. Working on 120,000 miles on my 09 K1300S and it is fine. Of course there is plenty of maintenance to do. Don't forget to clean and grease your lower rear shock linkage every two years. Not in the maintenance list but was a note on it when a few broke years back. There are many items that need attention that are not on the service lists.

[raesewell]

Holy thread revival Batman.

[richtea]

But still good to be reminded of things like this:

- Don't forget to clean and grease your lower rear shock linkage every two years.

[raesewell]

- Don't forget to clean and grease your lower rear shock linkage every two years.

The FJR has it in the service schedule every 12000 miles. So that equates to every year for me.

[Matt]

But still good to be reminded of things like this:

- Don't forget to clean and grease your lower rear shock linkage every two years.

Damn it yet. Whoever does it next please take some photos for dummies like me who don't often look down there!

[richtea]

But still good to be reminded of things like this:

- Don't forget to clean and grease your lower rear shock linkage every two years.

Damn it yet. Whoever does it next please take some photos for dummies like me who don't often look down there!

Yes please!
I'm prepared to ride to <insert somewhere> and have some guidance me on how. And pay, but not BMW dealer prices. Will also supply biscuits.

This is where Rae's FJR club wins hands down - they have a tame mechanic or two. Would they ever consider BMWs, Rae? Or is that the way of madness?

[Phmode]

If you 'never look down there', the chances of you getting a set of metric Spaniards and a metric socket set and dismantling the fish plates to get to the dog-bone link and its associated needle roller bearings and carefully removing said bearings without losing all the dog-bone-dry needles, packing them with messy old grease and getting it all back together the way it came apart then tightening the new nuts and bolts (the manual says you must use but no-one does) to the specified torque settings with your spanking new torque wrench, must be almost zero.

You don't need a piccie, hands and knees and head down, then look up in front of the swing-arm where it passes in front of the rear wheel. Triangular plates either side of the dog-bone link (the thing that looks like a dog bone running horizontally forwards to the chassis), the bottom eye of the rear shock absorber (really a coil-over damper unit to you) and the bottom of the curved portion of the swimg-arm.

Simples!

Come over for a ride and I'll do it for you while you pour the beers. Once I get over this coughing and snotting you gave me last week, that is unless you want it back again 

[raesewell]

This is where Rae's FJR club wins hands down - they have a tame mechanic or two. Would they ever consider BMWs, Rae? Or is that the way of madness?

I did it on the GT it's not such a big job if you have a centre stand, which you do.

[richtea]

Come over for a ride and I'll do it for you while you pour the beers. Once I get over this coughing and snotting you gave me last week, that is unless you want it back again 

Yes please, you're on! On a sunny day, mind.
Name your beer of preference.

I will look, and see if I have any of the correct-sized spanners. :-)

> your spanking new torque wrench
How did you know? Well, not utterly brand new, but defo this years purchase. The old one went rusty through abuse/lack of use, etc.

[Phmode]

I have more than sufficient tools for the job so you can travel light 

Doombar will do nicely. Room temperature or above for preference 

[Matt]

I'm thinking mini meet up with grease!

Although I don't have a centre stand. So we can do Rich's, then take his centre stand off, put it on mine, do mine, take centre stand off, put it back on Rich's.

Easy.

[raesewell]

I'm thinking mini meet up with grease!

Too much information Matt, the mind boggles 

[richtea]

Doombar it is. I know you like it warm, so I'll fill my radiator with it. 

Name a date (no rush), and I'll scan the weather.
Cheers!

[Phmode]

Any mid-week day. We can partake of lunch at the pub and mess the bike up later...

And Matt. You are welcome to keep score but this is one job for which even a rear paddock stand is useless...you really can't beat a centre stand.

[Phmode]

If we make it next week or later, I 'may' have a way of doing Matt's as well, but only with the three of us here together