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Driveshaft and Chain Question - hehe

  • Thread starter Thread starter koolaid_kid
  • Start date Start date
K

koolaid_kid

Guest
I will be replacing the chain on the GPz this winter. I don't like the way it looks and I am pretty picky, well, extremely picky about chain and sprocket maintenance. IDK how many miles it has on it, the bike only has 15k but the chain has a master link which suggests that it has been off, if not replaced.
I expect to get around 30k out of the new chain. What kind of life do you shaft guys get on the splines? I know there is a certain year range where the metal was too soft, but on average? Perhaps for each type? Inquiring minds want to know.
 
koolaid_kid said:
I will be replacing the chain on the GPz this winter. I don't like the way it looks and I am pretty picky, well, extremely picky about chain and sprocket maintenance. IDK how many miles it has on it, the bike only has 15k but the chain has a master link which suggests that it has been off, if not replaced.
I expect to get around 30k out of the new chain. What kind of life do you shaft guys get on the splines? I know there is a certain year range where the metal was too soft, but on average? Perhaps for each type? Inquiring minds want to know.
Click to expand...

I have never changed a spline, nor had one wear, on any shaft drive motorcycle or car, including about 5 Suzukis.
A little lube goes a long way. And so does avoiding the soft spline (1982 I think) year models.
 
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My 650 has just about 25000 miles on it and she runs very nice. Im an old Brit rider but this little GS has made me a shaftdrive fan. Now there isnt going to be any drag racing due to the power lost to being a shafty but... Maintenance is simple, you change your oil, youve just changed your drive oil. I remove 2 drain plugs, change one filter and refill. Im pretty sure Im sticking to the shafties from here on out.
 
Mid 81 and on had the soft spline. But other than that, a bazzilion? The GK I used to have had 130K when I sold it. Spline had been swapped at some point for a black one but other than that it never got changed. Don't need to. If lubed it doesn't wear like a chain and chainring does. By the way 30K is a A LoT of miles on a chain even if lubed. 20K is feasible but I'd be pretty leery of a chain and sprockets with 30 thou on em.
 
I cannot agree, TCK. The chain on my GS was on it when I purchased it with a little over 22k on the clock. It has a master link so it has been replaced. The bike now has almost 38k on the clock. I have adjusted the chain twice. There is no play in the side plates on the chain. The rear sprocket (the weak one) is just now starting to show the faintest sign of wear. The front was replaced last year so it is not an issue. So it should be good for another 15k or so, judging on its current condition. Which reminds me, I should replace that rear sprocket, I have a spare anyway. :-k
 
BOTH the front and rear sprocket should be replaced when installing a new chain. My 850 has 50K on original spline
 
koolaid_kid said:
I cannot agree, TCK. The chain on my GS was on it when I purchased it with a little over 22k on the clock. It has a master link so it has been replaced. The bike now has almost 38k on the clock. I have adjusted the chain twice. There is no play in the side plates on the chain. The rear sprocket (the weak one) is just now starting to show the faintest sign of wear. The front was replaced last year so it is not an issue. So it should be good for another 15k or so, judging on its current condition. Which reminds me, I should replace that rear sprocket, I have a spare anyway. :-k
Click to expand...

So it's got 16K on it that you know of. Likely was replaced fairly close to when it was sold. My chain on my ZRX has about 18K on it....no appreciable signs of wear, but the frequency of which I have to lube it to keep it "quiet" has increased to once ever 400 miles vs 600 or so. The sprockets look good as well, but it's what you CAN'T see that I'd be worried about. But, your bike, your philosophy. ;) i always carry a spare master or two with me any way.

And yes, both sprockets should be replaced at the same time. Using a worn sprocket or chain on a new sprocket or chain will make the other wear more quickly.

By the way, I need to find out who manufactures the chain and master on my bike. The master is the neatest and easiest to install I've ever seen. It's a screw together type.
 
Hammered said:
My 650 has just about 25000 miles on it and she runs very nice. Im an old Brit rider but this little GS has made me a shaftdrive fan. Now there isnt going to be any drag racing due to the power lost to being a shafty but... Maintenance is simple, you change your oil, youve just changed your drive oil. I remove 2 drain plugs, change one filter and refill. Im pretty sure Im sticking to the shafties from here on out.
Click to expand...

The bigger shaft bikes had separate secondary and rear oil from the engine oil. Lil more to do but not much worse.
 
koolaid_kid said:
What kind of life do you shaft guys get on the splines?
Click to expand...
We have had my wife's bike for about 25,000 miles. Got it with just over 40k, now has about 66k. Not sure if the splines have been changed, but I have a spare, just in case.

The only other '82 (the year with the soft splines) is the 650L. Splines are just fine, but the driveshaft got twisted in two. :eek:

The other two, "80 and '81 850s and an '80 1000, are probably still on original splines.
'80 850 (mine) has 21,000 miles
'81 850 (son's) has 41,000 miles
'80 1000 (son's) has 41,000 miles

The splines in the Wing are just fine, too. 177,038 showing on that odometer. :cool:

.
 
I don't believe the 650s ever had the soft spline issues, did they?
I have never heard of them wearing out.
 
And I gotta tell ya, this little 650 has a load of power. I wouldnt go so far as to believe its a 2 up touring bike. Unless the 2 are tiny.
 
My FJ chain would start showning signs of wear after about 15K, the chain would need adjusting and lubing more frequently and I agree, replace both sprokets when relacing chain. I had one of the soft final drive's on my "G" and had to relace it, hoefully won't be doing that again.
 
TCK and Lynn, I replaced the front 15 tooth sprocket with a 16 tooth to drop the RPM at highway speeds. Dropped the RPM by about 400, which helped a lot in mitigating the buzz in the bars.
I know the standard philosophy is to replace all parts at the same time, and if any wear was showing I would agree. You do need to know how to read the rear sprocket. I have a spare rear for the GS, so it will go on. It will shorten the life of the sprocket but not the chain.
I have never heard any noise from the GS chain during the 16k I have put on it, so I can't comment on that. But I also do not ride balz to the walls on that bike either, so that may have something to do with it. And guessing when it was installed would be a swag, at best. Personally, I would estimate closer to 15k for a 1983 chain, but that is also a swag.
AFA the GPz, the rear sprocket is in excellent condition and was probably replaced when the chain was replaced. With only 15k on the clock, that could not have been that long ago, mileage wise. I just don't like the way the chain looks and I have a spare. This bike will be ridden hard, so I want the chain to be just right. Once that goes away I will be looking to go to a smaller chain, since weight does matter on that machine. Dropping 5 pounds of unsprung weight would be worth it to me.
The sad fact is that most riders do not maintain their chain and sprockets correctly. At rallies I have attended I have seen examples of that, not to mention bikes I see in parking lots. (You should see the chain on Brian's new-to-him KLR, yuchh! And it only has around 13k on the clock.) This is why the philosophy of replacing everything at once works the best, IMHO.
 
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tkent02 said:
I don't believe the 650s ever had the soft spline issues, did they?
I have never heard of them wearing out.
Click to expand...

Less torque and horsepower probably have something to do with it. ;)

Just a thought. :-k


Daniel
 
7981GS said:
Less torque and horsepower probably have something to do with it. ;)

Just a thought. :-k


Daniel
Click to expand...
Do the 650s have the same (whatever you call it, where the splines are) as the bigger bikes?
 
Good question. I may know the answer after I pick up this '82 650GL that I have had contact with over the past few weeks.
Just waiting for him to come to my terms.
It will happen. ;) :twistedevil:

Daniel
 
koolaid_kid said:
Do the 650s have the same (whatever you call it, where the splines are) as the bigger bikes?
Click to expand...

Yes, the 650 splines are the same part number as in the bigger shafties, and the 82-83 650G/GL models suffered from the same soft spline problem.

However, I'd guess that the smaller engine puts less stress on the splines, so they'd probably tend to last longer. The soft splines usually last 20,000 - 30,000 miles in 850 duty, maybe less in an 1100.

Anyhoo, to answer the question, once you have a proper spline in place and properly treated with moly paste, they pretty much last indefinitely. My 850G has 114,000 miles and has been wearing a black spline since the original went blooey at around 28,000. I installed new tires not long ago, and the spline was unworn.

As koolaid_kid remarked, with chains, maintenance is everything -- I just bought a KLR650 with 12,800 gentle road miles and the original chain is pretty much roached, simply from lack of attention (OEM chains normally go at least 20K on these bikes).

On the other hand, I'm at over 31,000 hard miles on the chain I installed last year on my V-Strom DL1000, and it's only now showing signs of being near the end. As a long-time shaftie fan, perhaps I was a bit paranoid and over-maintained my chain... :D
 
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