Shaft or Chain... that's the question...

[TheCafeKid]

The only thing that ever caught me off guard with a GS shaftie was the inherent tendancy (as every shaftie has) to "climb the gears" when rolling on throttle in a corner. Its very subtle on the GS, but still that "squat" ive been so used to on a chain bike wasnt there. Took me a few trips of running a twistie road up and down to get used to it, but once you realize how the bike is going to react, its no big deal IMO.

 

[Jethro]

I'll gladly take replacing a chain and cogset over a new pumpkin.

If I wanted a tractor I'd buy a Farmall...

 

[twr1776]

Today 07:55 AM
koolaid_kid I love this. We haven't had one of these for a while. 6 pages and still going.

Enough with the stats & comments George - Chain Drives are the Debil

 

[Griffin]

One pleasant aspect of a shafty GS over a chain:

Every used GS-E or L I've ever bought needed a new chain and sprockets. I could automatically add $160 to the purchase price for those components, guaranteed.

Not so with a GS-G. Change the lubricants in the drivetrain, clean, inspect, and lube the splines when you change the rear tire, and off you go.

And if the rear splines are shot (possible on certain models), it doesn't cost $160 to fix.

 

[koolaid_kid]

Now, c'mon Griff. Did you have to put a chain and sprockets on the KZ?
It all depends on the seller and the price you are willing to pay. Low purchase price will usually mean a worn chain. Or old tires, like the KZ.

 

[Guest]

Water sucks, Gatorade is better.

 

[salty_monk]

Dan - you can have a go on mine some day.....

 

[Griffin]

Now, c'mon Griff. Did you have to put a chain and sprockets on the KZ?
It all depends on the seller and the price you are willing to pay. Low purchase price will usually mean a worn chain. Or old tires, like the KZ.

Notice I qualified that with "GS"......

The KZ was a well-cared for, ready to ride bike. I also paid half again to twice as much for it as I do for one of my typical GS purchases.

Most owners don't properly maintain their chains. As you've posted, a properly maintained, O or X ring chain will get you 20,000+ miles of useful service. My 700 has 73,000 miles on it, and it's only on its third chain.

 

[koolaid_kid]

Geez, all this talk has made me realize that I need to clean and lube the GS's chain before the West Virginia rally. Where the heck is my WD-40?

 

[salty_monk]

Virgin Olive Oil works best....


maybe.. :lol:

 

[doctorgonzo]

Virgin Olive Oil works best....


maybe.. :lol:

just put a sald underneath as you lube it, recycle that excess!

Somebody posted a pic of of the most heavily modded G ever once, I'll try to find it. Mine won't come close to that, but I expect a 130 to 140 MPH by the time I'm done.

 

[noobie]

As a response to a previous poster who said that the first thing you notice with a shaftie is no noise (I'm sorry I forgot who you were):
sure, there's no chain noise, but there's that irritating and ever-changing shaft noise and many other things.

Most of the bikes I had had a shaft. As others pointed out, it's good for maintenance. Well, mostly.

Why?

Because:

Shaft can suck. Um, no pun intended. It can leak oil from any place imaginable while there is no such danger with a chain. If something goes wrong (like oil leak, strange noise,...) you have to take it all apart and it's alot of work.

Noise is another thing... you NEVER know if something's wrong until it's too late, because the noise is so grating, loud and it's constantly changing the pitch that it masks any problems with the final drive or anything else. I always ride a shaftie with that thought in the background wondering whether everything's alright or not. It was also hard to get used to it. And it's irritating.

The shaft is also heavy and messes up the bikes balance.

Oil leakage... it can leak where it connects to the engine. It can leak where you pour the oil in. It can leak where you let it out. It can leak where the wheel installs on it... which means a lot of chances of something going wrong. Also a lot of work if you want to check it out because you have to take the wheel off and then it's hard to get to the seals that are supposed to hold the oil in.

And when it leaks oil, you are perhaps screwed. Because the oil will leak down to the wheel and if you don't notice it soon enough it will leak onto your tire and down it onto the ground, slicking it. And if you don't know the oil's leaking thentaking a turn will end badly for you because you'll have oily tires.

The seals... they have to be changed occasionally and they can rupture. You don't have that with chain.

There's also a LOT more parts in a shaft drive, from bearings, gears, seals, nuts, etc. and with every added part the chance of a break down is increased even more. More parts... more chance of a breakdown.

To make it a little more familiar to any ex-or-current-military... M-16 rifles have a lot of moving parts. They tend to break down more than their opponents because of that. M16A1 were particularly bad. AK-47 on the other hand had a lot less parts and were legendarily reliable. Though not as accurate as M-16, but you knew it wouldn't jam on you in a fire-fight so easily. A lot of parts... more chance of a breakdown.

Another example... BMWs, who's owners always like to expound so much on their reliability, break down. A lot. The R-GS enduro series are especially notorious for their shaft drives that break down a lot.

Less parts... the less chance of a breakdown.

I have no real experience with a chain driven bike, the GSE will be my first chain bike so it'll be interesting to see the difference.

Oh, yeah, if anyone's interested I posted pics of a newly-restored 1978 1000e on the thread "'78 GS1000E restoration project", and appreciate comments.

I have off-topic questions though: what kind is the foam used in the seats? I can't comfortably reach the ground with the soles of my feet (have to stand on tip-toes) and would like to fashion a thinner seat. Some moron cut a square hole in teh current foam to just below the upper surface so I can't just edit the current foam unless I want to sit in a hole.
Are steel-braided brake lines really that much better than rubber?
Also, what model was a 1000 D?

 

[salty_monk]

I find it works best if you actually dip the chain into the salad cleans it & re-lubes. The important thing is to make sure you have plenty of vinegar in there. Ranch is a great O ring lube.




That square hole is standard I believe. Let them use a different foam in there to better support the rider.

My Shaft drive is no noisier than the chain & there was a thread on here which showed them as very reliable. I do agree that it leaves more opportunity for breakdown due to complexity.

Dan

 

[Baatfam]

.
Are steel-braided brake lines really that much better than rubber?

Yes....






Finally got to contribute something to this thread....:dancing:

 

[noobie]

That square hole is standard I believe.

*sigh* Just great. then I'll probably just cut off the bottom part instead of the upper. I would leave the seat as it is, but I don't want to be tipped over by a side-wind while standing at a traffic light. That is, if we even get anything but rain, thunderstorms and hail this year... I don't even know anymore when was the last time I was on a bike!

My Shaft drive is no noisier than the chain

well, as I said, I have no experience with chain drives, so I have no problem admitting I'm wrong when I'm proven wrong.

Yes....

Thanks! That makes the choice much easier, even though braided steel is much costlier compared to rubber.

 

[bwringer]

What shaft noise are you talking about? My GS's shaft drive is pretty much noiseless, as are all the others I've seen and ridden.

Also, what's all this leaking you're talking about? Mine has a whole buttload of miles with no leaks.

I think you may be confusing Suzuki's GS shaft drive system for BMW's "explode at random" system. :twistedevil:

 

[willie]

I'm in the middle of replacing the secondary gears on my 1100G. On a previous post, I extolled the virtues of shaft drive. Having read all the responses though, AND, dealing with reassembling the drivetrain on my G, I've got to admit that chain drive does have its advantages.
Willie in TN

 

[reddirtrider]

Chain all the way. Shafts weigh more, cost more, are more complex (that's three strikes and I haven't even started) - they torque load the rear, and they look ugly. No real motorcycle would have a shaft. Put a couple more wheels on it.

Shafts? Nope - not for me - never.

 

[TheCafeKid]

I'm in the middle of replacing the secondary gears on my 1100G. On a previous post, I extolled the virtues of shaft drive. Having read all the responses though, AND, dealing with reassembling the drivetrain on my G, I've got to admit that chain drive does have its advantages.
Willie in TN

Thats the thing. Yes, they are LESS likely to break, or whatever, BUT, when a shaftie DOES break, you are F-ed pretty hard. Its either expensive, time consuming, or in most cases BOTH. And god help you if it happens WAYYY out in the middle of nowhere. Again, ive done it a dozen times or more, but BWringer saved my ass big time when my 1100G stripped out its SECOND inner hub gear in KY. I was seriously hundreds of miles from nowhere, and would have been seriously screwed if it wasnt for him and a couple of other awesome GSRs

 

[Grandpa]

Chain all the way. Shafts weigh more, cost more, are more complex (that's three strikes and I haven't even started) - they torque load the rear, and they look ugly. No real motorcycle would have a shaft. Put a couple more wheels on it.

Shafts? Nope - not for me - never.

First-class Bullsh1t!

I suppose not one Moto Guzzi or BMW is a real motorcycle either, eh? And the GS shafties whose owners share this forum do not ride real motorcycles, eh? And, of course, my Yamaha Venture is a figment of my imagination -- it couldn't be real. A V-Max isn't real, and neither is an FJR Yamaha, or a Kaw Concours.

One thing is to say that shaft drive is not for you.

Yet another is to come with such asinine statement as "no real motorcycle would have a shaft."

One more small item -- never say never. Some day you may grow up and want one of those fake, unreal, imaginary motorcycles that are propelled via a shaft.

Ride what you want, chain or shaft or belt. Just don't tell me that only chain-drive motorcycles are real. Enough of that B.S.

One final comment: Most of us who ride shaft-driven motorcycles have also ridden chain-driven motorcycles. From 1970 to 1979 I rode chain-driven motorcycles -- all shafties for the last 30 years. I bet that most of you chain lovers have never seriously, or for any length of time, ridden a shaft-driven bike. Our decision to ride shaft-driven motorcycles is mostly rational, based on experience. So, go ahead and enjoy your chain; just don't come up with stupid statements like these!

Nick Diaz
Middletown, MD