Drive Shaft Spline Lubrication

Looks like this is a reoccuring topic and I've been reading to find a summary of the required spline lubrication for the 2017. I'm very close to buying a 2017 FJR 1300es and have read some new/older bikes were delivered without grease on the splines!!! One of the reasons I'm looking at the FJR is I've, for years, had a "Running Affair" with a 2004 BMW R1150RT. I read yesterday on the newbie list drive shaft lubrication is required every 6k miles(I Think). This going to be the first bike I've ever owned that is going to be Dealer Maintained. The Dealer maintenance list does not show a drive shaft spline greasing interval. Is this something, if I buy the bike, I should check?? I'm not really thrilled with the idea. I've unfortunately gotten use to pulling the transmission on the RT every 12k miles to grease the transmission input shaft splines(Honda Moly 60) and not really looking forward to doing that level of work again. The BMW drive shaft I usually greased the spline at 12k and they never seemed to need it at that mile interval. I should also say I'm 66 and just want to ride for a change.

Thanks for the thoughts

2004 BMW R1150rt 104k miles

1978 BMW R80/7 221k miles still runs like a clock(Original Owner)

Buy the FJR, you'll be a happy rider. And don't let the greased spline issue dissuade you. Greasing of the splines is a 30 minute (tops) process when you're changing the rear tire. I usually do it every other tire change. I cannot recall ever seeing a failure of an FJR drive shaft spline due to lubrication. I've seen some ugly ones (pictures posted here) of rusty splines but those were on bikes with pitiful maintenance schedules.

The FJR is notoriously easy to maintain and has a rock solid reliability reputation.

Be prepared to deal with a little more engine performance than you've been used to. Those BMW twins are sweet but they can't be accused of pulling your arms out of their sockets.

Good luck!

I'll give you my thoughts, and then wait to get blasted for them. But here goes:

I'm not sure I've heard of any failures due to lack of grease on the splines. The splines come lubed, although some people think it's not enough. I'm no engineer, but when I looked at my splines on my 2014, the grease seemed adequate. However, when I take the rear tire off to get a new one mounted, I do clean off the grease and put new lube on the splines. Once the tire is off it is an additional 4 bolts to get to everything, and the bolts are easy to get to. I do grease it a little heavier than what Yamaha did. I do this about every other tire change, or 12k-15k miles. I find it's still well lubed at that interval and probably could go much longer, but since I'm already there and it's so easy I just spend the extra 10 minutes and then not worry about it.

If you are having a dealer do your tire changes, maybe mention to them that you would like them to lube the splines or at least check them with the first rear tire change. Then lean on their expert advice if you have a dealership that you trust.

Don.

Edited to add: FJReady beat me to the punch. Totally agree with what he said.

There is no requirement to lube the forward drive shaft splines. The front splines do not move/slide once installed. The shaft is spring loaded (pushing forward) holding the splined shaft into the corresponding splined socket in the U joint. Only the rear splines slide when the suspension moves, and those rear splines are much bigger, and constantly bathed in gear lube in the final drive housing.

Many owners will lube those front splines. Mostly all they accomplish is to protect them from rusting and getting frozen in place. I don't believe that there has ever been a report of a failed driveshaft spline on an FJR, at least none I can remember.

You can put some type of protective paste/grease on those splines once, and then pretty much forget about them. It is a much better situation than that on the BMW drive shafts. And (even with the power mentioned by FJReady above) there have been extremely few final drive failures on FJRs either, for that matter.

I pull the final drive and shaft when I change tires and lube the splines while it's apart. As Fred W. states they likely don't need it but I always figured since it was that far apart already what's a few more minutes of my time.

FJR is probably the most maintenance free of any bike I've ever owned. Most things are easily handled by the owner and relatively inexpensive too.

I have lubed the engine output/U-joint/final drive forward splines twice in 163,000 miles and 10 years. Might do it again next year (or not). No issues, wear or other problems. I clean and lube the wheel/rear drive splines with each tire change. I use conventional heavy duty grease - not the high molybdenum black goo that gets everywhere and makes a god-awful mess.

Thanks everybody. Weather permitting I'll ride a FJR tomorrow.

The process is easy. It's even easier while already having the tire off for replacement. The process has remained mostly the same through all generations of the bike.

https://www.fjr-tips.org/maint/spline/spline.html

The Gold Wing is a well known bike by most. It also didn't have a documented service interval for front or rear splines but bikes were needing full replacement if the rear "pumpkin" on a pretty regular basis as they got older and riders rode big miles. It became routine (as with the FJR) to recommend that owners request a clean-and-lube by the dealer every time there was a rear tire swap as a preventative measure. The cost was certainly more appealing than all new hardware. Dealers wouldn't do it without being asked because it wasn't on the check list of periodic maintenance items.

Like was mentioned, with the tire off, at most, it adds is 30 minutes to the whole process (including cleanup).

It pays to clean and lube the splines of the universal.

I've worked on several FJR's, mainly Aussie Police AP models... poor service, that the universal was a real BUGGER to remove. Nearly had to buy a slide hammer.

Such an easy job that dealers tend to forget ....... sic !

Very rare to have a drive failure on an FJR, maybe 2 I've heard off since 2006 worldwide.

The worse you'll get is a knocking & clunking of the universal.

A key element of being an FJR rider is the ability to worry about that which merits no worries.

Ok, let's back up a little and talk about what the OP is talking about.

- The drive shaft splines inspect/clean/lube is on the routine lubrication maintenance chart (2007 FSM, page 2-27) unless it's been removed for 2017. Where/how did the OP get the idea that it's not a normal, listed maintenance item?

- the folks here are talking about 2 different things: some are talking drive shaft lube. Others are talking universal joint lube. The first has always been listed (until maybe 2017) as a normal maintenance item. The second is not listed anywhere that I know of except on the internet.

This is my personal routine:

Rear every tire change

U-joint (splines along with the output shaft splines) every 3rd rear

I've found that, using that frequency doesn't place any undue hardship on me and by that time the u-joint and surrounding area is pretty crufty.

I lubed my 2014 the last tire change and its fairly easy to do. And honestly you could run the bike for its entire life or the length of time you will own it and never check it and it will be fine. Its more for the anal, paranoid type like myself. lol

DBstoy said:

Thanks everybody. Weather permitting I'll ride a FJR tomorrow.

Click to expand...

Good for you! Send pictures.
As far as driveshaft splines are concerned, don't forget that this Forum is notorious for creating,fixing, and worrying about problems that aren't problems. The drive shaft is one of those.

I have an '07 with almost 70k on it. Not near as much as some others, but do you know how many times I've lubed my u-joint? Never. I went to take it apart and it moved freely, so I said screw it aND finished up the real work. I have lubed the rear set if gears exactly one time. The second time when I was going to do the u-joint thing, there were no signs of rusting, stcking, or otherwise becoming damaged.

Around 20k miles, lube that rear gear set, and then let it go. Don't stress about stupid shit!

I had a BMW RT. Wonderful bike except for reliability (I had something critical break every year of ownership). I had one 5 month long problem with my 2014 FJR but Yamaha finally ended up fixing it. I would not worry about spline lubrication or FD issues at all.

rbentnail said:

Ok, let's back up a little and talk about what the OP is talking about.
- The drive shaft splines inspect/clean/lube is on the routine lubrication maintenance chart (2007 FSM, page 2-27) unless it's been removed for 2017. Where/how did the OP get the idea that it's not a normal, listed maintenance item?

- the folks here are talking about 2 different things: some are talking drive shaft lube. Others are talking universal joint lube. The first has always been listed (until maybe 2017) as a normal maintenance item. The second is not listed anywhere that I know of except on the internet.

Click to expand...

The chart you refer to is in Chapter 2 Specifications, and is labelled as "LUBRICATION POINTS AND LUBRICANT TYPES". In that table it does call out for the spline at the universal joint end of the driveshaft should be lubricated with "M" (Molybdenum Disulphide) grease. It does not say that this is a regular service maintenance item, just that this is the grease specified for that location.

Contradicting the specs section, in the Chassis section 4, both on the "Disassembling The Final Drive" overview page, and in the "INSTALLING THE DRIVE SHAFT AND FINAL DRIVE ASSEMBLY" section it indicates the rear spline should get Moly grease, but the forward splines should get "LS" Lithium Soap type grease during assembly.

All periodic service maintenance is laid out in Chapter 3 of the FSM and greasing the drive shaft splines is not discussed there, nor in the table of required periodic maintenance in the Owners manual.

Sorry, the bike was 1148 kms young, so clean you couldn't cook a BBQ on hem, no grease at all !!!

Yours must have been built when they were out of grease?

Mine did have a little of what appeared to be white lithium grease, but not enough to protect it long term, IMO. I smeared them with Moly Paste (because that tends to cling a little better) and called it good.

Fred W said:

Yours must have been built when they were out of grease?

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lol lol lol, yep.

The same as my haunted 2013 Trophy and my 2012 Moto Guzzi Stelvio NTX tractor, lol lo.

Major world wide grease shortages

ps, interesting to note that all the bearings on the NTX were tapered rollers.