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Fouled FD, orÔǪ? [see video - ÔÇÿ99 R11S, 16.8K]

CJRTRIO

New member
Moa-

Thank you for your attention to this amicus curiae regarding a possibly FOULED final drive. Please read below and view video.

Before I begin, my new old R1100S is connected to my tailbone now despite this  so clean and purdy and rides like I like. Too bad them durn teutons forgot how to make more invincible things like 2002s and 240Ds  Ill just suffer through some planned obsolescence reading material (Vance Packard), maybe make a nutkick youtube video with original music about my fd fdor just pray about it daily and add it to my template for dealing with modern reality.

ItÔÇÖs prior life:
ÔÇó PO#1 in Chicago put half the miles on it over ~10 years
ÔÇó PO#2 got it to 16K with most of the 12K service done (all synth lubes at that point) ÔÇô he:
o had well-documented maintenance and bike was cosmetically pristine and started/idled/ran extremely well
o commuted and also rode it 2up with luggage on moa-type rides
o had GS torque arm on it over last few K miles (I went back to stock ÔÇô gs arm for sale soon)

Bike made a rashy bearing-type noise when I bought it ÔÇô I figured itÔÇÖs a bearing or a tire and I can handle that cuz the rest is so good and I like r11s in red and this oneÔÇÖs spotless and I have the patience of a chimpanzee. Noise very slight with no helmet on but is amplified when helmet is on. Changes character when turning left or right.

It also made a pretty clunky noise going into first (rolling or not, and minimized but present at slow pre-stop synchronous roll speed), or it makes the clunk noise after first is selected and clutch is first let out). Clunk noise is a larger version of whatÔÇÖs at the end of the video below ÔÇô I read that they all clunk so I wasnÔÇÖt worried. A tech in my area who rides a very young boxer cup didnÔÇÖt comment on any of this after he test-rode it. I feel no transmission anomalies under acceleration ÔÇô rolling off throttle produces the clunk too.

I detect no play in the 12/6 manipulation of the rear wheel. I hear no clunking sound when I turn the wheel manually ÔÇô just a little rashy sound. I feel and barely hear a slight play in the 3/9 wheel manipulation ÔÇô pivot bearing work is already in the scope.

So I did an oil change and, while warming it up, the behavior in this video made my heart sink:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZnQdjaC95M

Hate to say it, but sound seems to be coming from middle of shaft assembly or more towards FD. No more ridey. Next move was I drained the FD (records/po indicate it was last changed at 12K miles - synth). I figured IÔÇÖd get shrapnel coming out but I only saw one small shiny chip on the plug and some paste and partly cloudy greenish/grey fluid with small graphite-like shiny dust and no chunks as in photo below.

So, based on my read of the many posts, I have the following thoughts/observations:
ÔÇó Bearing may be fine (no 12/6 play) but pinion might be toasting, or
ÔÇó Bearing on way out despite still being tight (perhaps overshimmed from day 1), or
ÔÇó FD may be fine but there could be trouble upstream
ÔÇó Splines may not have seen daylight since pre-Y2K so could be prob there
ÔÇó IÔÇÖd kinda like to get it all lubed up (even the clutch splines) with Honda moly at this point and start my term as curator with a like-new drivetrain (IÔÇÖm told clutch should be fine at 16K and I am good at extending the geriatric clutch). I also know that I have to trust my helpers to get it aligned properly going back together (or is that only when you redo the main output seal?)
 If I can get new parts and know Im paying retail not retail plus, Ill bite the bulletthis one timedangit
ÔÇó If this is non-trivial (by r1100s standards), I will post to all registries and politely ding the Teutons for their namby pamby Achilles heel.

I have a couple of freelance mechanics that have a long track record and I plan to work with them carefully on it.

Would like to hear educated guesses as to whether I can/should ride it to another location to be worked on and in general what next steps are. And how to find new parts that arenÔÇÖt comically expensive.

Thank you all very much for your attention ÔÇô blessings to the MOA community.
 

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Put it on the centerstand and spin the rear wheel by hand. It should spin smoothly. If it's "grindy" that's an indication of a bad big bearing. If it goes "clunk-clunk, clunk-clunk" then you have a u-joint on the way out.

Pull the starter off. Tie the clutch lever in, then look into the slot and rotate the clutch disc with a screwdriver. The clutch disc and transmission input shaft should turn in unison. If the disc is able to turn on the shaft you have an input shaft/ clutch disc problem.

As a note, I'm not sure whether the noise in your video means anything or not. All three of the problems I listed are somewhat common to oilheads, but they usually don't occur at such low miles. I would expect a spline issue to show up at 30K miles, a big bearing issue to appear at about 50K, and a driveshaft to go bad at 100K.

Your "clunk" noise going into gear is normal. The noise you hear when riding sounds like tires.
 
Welcome Cjrtrio:

I don't think there is anything wrong with your bike.
Don't run it in gear on the center stand, the rear drive needs to be loaded or it will make scary clunking noises.
 
Thanks, gents. I just bought an updated left tensioner assembly thinking all will be good - this was disconcerting.

Will do starter thing.

Wheel turns non-clunkily with a faint wind rushing noise.

From what I read I figure I should still address 9/3 wheel play and lube splines along way.

In tyre research mode.

Peace.
 
I didn't watch the video, but what you describe as a "rashy" noise sounds to me like nothing more than the brake pads dragging on the disc (which they are supposed to do). I guess if you really were compelled, you could remove the brake pads and see if the noise goes away. If so, you could then find something else to obsess about.
 
Other than disagreeing with Jim's overly pessimistic time frames for spline/FD/DS problems, i would concur- not hearing or seeing anything of great concern.
 
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