Post 2k mile mechanical issues

Motörhead · May 31, 2024

There's considerable driveline slop which became more apparent during the long line of stop and go traffic entering and leaving the Indianapolis Speedway. When I first took delivery of this GL1200 with 41k miles showing on the odometer the final drive was drained with the gear oil appearing like silvery goup. That's where my suspicion lies but there's also the driveshaft u-joint to consider. Frankly I'm hesitant to pry off the flex boot and open up another can of worms. Due to the age of the bike it will likely be stiff and prone to cracking. Do these models commonly slop in the transmission? Perhaps I should just drain and fill the final drive again and live with it. What would you do?

Engine oil usage was IMO acceptable at 3/4 of a quart for a 2k mile trip.

There's a ticking noise coming from the bottom of the engine which disappears with revs. I put my hand under the exhaust and could find no exhaust leaks. Any ideas on that?

Finally a minor issue is the tachometer reading from the LCD display disappearing after a hard overnight rain. Eventually it began it reappear then disappear and finally operated normally after a few hours riding in dry conditions. I think water ingessed into the display through the ledge at the bottom of the plexiglass. Opening up the cassette cover seemed to accelerate drying.

Any suggestions appreciated.

All that said the bike performed well for a 38 year old machine, I could not have made a better choice for the price.

My next road trip is scheduled for the last week of August from Houston to Austin for a WEC 6 hour endurance sports car race at Circuit Of The Americas. Next big trip will be to Roswell, NM in September 2025 for the National Air Races (formerly Reno Air Races)

https://airrace.org/news/national-championship-air-races-take-off-for-roswell-nm-in-2025/

julimike54 · May 31, 2024

The easiest place to look for driveline slop is the rear wheel. Remove wheel and check the gears for excessive wear and the pins that connect wheel to drive.

This is shown on 14-9 and 14-10 of the FSM
https://classicgoldwings.com/media/wheels-and-tires-14-09.31210/
https://classicgoldwings.com/media/wheels-and-tires-14-10.31211/

The most usual cause is lack of maintenance. I had relied on dealers to do this whenever there was a tire change, but they don't follow the procedures either (or my instructions to lube) and I had to replace them due to excessive wear.

Never experienced the display issue, been in plenty of rain over the years. Maybe some seal has broke down?

Best of luck!

pidjones · May 31, 2024

The boots are usually pretty easy to pull back if you heat them up first. Hair dryer or heat gun - get them warm, but don't over-do. Should be pretty pliable then. If the U-joint is shot, an ebay drive shaft would be my choice to replace. There is a spring-loaded cushion in the engine that absorbs a lot of shock. It can feel sloppy until you get used to it. I've never hear of one actually failing. Driveline issues should be carefully checked out to make sure you aren't chasing your tail.

Motörhead · May 31, 2024

julimike54 said:
The easiest place to look for driveline slop is the rear wheel. Remove wheel and check the gears for excessive wear and the pins that connect wheel to drive.

This is shown on 14-9 and 14-10 of the FSM
https://classicgoldwings.com/media/wheels-and-tires-14-09.31210/
https://classicgoldwings.com/media/wheels-and-tires-14-10.31211/

The most usual cause is lack of maintenance. I had relied on dealers to do this whenever there was a tire change, but they don't follow the procedures either (or my instructions to lube) and I had to replace them due to excessive wear.

Never experienced the display issue, been in plenty of rain over the years. Maybe some seal has broke down?

Best of luck!

Good info, thanks. The damper bushings are the shaft drive equivalent of cush drive bushings? I think I'll buy an ebay wheel to swap or experiment on. When I see "nuts cannot be removed" or "this or that cannot be repaired, you must replace the entire thing" that motivates me to consider doing exactly the opposite.

Motörhead · May 31, 2024

Has anyone here successfully done the 1500 rear wheel swap? Replacement dampers are still available through Revzilla. Perhaps I should go this route instead of spending good money after bad on a 1200 wheel with the same issue.