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Just noticed it after today's ride. This is my first shaft driven bike and I've had it less than a year, so I'm not up on the potential problems. The final drive oil was changed last week at the 18K service.

Maybe not worried but surely concerned. I would clean it all up (maybe they left some drive fluid somewhere) and see if it comes back. Any time you see oil outside the engine/drive it's something to look into.

We're thinking alike. Since trying to replicate a problem is always part of troubleshooting, I cleaned it up and rode about 20 miles. It didn't come back. I'll try again tomorrow.

I thought the final drive oil change was every 12,000 miles, at least according to the service schedule in front of me.

My guys told me two years or 20K.

Hard to tell for sure, but if you trace it upwards, it leads to the rear brake line. Check that out...

Final drive leakages tend to not come from the top of the shaft assembly...

You can see it's on the control arm being forced back to drip down on the final drive

Have a look at the shock to make sure it's not squirting out oil

As others suggested, clean it well, go for a ride, and find the highest point that's oily and take it from there in order to see where the oil exits. I'd suspect something that was touched during the service. Rear brake fluid reservoir closed? Engine overfilled and blowing out oil through some vent or the airbox?

It looks like it is running across the frame near the bolt over the driveshaft. I am voting with Contromoto on the break line. It could be running down the break line and coming from further up too.

just a WAG, but you didn't spray some WD40 or the like anywhere around that area or north of it, did you?

I did on my 1150, at the tabs for the side cases--I drilled them and insert pins for security. When the bike was ridden it dripped, looking much like that on the fd housing.
the brake line does look darker in your photo...origin or secondary, that is the question.

John

I didn't but I'm wondering if my service guys did when I had the 18K last week.

What did the stuff feel like?

Reason I'm asking - almost looks like a male dog took a wee on the bike, and then someone rode it and dirt gathered in the damp sections. I don't see much at all on the rim itself, which if the main seal on the rear-drive went bad I'd expect to see it. I see nothing on the outside seal on the rear drive, and I'd expect if the pinion seal went bad, it would just dribble down.

I think you'd notice a spurting brake line. Possibly something going on with the rear-drive fill port (which on pre '10 models is the speed/ABS sensor..) that's near to the top of the rear drive, but can't imagine how it would get on the outside of the drive housing.

It was kind of oily. I've checked the rear brake reservoir and it's fine. Almost makes me wonder if the service guy spilled some brake fluid and didn't wipe it off.

Last week I went to get on my bike to ride to work and saw a puddle of "oil" sitting in the rear rim below the drive unit. My heart sank. I thought that the bike was leaking drive oil. I got a paper towel to wipe it off. Before I wiped it off I fet it and it was very thin. I then smelled my fingers and found it to be dog pee. I was happy that it was not oil and mad that the neighbors dog pissed on my bike.

Roger L

For what it's worth, I got it into the shop today and the tech couldn't find any indication of a leak so he suspects I rode through a puddle of oil. But he told me to keep an eye on it.

Thanks for all the suggestions and ideas!

You have puddles of oil in Pa.???? My Pennsi friends tell me about the fracking causing problems with the water supply but PUDDLES of oil.
I wonder who writes the scripts when a tech screws up? - That's a great story.

That hapened to me once too, trying to find a "leak" of an oily substance around the rear of the bike. I smelled it.....hmmm that smells familiar, but its not brake fluid...or engine oil....or coolant....hmmm....

Oh F**k! Its CAT PISS...AHHHRRG! Fricking neighbors cat in my garage again. Damn. Felt violated.


Oh, it could be a dog, but it doesn't look like a puddle to me. I would keep looking upwards and forwards. Maybe shock or brakes. Air box look clean?

Could it be drool?

Runner wrote:Could it be drool?

That REALLY is a wonderful first post to the forum!

deilenberger wrote:

Runner wrote:Could it be drool?

That REALLY is a wonderful first post to the forum!

That is REALLY funny.
Welcome to the site.

John