Splines

[bikesnbones]

I've just read that at my current mileage of 40,000 miles, I have to lube the splines at the gear box end as well as the final drive.
 :mbird
Is this really so.
It's a job I don't have the knowledge to undertake, which means paying a mechanic mega bucks.
It is really so.

[TimTyler]

Yup. (If the clutch splines haven't been lubed in the last 25k or there abouts.)

[Martin]

  One of the great things about owning a Brick is the satisfaction of doing your own maintenance and repairs. It can be expensive to own unless you undertake at least some of these tasks. All the information is available on how to lube the splines, including videos on Utube. It can be a bit daunting at first but there is plenty of help around. Do you have any mechanical ability, or a friend with ability, do you have an undercover area in which to work on the bike, and  where are you located. And most important do have the ability and wish to learn.
Regards Martin.

[bikesnbones]

Forgive my ignorance, but why.
You never have to touch the splines on your car, which undergo far greater punishment.
Also, aren't the splines themselves more or less a friction fit ?
Surely any lube you apply will be immediately displaced as soon as you reassemble the male / female spline assembly's
I bow to your better knowledge, but I'm trying to get my head around this.
I've had loads of shaft driven bikes over the years, but never once have I heard of the need to undergo all this hassle.

[TimTyler]

Five hours of maintenance every 40 or 50k miles is not that big of a deal.

Some might argue that, if you're not experiencing any down-shift problems, there's no need to lube the clutch splines. If you really don't want to do, don't do it.

[Martin]

 Read bmwmotorcycletech.info/inputsplinesthrowout.htm, as Tim stated you don't have to do it, but you will end up with premature wear and problems.
Regards Martin

[Scud]

I got my K75 recently with about 42,000 miles. It had a lot of deferred maintenance. I put a couple more thousand miles on myself before opening it up (which it currently is). The splines still look good (I posted pics in my 2-into-1 project thread), but there was no lube left on them.

Car splines might get more power to them but bike splines probably get more back-and-forth abuse (and most cars have torque converters, not clutches). The splines seem to be one of the few uncharacteristically weak points on a bike that is otherwise over-engineered and over-built (like the proverbial brick shit-house). If you buy into the idea that a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link then paying attention to this weakest link is worth it. The splines are the weakest links between the engine and the rear tire.

As for other bikes: The transmission input splines on my Guzzis are way bigger (about 2.5 inch diameter vs. about 3/4 inch on BMW). Nobody bothers with input spline lubes on Guzzis unless they are apart for something else (but they do lube the driveshaft splines.

As for doing it yourself - it's easier than on other bikes. If you have time, tools, interest, and a place to do the work, why not try it? You could start a thread on your project - post pics at each step and I bet a lot of experienced hands here would be glad to coach you through it.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Think of scheduled maintenance as foreplay.  A little goes a long way toward the ultimate pleasure one derives from the activity that follows.  Get skilled at it and it will be every bit as enjoyable as riding her.

[F14CRAZY]

Don't worry, you're not the only one who thinks the spline and clutch spline lubes are dumb. Crappy cars like old Hyundai's, Ladas, yugos, etc never wear out their clutch splines but these world class BMWs do

[billday]

It's a job I don't have the knowledge to undertake, which means paying a mechanic mega bucks.

Not true. Have a look around in here

http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/board,9.0.html

you will find everything you need to know. And in the process you'll really get to know your Brick.

BTW -- it's great to know that all those Yugos and Ladas I see clogging up the streets never needed their clutch splines maintained.

[552255]

It is a daunting task the first time for sure, but you will get to know the bike....there is a way, the 'hacks' use to get to that trans. input shaft...the paintbrush method.  It doesn't require the actual removal of transmission, just sliding it back on pins.  I have done it on two bikes, getting a good moly grease on those splines will last a long time thereafter.

The best thing is there's a lot of help and write ups on these forums....these bikes do require maintenance, and shops charge a ton.   

[The Mighty Gryphon]

+1 on the "paint brush" method.  I use one of those metal tube handle parts cleaning brushes.   It's just long enough to reach the splines from the left hand side.

It saves a lot of time doing it that way, but you have to be careful to not use too much lube.  A little bit on the tips of the bristles is all it takes. 

If you start in the morning, you can do the drive shaft and the input splines along with the swing arm bushings, change the rear brake pads and put anti-seize and torque all the fasteners from the engine back and still have time for a nice ride to enjoy the fruits of your labor before dinner.

One tip.  If you don't have a lift(I don't) get a chunk of scrap carpet about 6' x 8'.   Park the bike on it before you start.  It makes kneeling and rolling around under the bike a lot less uncomfortable.  Check around the carpet stores for tear outs.  When you're done, cut it in half, roll it up and take it to the curb with the trash.

[Elipten]

And dropped parts don't roll away on carpet.

[Scud]

Ha - dropped two rollers today that I cannot find. One them is a windshield washer and I don't have a spare. Gonna have to sweep...  :mbird

[The Mighty Gryphon]

That's why you want a nice tight plush, not a shag.   Most of the parts I drop seem to disappear someplace under or between the air boxes.   I think I have most of another bike in those nooks and crannies.

[bocutter Ed]

I seem to lose things in the piles of lathe shavings (wood). Maybe I should think of sweeping before i lose things, rather than after. :dunno

[alexis291]

I have worked on dozens of cars and bikes (all manual gears here in the uk) and never heard of having to lubricate clutch plate splines. Something is badly wrong with the design if you have to pull gearboxes off at short intervals to do that. Even the Clymer manual says it's optional. This seems to be a bmw urban myth. I know we like to tinker with our bikes but don't invent work!

PS carpet is great in the garage.

[Martin]

Having seen the damage done to the splines through not lubricating, I will continue to lube them. Once you have done it once and with some of the shortcuts  guide bolts, long handle artist brush, saw horses and furniture dolly. It is not a hard job takes about 4-5 hours. The shaft only lube takes about 30-45 min. I would prefer to do this than have the shaft fail and be stuck by the side of the road. Read the link I posted in this post March the 4th.
Regards Martin

[bikesnbones]

I did meet a guy recently at a local bike meet, who had over 140,000 miles on his owned from new K100RS, and he'd never done this job.
Of course, you shouldn't formulate opinions in the context of one persons experience, but I have some reservations about this.
Splines stripping to me, suggests alignment issues rather than lack of lubrication.
I remember this exact issue coming up on the Chromeheads forum (catering for the BMW cruisers), and one of their guru's did indeed identify a common spline misalignment issue with this model, resulting in transmission failures.
Anyway, we pays our money and take our chances.

[rbm]

Clutch spline do wear and break if the alignment is off between the transmission and clutch.  this is usually caused by a defective bell housing.  Lubricating the clutch splines greatly improves the clutch lever action and reduces chances of a clutch cable breakage (combined with lubricating the clutch cable pivots.).

[johnny]

greetings...

splines need lube like i needs a third boob... actually i have a third boob... its on my back... caints reach it... caints see it... mostly forget its there...

kinda like that 5 gallon bucket of honda moly 60 i gotts in the basement...

i like to putts the splines in a pressure cooker full of moly... its the best method for full coverage... nunbetter...

j o