I have the supplies and just about ready to try to repair an oil leak that requires removal of exhaust side engine engine cover.
I will try to do it without removing exhaust pipes from the head....MY QUESTION...how to remove the outer piece of metal that bolts to the swingarm with two torx bolts...after the bolts are removed....does it just slide out or do i pry it or what? any help and tips are appreciated. the pic below is the part that i am inquiring.

what is that you are using to point with? looks a little long to be a finger.

lol...well despite what it looks like it is my finger.....wouldve used another pointer but though it might get moderated ....hehehehe.

The piece you are pointing to is the right swing arm. Removing the 3 torx bolts will allow the swing arm to just pull off. You may have to give it a light tap with a small rubber mallet.

I'm very sure you will have to remove the complete exhaust manifold from the head to the muffler. One or two of those right crankcase cover bolts at the bottom is inaccessible otherwise. If you can remove the bolts without removing the exhaust, you will be a folk hero here.
Good luck.

thanx big bird, i am aware that the exhaust will likely need to come off, but if i see a way around it i will definitely share it here. its ashamed such a dependable bike made by a well revered name has such a notorious leak.

i got the crankcase cover off....but two gears fell out....any ideas where they go?

very top of picture are your bits you have in your hand

thanks for that parts sheet....i think ive got them back in place....they are the starter gears....got the crankcase cover gasketed and bolted up so it can dry....will continue reassembly tommorrow......

Now I know what the Honda dealer was talking about back when I was looking at a couple of used one he had and their worksheet had something bout repairing the oil leak, gaskets, and stuff. I didn't pay much attention at the time but now that I have a SW, I like to know these things. Question: how often does this occur? Can you put a ballpark milage figure on it?

ulflyer....i bought my swing with 8000 miles on the clock and i had the leak then.....the dealership assured me they fixed it but it was a lie....reasons like that is why im not taking to a dealer to fix it.....YOUR QUESTION...i think some people never have that problem while there are many that do.....its not a reason to not buy a swing...its a great bike....the leak is just a quirk that happens sometimes.

I have the bike back together except for the passenger footrest....left it off to view the situation for now.....the engine fired right up as always.....let the engine idle up to operating temp while viewing for leaks.....then rode about one mile and l will let it cool and check the oil level.....no leaks so far...but i havent tested hard yet......will keep you posted.

Flyingwing: thanks for good info. Just for future ref, does it just take a new gasket, with appropriate cement? Also, since you didn't mention it again, I take it you had to pull the exhaust?

ulflyer......Negatory.....no gasket only gasket maker....i used permatex rtv gasketmaker red(high heat)....and yes had to pull the exhaust....but that was the easiest part of the job....reinstalling exhaust was a breeze to....BTW.....I rode 50 miles later today and still no leak.

FW: thanks for feedback. I'll be more knowledgable if mine starts to leak as thats the kind of work I 'm able to do.

At last someone with the same problem as me.
I have just read through your post and have 2 questions for you.
1 Was it the side engine gasket for the cover that failed? or the gromits for the 2 sensors?
2 Did you remove the whole exhaust to the manifold?, and if so how? ( just need to know about the front half ).
I am surprised there isn't any more info on this subject, as its a common fault with this bike.

Your help is most appreciated, and needed

For those of us who would rather not tackle this job, I checked with my Honda dealer today which has done a bunch of these procedures and they said it was an hour job and would cost $70.

Bigbird: I did see a statement that was posted on a used one they had for sale sitting on floor. It outlined all the things they had done to the SW and the repair in question said "muffler/exhaust pulled, cover resealed, total cost $70." I asked and they said that figure was correct. I didn't know enough about the procedure to query further and what you say surely sounds reasonable.

If mine ever starts leaking I'll ask for an estimate. At my tender age I can no longer spend much time on knees doing such work like I used to. Did that a month ago on the Can Am changing out the grease fittings and ended up at orthopedic doc having fluid drawn out and steriods put in...which he referred to as changing my oil!

Thanks Bigbird, you have explained very very well. I'm going to lay it down on its left side and get started on the exhaust, cover, and gromit replacements. You have answered questions I didn't even think to ask yet. I have found one though.How did you get to the exhaust manifold for removal. Your write I havn't got the workshop manual yet.
Are you it the uk? if so can you recommend a parts supplier for gromits and exhaust gaskets?
Thank you in advance.

just added stop leak hope that works before tearing things apart