Going Sherlock Holmes on the Silver Wing

I would never be mistaken for a mechanic, but I find the Silver Wing enjoyable to work on. I've mastered the basics like oil, coolant and brake fluid changes. Now I find myself going all Sherlock Holmes on a curious oil leak.

First symptom: oil streaks on the the tire rim (left side) and tiny drops of oil on the ground below the belt case.

I opened the belt case and it was completely dry (did this twice, one week apart).

When the oil appears, there is a small trail of oil residue from the weep hole near the tire. The oil apparently migrates across the bottom of the belt case, blown by the wind of the rear rim spinning.

No oil appears if I do errands for 15 minutes with frequent stops, turning the bike off. But if I ride fairly hard for 20 to 25 minutes, with quick accelerations in traffic, thar she blows.

Previously, Tim noted that, “the weep hole could be for the final drive output shaft (rear axle seal). Another member had a drip at the same location. The fix required the swing arm/final drive to be removed, the gear box disassembled, then the output shaft bearing be extracted in order to replace the internally-mounted seal. It’s not a complicated job, just kind of awkward.”

So, since I need a new rear tire (Metzeler Feel Free), I'll see if the dealer has a reasonable estimate to take a look and solve this.

I appreciate very much the assorted wisdom and sharing that helped me identify what's going on. Last thing I want to do is walk into a dealership and say, "I've got an oil leak. Go crazy."

Three other things related to the photos. In exploring inside the belt case, I'm assuming my belt looks normal? I have no reference for this.

How about the scores on the variator plate?

And lastly, in the process of removing the passenger foot peg and three rear covers, I ended up with two mystery spacers. I found them near the passenger foot peg, but they don't seem to have any relation to it.

Mike

Off topic but I love that seat colour

Kev

"Off topic but I love that seat colour"

Thanks. Corbin calls it "bomber jacket red." I thought, "Hell, based on the name alone, I've got to buy this one."

Spacers belong to the top cover. They become loose and tend to fall out. A bit of regular glue should fix them in place.

Jay.

Beautiful. Thank you, Jay. I will go address this right now.

You can't tell belt wear by looking at it --unless it is obviously dry rotted or there's a chunk out of it. If the scoot is near or at multiples of 16,000 miles (10000 km) or the "V" light comes ON replace it.

Don't worry about those marks on the variator pulley sheaves. It's kind of normal and at that location the belt is the lowest position and the engine is at idle RPM. So if you are like the majority of us, your scoot won't remain there long.

The two sleeves are belt case locaters. They help align the removeable alloy belt case with the inner, fixed (ie. swingarm) case. IIRC one sleeve fits in the front, lower left. While the other fits at the rear --quite possibly the upper right rear 10mm bolt goes thru that sleeve. I could be wrong on that though.

Tim

Note: I posted this early this evening but it appears that it got hung up in my out box. So here it is anyway.

Thanks, Tim. I'm relieved about the pulley sheaves, although I found out they're pretty cheap on bikebandit if I needed to replace.

I wonder if the marks near the belt's lowest position are related to quick take-offs? I do that regularly to make driving in South Florida tolerable. With so many cars, and so many Ancient Ones driving, you get lonnnng lines at red lights.

Often, you might not make it through the green light, and have to wait for another light cycle (at rush hour, you sometimes have to endure three). They are extra long in Florida to accommodate the traffic volume.

For me, every red light is an opportunity to be first in line. I split lanes or cruise along the shoulder and walk the bike into the pole position. When the light changes, I'm doing 30 mph by the time the next car clears the intersection. As a result, I spend much of my riding time on open roads with no traffic.

I don't see many motorcycles doing that trick, and small cc scooters never try it. But it's a situation custom made for a Silver Wing.

Given that need for aggressive riding when confronted with those doddering geezers it sounds as if you are a candidate for some light weight Dr Pulley sliders.

But isn't it a bit risky being the first one into the intersection given the strong odds that Aunt Tilly never saw that her light had changed to red?

Cosmic_Jumper wrote:

But isn't it a bit risky being the first one into the intersection given the strong odds that Aunt Tilly never saw that her light had changed to red?

That and the fact that it isn't legal in FL.   I'd rather be a bit late and get where I'm going then be "Late" because of Aunt Tilly...

"Given that need for aggressive riding when confronted with those doddering geezers it sounds as if you are a candidate for some light weight Dr Pulley sliders."

You are correct, sir. I just need to figure out whether I want 24 or 26 grams.

As for Aunt Tilly, yes, sometimes her or Great Grandpa Elmer sail through a red light like it's an open expressway lane on Sunday morning. But most of the time it's somebody who clearly knows the light is red and damned if THEY are going to wait because they are very special.

For the most part, old people drive in slow motion. It's easy to see what they're doing.

That said, I never take an intersection for granted, or a car turning in front of me -- which, I believe, is the #1 cause of motorcycle accidents and fatalities. I do the SMIDSY weave constantly, with the belief that every encounter might be the one where they really do turn in front of me.

"That and the fact that it isn't legal in FL.  I'd rather be a bit late and get where I'm going then be "Late" because of Aunt Tilly..."

While I appreciate a well turned phrase ("late" and "Late"), I could have been more specific. I would never split lanes in moving traffic. Ever. That would terrify me. I'm talking about sliding between 2 to 5 motionless cars with brake lights on at a red light (after I'm sure that cross traffic has plenty of green light left). The Burgman's electronic mirrors were ideal for that, although Ol' Lardy isn't nearly as nimble as the Wing.

If there are more than 2 to 5 cars, I'll use the empty bike lane or the shoulder, because then I have an "out" if the light suddenly changes. For me, it's a quick move that pays off with better visibility at the intersection and open road ahead.