Drive shaft

[flatfour]

Not sure whether this is a first, but the GTR is at the dealers having some new tyres fitted (previous set squared off after my recent trip to France, some 1500 miles of mainly autoroute).

I asked them, amongst other things to check the final drive, as it began to "click" or lightly "knock" when turning the rear wheel to clean it after the french trip. I called in today to check on progress and was told that on dismanting to check the splines, they found the bearing cages loose in their housings.

Kawasaki UK say this is a first for them and have agreed to supply a complete new assembley under the extended warranty (bike registered January 2012 and has covered around 8,500 gentle miles).

I am told that it will be ready for collection on Thursday (lucky really, as it goes to Austria on Monday of next week).

[Kwikasfuki]

I know of one other incident the was recorded on the old GTR forum. I think this is pretty rare

[virginiajim]

We've heard about over in the US as well but it was on the classic C14s (08/09s) I think.  I check mine at every rear wheel tire change..and lube the splines with Honda moly grease.

[dokterdave]

My bevel gear bearing failed.
Thats the gearbox end of the shaft.
Would have cost about £1400 but I replaced with a £50 unit from Ebay

[flatfour]

Well, the drive shaft did not arrive from Kawasaki as promised! Apparently, it is now in transit and the delivery date has gone back to 14th July, so it looks as though I will have to find another way of travelling to Austria on Monday.

Must be someone's law that having put new tyres on to tackle the Alps, the bike is going nowhere far for a week or two!

[BDF]

Yeah, it is one cause of 'C-14 terror' over here. The upper splines on the driveshaft often make a very slight clicking noise when the rear wheel is rotated manually while the bike is on the centerstand. Couple that with someone suffering a catastrophic drive shaft failure on the highway (it sheared off the peg casting on the left side- quite impressive really) and a lot of people got their knickers in a wad over it. But really it is quite normal for any 4- way trunion U- joint to do this. Greasing the upper driveshaft spline cures the noise. There is no cure for the terror though. :-)

Brian

We've heard about over in the US as well but it was on the classic C14s (08/09s) I think.  I check mine at every rear wheel tire change..and lube the splines with Honda moly grease.

[virginiajim]

Yeah, it is one cause of 'C-14 terror' over here. The upper splines on the driveshaft often make a very slight clicking noise when the rear wheel is rotated manually while the bike is on the centerstand. Couple that with someone suffering a catastrophic drive shaft failure on the highway (it sheared off the peg casting on the left side- quite impressive really) and a lot of people got their knickers in a wad over it. But really it is quite normal for any 4- way trunion U- joint to do this. Greasing the upper driveshaft spline cures the noise. There is no cure for the terror though. :-)

Brian

Sure there is......martinis 

[flatfour]

Well, the GTR is back with me today. New tyres fitted, but drive shaft not replaced, as it is still in transit. The dealer says that there is no problem in using it normally (and I have a lot of faith in them) including, if I want to for the Austrian trip on Monday.

I'm a little unsure of what to do for the best now, as I had decided to take the car, mostly due to the GTR drive shaft problem, but also because of the very mixed weather in the Alps (thunderstorms and apparently some night time snow flurries where we are headed).

Anyway, I'll ponder on it over the weekend and come to a decision of some kind!

[Kwikasfuki]

I'd err on the side of caution and take the car

[flatfour]

My wife seems to have the same idea, although from her perspective I think it's more based on how much luggage she could then take and how many purchases she could bring back!

[flatfour]

We used the car for the trip to Austria in the end. Probably no bad thing as we suffered a delay of some five and a half hours at  Eurotunnel due to a train breaking down within the tunnel itself and then some poor weather at times. We met three riders (and a pillion) in the Black Forest who had not been out of the hotel in four days due to the rain!

At the Weissepitze we drove to the glacier and, above 2,000 metres it was snowing. Some bikes were out, but most looked as though they wished that they weren't.

The drive shaft has now arrived from Kawasaki and is due to be fitted on 1st August (I am busy with work until then) after which the bike should be in good shape again!

[doebag]

As I made the decision to buy back the salvage of my last GTR, it will be interesting to know the final price of the drive shaft assembly.

[100milesaway]

We used the car for the trip to Austria in the end. Probably no bad thing as we suffered a delay of some five and a half hours at  Eurotunnel due to a train breaking down within the tunnel itself and then some poor weather at times. We met three riders (and a pillion) in the Black Forest who had not been out of the hotel in four days due to the rain!

At the Weissepitze we drove to the glacier and, above 2,000 metres it was snowing. Some bikes were out, but most looked as though they wished that they weren't.

The drive shaft has now arrived from Kawasaki and is due to be fitted on 1st August (I am busy with work until then) after which the bike should be in good shape again!

Four people on a motorcycling holiday in the black forest,   and they didn't go out of the hotel for 4 days?      
That just about sums up your modern day motorcyclist,    1500 pound suit, 200 pound gloves, 300 pound boots all Goretex of course, the best tyres money can buy for wet weather.   
And just because it rains the dont go out for 4 days.    What a joke.  .     What a bunch of mard arses.     

[flatfour]

The drive shaft is to be fitted under warranty, so I don't suppose that I will ever be told the price of the assembly by the dealer. I did however speak to someone else who has had the problem and funded a new assembly themselves and understand that it was over £1,400.00  two years ago, without fitting charges!

[flatfour]

Debs I too have that kind of suit (BMW Atlantis 1V) and the gloves, boots etc. but, if at all possible avoid riding in rain unless on tour or caught out. I simply dislike the whole experience, to me the bikes are for fun and I don't enjoy wet weather.

If I have to travel on wet days, it's the car for me every time!