Splines going bad?

[Runninn1]

How do you tell if they are going bad? Is it obvious on visual inspection? Who has experienced their demise and replaced them?

thanks

[Barry]

Which splines - clutch or rear wheel ?

Clutch splines are don't fail so much as dry out and cause gear change problems. A spline lube every 5 years or so will keep them in order.

Wear on the rear wheel splines will be obvious from visual inspection. A clean and re-grease at every tyre change is a good idea.

Comparison of worn and new rear wheel splines.

[Tony Smith]

How do you tell if they are going bad? Is it obvious on visual inspection? Who has experienced their demise and replaced them?

thanks

Which ones?

Gearbox input splines (new gearbox input shaft required - rob bank).

Final drive input coupler set (new set required, take lots of money)

Rear wheel drive splines - (new drive cup required for wheel and new output shaft for final drive required - the parts are relatively cheap but the costs of the skills needed to do the job properly varies).


So which splines have you buggered up?

[svejkovat]

I had to replace mine.  My clutch got harder and harder to pull.  This happened soon after purchasing the bike with about 10k on it.  Clutch lever harder to pull finally the splines just spun. 

One of the few repairs I felt incapable of doing myself.  I tried but there are a few BMW special tools necessary and making your own versions is not easy.  Had it done at a shop in Canton, Mi.

Didn't take me long to realize why they got bodged prematurely.  I got overzealous at the doityourself car wash.

Thought I knew better and stayed carefully away from bearings and electronics with the pressure spray.  Turns out there is a (ventilation?) hole under the engine about 1x5 inches that opens directly to the clutch assembly from underneath.  Without knowing it was there I had, at least a few times, pressure washed right into the clutch plates and stripped the lube from the splines. 

I mentioned this on a couple of forums about ten years ago and was really surprised how many owners were unaware of this area open to the clutch housing. 

[Runninn1]

That's the tough question....noise is a rumbling in rear-end....kind of like a loose chain that's slipping.

[wilcom]

That's the tough question....noise is a rumbling in rear-end....kind of like a loose chain that's slipping.

That's a scary sound analogy, I would check it IMMEDIATELY