2005 RSTD final drive metal shavings

Changed the final drive gear oil on my 05 RSTD that I had just bought a few weeks ago and I don't think it has ever been changed from the looks it and the magnetic drain plug had a bunch of metal shavings on it, my question is that is it normal say if it had never been changed since new? I know it calls for it to be changed after the bikes first 600 miles it currently has 12,500 miles on it, and the bike does have that wonderful Yamaha Whine when going down the road as far as I can tell I'm the 4th owner of the bike.

I would change the gear oil and check it a couple of thousand miles later. The shavings are expected at the first change.

If they are present at future diff oil changes, I would start asking around about a trike conversion takeoff.

12k miles isn't very many. Mine went 80k before I changed it out (and many others have gone farther than that without changing the pumpkin).

RR

trike conversion takeoff? Pumpkin? I take there is an issue with the final gear on theses bikes? What other issue can I expect/look for on a 05 RSTSD....Thanks

(1) Final gear?

(2) Fuel pump?

(3) Clutch noise

?

?

I realize this thread was written about a 2005, but....Red Rider said that if you see chips at the next lube change, to look for another pumpkin. I've got a touch over 90K on my 89, and I run synthetic lube in mine. I change it every couple of years and I always see some metal on the magnet. My 83 was the same way. Some metal chips are normal.

I realize this thread was written about a 2005, but....Red Rider said that if you see chips at the next lube change, to look for another pumpkin. I've got a touch over 90K on my 89, and I run synthetic lube in mine. I change it every couple of years and I always see some metal on the magnet. My 83 was the same way. Some metal chips are normal.

There was a pretty big clump on the magnet, but I figured if the original owner and the other owners after him never changed the final drive gear oil then its probably due to the breakin period that most the the shavings were produced. I am about to go on a 5,000+ mile trip on the bike from Dallas Texas up to Banff/Jasper Canada, so far I have only put about 800 miles on the bike since i bought it about a month ago just wanting to make sure i don't get stranded somewhere.

trike conversion takeoff? Pumpkin? I take there is an issue with the final gear on theses bikes? What other issue can I expect/look for on a 05 RSTSD....Thanks

 

(1) Final gear?

(2) Fuel pump?

(3) Clutch noise

?

?

 

I would not consider the pumpkin (final drive) a weakness. From my time on this board, I have heard of a couple of troubles, but it certainly is not an endemic problem. I have at least 70k miles on my replacement final drive and it had 30k on it before I installed it.

For clarification, some folks have had their Venture converted to a trike. When that is done, the final drive is replaced with a drive axle and the pumpkin is not longer needed. Hence, a take off. Therefore, it becomes an extra part available for others.

Somewhere on here are some pictures of the magnetic plug from my original drive before I changed it out. It looked like a metal ice cream cone with all the shavings. The problem was one of the pinion bearings failed and the misalignment between the gears caused the metal wear. It did not leave me stranded (rode several thousand miles to get home) before checking more closely and deciding to change it out.

I change my pumpkin fluid every time I change my rear tire.

FYI - mine is a 2000 Venture which runs the same final drive. And just in case, I have a spare in my shop. Don't expect to need it though.

Hope this helps.

RR

It is normal for a metal "sludge" to build up on the magnet. That is why the magnet is there. I don't think it is anything to worry about. It there are large metal shavings there, then you have a problem.