• Ciao Guest - You’ve landed at the ultimate Guzzi site. NEW FORUM REGISTRATIONS REQUIRE EMAIL ACTIVATION - CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER - Use the CONTACT above if you need help. New to the forum? For all new members, we require ONE post in the Introductions section at the bottom, in order to post in most of the other sections. ALWAYS TRY A SEARCH BEFORE STARTING A NEW TOPIC - Most questions you may have, have likely been already answered. DON'T BE A DRIVE-BY POSTER: As a common courtesy, check back in and reply within 24 hours, or your post will be deleted. Note there's decades of heavily experienced Guzzi professionals on this site, all whom happily give endless amounts of their VALUABLE time for free; BE COURTEOUS AND RESPECTFUL!
  • There is ZERO tolerance on personal attacks and ANY HYPERLINKS to PRODUCT(S) or other competing website(s), including personal pages, social media or other Forums. This ALSO INCLUDES ECU DIAGnostic software, questions and mapping. We work very hard to offer commercially supported products and to keep info relevant here. First offense is a note, second is a warning, third time will get you banned from the site. We don't have the time to chase repeat (and ignorant) offenders. This is NOT a social media platform; It's an ad-free, privately funded website, in small help with user donations. Be sure to see the GTM STORE link above; ALL product purchases help support the site, or you can upgrade your Forum profile or DONATE via the link above.
  • Be sure to see the GTM STORE link also above for our 700+ product inventory, including OEM parts and many of our 100% Made-in-SoCal-USA GTM products and engine kits. In SoCal? Click the SERVICE tab above for the best in service, tires, tuning and installation of our products or custom work, and don't miss our GT MotoCycles® (not) art on the BUILDS tab above. WE'RE HERE ONLINE ONLY - NO PHONE CALLS MADE OR RECEIVED - DO NOT EMAIL AND ASK QUESTIONS OR ASK TO CALL YOU.
  • Like the new V100, GuzziTech is full throttle into the future! We're now running on an all-new server and we've updated our Forum software. The visual differences are obvious, but hopefully you'll notice the super-fast speed. If you notice any glitches or have any issues, please post on the Site Support section at the bottom. If you haven't yet, please upgrade your account which is covered in the Site Support section or via the DONATE tab above, which gives you full site access including the DOWNLOADS section. We really appreciate every $ and your support to keep this site ad-free. Create an account, sign in, upgrade your account, and enjoy. See you on the road in 2024.

Shaft drive leaking oil onto rear tire

F

falkdal

Just got it firing!
GT Contributor
Joined
May 26, 2023
Messages
14
Location
Berkeley, CA
So riding home last night I felt like the bike was handling weird and feeling kind of sketchy getting on the power and in corners. Took a look around and noticed the shaft drive covered in oily gunk and the rear tire with a steady spray coating of oil all around, as well as on the rear brake rotor. I checked all the bolts (all seemingly torqued correctly), cleaned it all off and will ride it to the dealer tomorrow and see how bad of a leak it is, but obviously it's not safe as is. I did confirm they didn't touch this during the break-in service (bike has 1,200 miles now) so this is how it came from the factory.

Has anyone else experienced the same issue?

Image 20230928 131255 176 Image 20230928 131255 036
 
Disappointing and sorry to see it. I keep a pretty close eye on V100 social media to understand other's first year bike experiences to look for issues on mine (and have had my own), this is the first I've seen posted, inc. the two Facebook groups.

Guzzi don't call for changing the oil in the drive at the first service, which didn't make sense to me; I had mine changed. Maybe not relevant to your situation but thought it worth a mention. Could swarf create an issue like this over time?

Hope you get a quick service on this and will share any comments from the dealer.
 
My V100 has covered 4000 miles and still clean as a whistle.
If the drive shaft bolts are still tight on your bike, how can there be such a leak?
Cracked gasket?
If so it might be a one off on your bike as I see it.
Gaskets should be pretty a straight forward thing.

Please let us know how it develops.
 
There are a couple of oil seals on the axle, #9 being one of them, #23 the other. As it developed in the last 300 miles...I'd put money on #9. But I lose when I gamble!

Capture
 
@TeeTwo
You might see it on Facebook now - I posted there this morning. :)

From that schematic I’m in agreement with you. There is no discernible oil on the outer part of the shaft where #23 is, but a heavy covering all around the inside and underneath. So if anything’s failed it’s likely #9. Another option is a bad crush washer on the drain bolt.

I am also dealing with the neutral position switch issue (documented elsewhere) and the dealer said MG approved a new repair attempt. It will involve getting into the transmission so it’s a bigger job. They said to bring it in tomorrow to leave over the weekend and address both issues.

Will report back on what they find!
 
Please don't mention FB or other SM sites, we'd appreciate if you post the info directly here. Many here won't get near any of those platforms.
Another issue we've seen on other models is that the bolts (#1) that hold the flange (#6) via #10/11 gasketed seal to the drive assy are loose on many others we've had in the shop. I would be rather surprised if it's the seal, but do keep us posted here on the outcome. TIA.
 
GTM® said:
Please don't mention FB or other SM sites, we'd appreciate if you post the info directly here. Many here won't get near any of those platforms.
Another issue we've seen on other models is that the bolts (#1) that hold the flange (#6) via #10/11 gasketed seal to the drive assy are loose on many others we've had in the shop. I would be rather surprised if it's the seal, but do keep us posted here on the outcome. TIA.
Click to expand...

Oops.. won't mention the unmentionable again, though I don't post on the Great Satan. Still (re)learning GuzziTech etiquette and taking direction.

falkdal mentioned he had checked the bolts, and they were tight, it will be interesting to learn what the dealer comes back with.

Back in the day my Stelvio NTX had lube weeping from the Carc thought to be a porous casting IIRC, I switched from Mobil 1 75W90 to Redline 75W140 - never saw another drop, ran fine.....better to be lucky than good maybe......not suggesting that is the solution here though.
 
TeeTwo said:
Oops.. won't mention the unmentionable again, though I don't post on the Great Satan. Still (re)learning GuzziTech etiquette and taking direction.
falkdal mentioned he had checked the bolts, and they were tight, it will be interesting to learn what the dealer comes back with.
Back in the day my Stelvio NTX had lube weeping from the Carc thought to be a porous casting IIRC, I switched from Mobil 1 75W90 to Redline 75W140 - never saw another drop, ran fine.....better to be lucky than good maybe......not suggesting that is the solution here though.
Click to expand...
No worries, and very good. I'm a big fan of Redline's oils. Do keep us posted.
 
Update on this issue. The shaft drive is NOT leaking. The leak is coming from the small drain hose exiting the water pump housing. It's unclear yet if it's coolant, oil, or both (but the fact that it's sticking to the tires and not evaporating suggests oil). I looked at the schematics and there's a ceramic seal (#4) to keep the coolant in and an oil seal (#3) to keep the oil in. It looks like either or both of those are bad and allowing some liquid to seep out of the drain hose.

Unfortunately this will require removing and splitting the engine to get inside to replace those seals. Ugh, not fun on a bike with 1,200 miles.

The only upside is the faulty neutral position indicator will require replacing some parts inside the transmission, so they have to split the engine anyway and can do both jobs at the same time.

Cooler pump Leaky hose 2 Leaky hose
 
Thanks for the update - it was never going to make good reading, but I didn't expect this. Here's hoping the fix gets done soonest and proves to be durable.

T2
 
Spoke with the dealer today and as they've already ordered the water pump gasket (needed for when they take the transmission apart to fix the gear position sensor) I asked them to also order the two oil seals. It seems (after talking to AF1 Racing) that almost all Aprilia RS660 bikes they've sold has had the same leak. These seals are used across all of Piaggio's brands. This does make me wonder whether the fix will use improved seals, or if we're just replacing a bad seal with another bad seal.

In parallel the bike has now been out of commission for 18 days; in 12 days it will qualify for California's Lemon Law. The hope is still that the shop can repair it in time, but if we cross the 30 day threshold I may file a claim to request Guzzi to buy the bike back.
 
Well, day 33 in the shop and parts are still arriving. Turns out the entire water pump shaft is damaged, not sure how, but apparently it looked quite worn (much more so than 1,200 miles of riding could account for). I believe we're at 5 separate warranty claims now - each time the shop finds another busted part they have to file a new claim.

Already been told the bike won't be ready in time for my planned 1,500 mile ride next weekend Berkeley - Vegas - Berkeley over back roads.

Researched lemon law more closely and apparently motorcycles count as new "consumer goods", not "new vehicles", so the law is more difficult to implement for bikes. And even if a claim is successful the manufacturer may opt to simply replace the bike, at which point I'd be worried the new bike would have the same issues down the road. The devil you know vs. the one you don't, and all that.

Very much looking forward to having it all put together and working, but I will most likely be listing it for sale at that point. It's rough when you come from a history of KTM's and Aprilia's and wish for better reliability from the current bike!
 
Well, this will be the final update for me. The bike is still in the shop and we've ended up with 8 separate warranty claims so far for several issues uncovered after the water pump that I haven't even mentioned here. At this point I've managed to settle the situation with Moto Guzzi and while I can't go into details let's just say I'm perusing cycletrader.com as we speak. An unfortunate situation all around, but major kudos to Moto Guzzi for the gracious and accommodating way they've helped me resolve this. Their customer service has really been above and beyond.
 
falkdal said:
Well, this will be the final update for me. The bike is still in the shop and we've ended up with 8 separate warranty claims so far for several issues uncovered after the water pump that I haven't even mentioned here. At this point I've managed to settle the situation with Moto Guzzi and while I can't go into details let's just say I'm perusing cycletrader.com as we speak. An unfortunate situation all around, but major kudos to Moto Guzzi for the gracious and accommodating way they've helped me resolve this. Their customer service has really been above and beyond.
Click to expand...
I'm glad you have come to an agreement, but it's too bad you had such problems. No issues for me in over 6,000 miles, so you definitely had a lemon.
 
I have developed the same problem, or at least the same symptoms. After a reasonably hard ride of about 400km the previous day, noticed a fresh oil stain beneath the shaft. Further inspection revealed considerable oil/ dirt spread across the underneath of the shaft and oil on the rims and tyre. Rode a short distance to the next town, were on inspection the problem only seemed to be getting worse. At this point the bike had clocked around 1300 km, I was 250 km from home and 300 from the Moto Guzzi dealer were the bike was purchased. My first service was booked in for the next day. After a number of phone calls to the dealer, their workshop, and an opinion from a local motorcycle mechanic, everyone felt that more than likely it would probably be safe to ride home. At this point I had no idea how much of the original oil was left in the shaft, oil spreading across the tyre in ever increasing quantities, no functioning rear brake, and as I headed closer to home would be heading back into the traffic of a major city. I was fortunately rescued by my wife, who rented a suitable vehicle and drove the 3 hours to pick me up. We arrived home that evening and dropped the bike at the dealer the next day.
On delivery of the bike back to the work shop, a mechanic smelt the dripping oil and confirmed that it was definitely from the shaft and therefore not the same problem as the previous post. I am hoping that it will be a matter of just replacing a seal and all will be well, but still have no confirmation back from the workshop.

IMG20231207085524 IMG20231207085543 IMG20231207085601 IMG20231208071353
 
@DJC … sorry to see your post, but wish you the best. At first I wondered if it could be as simple as a loose drain plug. Shoulda knew better😉. Hope it’s an easy and long term fix!
 
BDS said:
@DJC … sorry to see your post, but wish you the best. At first I wondered if it could be as simple as a loose drain plug. Shoulda knew better😉. Hope it’s an easy and long term fix!
Click to expand...
Thanks. Checked all the basics first up. Loose drain plug would have been the best outcome but unfortanetly not quite that simple. Once I have something concrete back from the dealer will pass it on.
 
It’s obviously that an oil seal sprung a leak.

They will open it up, reseal it and she will be good as new again.

Annoying? Yes indeed.

Critical failure? Not even.

I wouldn’t spend another moment worrying over it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BDS
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top