Article [13] ST1300 - Final Drive Oil Change

Re: ST1300-Final Drive Oil Change

Nicely done Joe, thanks.

I am partial now to synthetics and change annually, easy, cheap so why not?

hi all, st1300 is there any gearbox oil needed to be changed? or just change this shaft oil?

No sir your engine oil shares the the same oil as the gearbox. Which is why the oil debates are hot and heavy. The only thing I did different Joe, was use a chunk of garden hose attached to a funnel. Same thing only different! Thanx for the pics Joe

Couple of observations... My ST1300 is a 2010 I bought new. It now has 2094 miles on it. I changed the oil a few weeks ago. I had been mulling over the final drive oil and decided to do it today.

First let me say, Joe's explanation is terrific. Had he not mentioned the need to clean the magnetic area of the drain bolt, I would probably have wiped it off and not noticed it had crud inside. There was a lot of particles/crud attached to the magnet... Meaning, the recessed area of the drain bolt was packed to the top. I also noticed the drive oil was dark grey and seemed 'heavy' or 'laden' with crud. So, I think I changed it at a good time. I used a mineral hypoid gear oil with a weight of 80w90 as the service manual says. I used the tube approach Joe called out and it went in quite smoothly. Another observation is that while I can't be sure as I didn't do measurements, it seemed like I put in more oil than drained out into my pan. I looked inside with a flashlight before and after and there appeared to be oil to the top of the reservoir before. And, I kept adding until the oil started to flow out. So, I did as the manual and this discussion states. It just seemed like more oil went in than came out.

It feels good to have learned these two simple basics about my bike. Now, I will try to learn how to change the clutch and brake fluids. But, those are a little scary to me because I just don't want to mess it up! If there's anyone in the Glendale Az area who is knowledgeable and would consider supervising me while I do that one day in the future, I'd definitely pay for the pizza and drinks.

Thanks, Jerry

Jerry:

One of the things I do when changing the final drive on my ST and Gold Wing (same method on both) is I turn the rear wheel a couple of rotations to try and get as much oil out of the rear as possible. It may be overkill, but I also change the final drive oil everytime I change the engine oil (every 4k-5k) as I'm already down on the ground messing with oil. The final drive only takes 5-10 minutes with a few minutes of drip-drain time. This way, I know I have fresh oil in the bike.

Riderguy, now that I've done it, I agree, there's no reason not to change that with each oil change. It's dead easy... I'll definitely be doing it. Thanks...

Wonder if that grey gunk is just assembly lube (moly)?
M1 hypoid here. Cut the tip off sized to whatever tubing you have lying around.

+1 on cracking the fill port 1st.
Not so much on the ST but nothing like draining the rear then finding the fill port rusted shut on the cage.

Any reason not to use synthetic oil here? Dan

carpevita said:

Any reason not to use synthetic oil here? Dan

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Nope, not at all, I just used the honda stuff as that's what I had in the garage. II try to change every oil change so every 8k miles... so, I'm not sure synthetic in this application really matters. If the non-synthetic is cheaper and you change every 8k miles, I just don't personally see the need for synthetic and the additional cost.. but, I'm no expert.

Thanks for the excellent write up, Joe. Just getting down to doing my first DIY oil change on the ST, the site i used for instructions was very comprehensive for the motor oil change, but at the very end just had an "Oh By the Way" make sure you change the final gear oil. With no instructions. ;-) Now I see why, your pictures and write up make it seem really simple!

well I did my first oil change. Came here for some tips, but the best tip I got was when I bought the bike and the previous owner threw in the oil filter wrench...made it a snap. I'll start doing it much more often. Now I will do the final drive as I like this routine so back to the Honda Dealer tomorrow for more stuff.

Great job ! its very helpful !

Thanks Joe

Yes Excellent Job Detailing the Steps; if I may just add to Step 5.
Step 5: (Let it drain... Slowly Rotate the Rear Wheel... Let it drain...)

​Just wanted to thank everyone for all the great advise and information on the site. As a newbie to the club, I have been on the site about as much as I have been on my ST.........I know that's dumb, but I've only officially had the bike since Friday.

Now for my questions - since its Labor Day and my local STealer is closed, where can I find the right rear drive oil and how much oil do I need to fill the case?


I prefer to use Honda oil but will be heading to Crawford Notch NH on Thurs and really want to change the factory oil before I go.


Thanks all!!
Kevin

Njff61 said:

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Now for my questions - since its Labor Day and my local STealer is closed, where can I find the right rear drive oil and how much oil do I need to fill the case?
I prefer to use Honda oil but will be heading to Crawford Notch NH on Thurs and really want to change the factory oil before I go.

Click to expand...

Any automotive parts store that sells gear oil.
Ask for 80W- 90 oil. (the "W" stands for winter) This is a multi viscosity oil. Good for the summer and good for the winter.
All the oil companies sell it. Pick your favorite brand and your good to go.

Njff61 said:

and how much oil do I need to fill the case

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You need about 6 oz, so a quart will change it about 5x. ( and it doesnt go bad like brake fluid after opened )

You're very welcome and thanks to the others with helpful replies.

Another big thanks from Ontario. Really love this site and it's awesome members, it has started me down the road of doing a lot of my own maintenance. Some go to school to get edumacated, I come here.

Very clear ...! Thanks