ST1100 final drive gear oil

Johnny Rocco

Johnny Rocco

Joined
Jun 2, 2012
Messages
135
Location
Eastern Ontario
Bike
'05 ST1300
I don’t have access to my shop manual or my notes right now and I’d like to know what grade and what brand of gear oil is recommended by you high mileage guys for the ST1100 final drive.

thanks!
 
I use Coastal GL5 80W-90 and change it with every rear tire change, about every 20k miles. Always comes out looking like honey. Any known brand will work. Be careful tightening the fill cap... it's plastic and can easily break, BTDT. It seals with an o-ring, so you only need to tighten it until the faces touch, with a little hand snug after that. Also, the drain plug has a magnet... clean that every time to see if you're getting any metal buildup.

What's more important than the gear oil is to clean and lube (moly paste) the splines every time you change rear tires.

Yeah, I know... I just said moly paste... let the flood gates open. ;)
 
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We use the Honda shaft drive oil. Says Hypoid gear oil sae 80W-90 on the bottle.
 
It takes about 5oz so one container will last you quite a while.
I bought synthetic and changed it about every other rear tire change.
Never had an issue.
 
Al st1100 said:
I believe 80w is recommended. Honda brand of course. But any gl5 rated gear lube is fine. 80/90, dino or synthetic. I have used 75/140 synthetic. NOTE, do not over tighten the fill plug, they snap off rather easily. This page has just opened a can of worms.... :bigpop:
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Luckily C50/70/90 tappet covers fit the oil filler hole. I bought 2 for peanuts on fleabay and sprayed them black.
 
I loosen the fill plug before I drain the fluid. As others have mentioned it's easy to overtighen this after refilling, I don't have my Clymer manual with me, but there is a torque spec on this or you can just snug up. I use liquid correction fluid to mark the plug and the adjacent case so I can tell at a glance if the plug were to loosen.
 
I use unfiltered Yak snot that I buy from a guy in Norway. Comes in a wide mouth jar so you can use it on splines, final drives and, in a pinch, to secure new grips.

I didn’t like it in the crankcase, it caused the bike to shift kind of weird...
 
GGely said:
I use unfiltered Yak snot that I buy from a guy in Norway.
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Yaks are native to the Himalayas, so yours must be a refugee that got in before the virus closed the borders. Or, it's more likely a scam and the guy is simply selling you Reindeer snot at Yak prices. Consider looking for cold pressed Reindeer snot - cheaper and more widely available.
 
Gotta remember 80W-90 is a 20 plus year old spec.

I use 75W-140 full synthetic. Why not use something much better ?
 
ReSTored said:
I use liquid correction fluid to mark the plug and the adjacent case so I can tell at a glance if the plug were to loosen.
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How time flies, I was puzzled by correction fluid. First thought maybe the Ministry of Corrections had a lubricant that you got through Anthony and then a dim light appeared and I remembered way back in my youth people used typewriters and had this white correction fluid. Now I feel really old.
 
Jim Van said:
Gotta remember 80W-90 is a 20 plus year old spec.

I use 75W-140 full synthetic. Why not use something much better ?
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Since nobody seems to be having any failures or wear issues using the 20+ year old spec oil on a 30 year old final drive design, it would appear to be good enough for the application. The newer spec may be "much better" in theory, but in actual practice it likely makes no difference at all.
 
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