Rolled it off the trailer, scratched my head again about the rear main seal leaking, then figured out it was a good day to visit friends with family from Portalnd on the ST1100 hack. Turns out they all wanted rides even though 35 and misty was the theme for the weather again.
The longer story is a trailer trip to Kansas City, and on the second day riding the "adventurous" Garmin roads towards west Texas a new oil leak was fragrant on the catalytic converter. Hmmm. Then the clutch slipped whacking the throttle uphill at about 80. Lubbock TX was only 40 miles away. A few phone calls and the options were a Uhaul one way for a grand. Repair at the dealer in Plano was 3 grand. But turning around and easing toward my trailer was the cost of a hotel room, plus gas of course. And the joys of the finest wind protection on two wheels as I was heading into the rains that lingered in the center of our continent for about 5 days - now it's light flurries and still grey. So my wonder is did the rear main seal only leak oil because I overfilled it getting overexcited and hasty to leave, or did some extra pressure push the flimsy looking lip of that seal outward and it will continue leaking like a sieve until my mechanic disembowels the beast. (Fortunately for me, he works for free, all I have to do is feed me and put up with random bouts of swearing and manic evening sessions with the wrenches).... Time will tell. There was less leaking as the oil level lingers now in the top 3/4 of the sight glass. And the clutch never slipped again, even with a surge of 80 mph the last 20 minutes of my return to the trailer.
*update - now that it's all apart and starting to replace seals, it was not the rear main, but the input shaft bearing to the tranny that took a crap. Trying used ebay tranny. So far only failed to properly seat outer rear main seal (ordered another after wrecking it to get it out) and ordered wrong input shaft seal so that's on it's way. Yes, new clutch as well. Should be championship if it goes for a thousand miles over the summer. Try the Christmas trip again next year maybe?
Pictures of departing Minne-barely-snow-ta which is what it looks like again with a dusting of flurries before the sun comes out tomorrow. And taking a break under the shelter of a closed gas station at the Kansas border - having coffee in a very fitting place, Coffeyville.
Looks like the roads today are clear of anything frozen, so maybe time for a GS ride with heated socks. Not so much leg protection on that one. Has good agressive tires to meander down some damp gravel roads.
After months of wrenching, failing to properly install seals, buying more seals (did that twice), taking out the final drive to actually engage the driveshaft splines.....replacing a fog light with LED with my fingers, needlenose pliers, much groaning and moaning....well it's back on the road again! Hooray. And spring has fully come to Minnesota. Snow is nowhere in the forecast. Gravel roads are firmed up and good condition in my neighborhood. And the beemer's integrated brakes stopped me in early morning dawnlight short of charging deer faster than I've ever needed to stop before. Nice thing I bled the output circuit of the brakes before putting the tank back on.
A few pics. The beauty waiting for tow (looks like that again now but it goes! The input bearing to tranny that took a crap and the maximum state of disembowelment in the repair process. Happy trails!
