docc

I feel bad about the post I made with the awkward image. I'm taking the image down. Sorry about that, HRC_V4 . . . Best regards to you!

I've decided to take the Sport to bits and make wind chimes from it to sell on Etsy. Chicks will dig this . . .

FWIW, I could not "feel" the wear shown on that one leg of the cross by putting the cap on and turning it. More to say that this was not a U-joint failure. Moving ahead on the refit, I have straightened, and painted the guard ring. Each fastener point was bent, the paint was burned off, and it is bell shaped now. The welds are solid. This thing saved my ass. I would say, don't ever take the shaft guards off your V11 . . .

That is sweet! I love the lean angles and view swivel. And I thought this ride with Sebastian Loeb, 2013, was thrilling . . .

In that case, why don't I simply clean and grease the back part of the replacement shaft that is on my bench now (thanks footgoose!), and index it to my front shaft that is already on the bike?

Well . . . kinda. Sometimes summer, too . . . but not by design . . .

Those are good questions. While I've had the front of the shaft off the gearbox output numerous times over the years, the first time I separated the rear shaft from the reardrive was 2,000 miles ago to replace the reardrive, and again 1,000 miles ago to reinstall my original reardrive. I don't suppose I do an actual annual service. Certainly no teardown as might be common to aircraft. My maintenance methodology is probably reflected best in the three "compendium" threads I've complied. My Tune-up interval is 5,000 miles/8.000km, rear wheel off 4,000-4,500, and tank off 12,000 miles/ 20.000km. Decent Tune-up Tank Off Maintenance Checklist Wheels Off Maintenance Checklist Not sure how easy the early crack(s) would be to see. It is definitely something for all of us to be aware of. I've added a link to his thread in the Wheels Off Maintenance Checklist. My conviction that the failure is totally a result of something I've done wrong has waned a bit, but not entirely. Installing those fasteners correctly and torquing them properly certainly appears critical.

The marks on the cross do not go all the way round the mating surface, only about 25% around. Pretty much what you see there. The other cap was destroyed in the bashing about.

I needed some hard rockin' blues with the Sport back on the lift . . .

I spoke, by phone, with this supplier today. The gentleman was very courteous. They generally do not supply customers directly. So, waiting for a quote, by email, in Canadian dollars which I send by mail. The product then sent to me , by mail. And here I was perfectly willing to show up alone, with cash (Canadian dollars, even!), no Mounties . . .

" . . . weird looking nut at the front of the input shaft . . ." Nefarious! This one? Better when it's torqued up and the retention washer is engaged!

So, a couple things . . . Red arrow points to the largest broken surface that does not look as fresh and shiny as the other breaks. Blue arrows to the threaded surfaces that look pretty flattened to me. These things are soooo easy to cross thread on re-assembly. Ignition key is there to show just how small this part is and how little metal is there!

Well done, Niels !

Yeah, what's up with my twenty year warranty? @Andy - yeah, there was something different about the RedFrame. Can't remember what it was. @Chuck - I do have a beam that I got to cover this "in between" range for another job. I'll use it this time and verify the collars are tightly clamped onto the shafts. @Gene - original bolts. My replacements didn't work out. One of these got re-cut pretty substantially after the cross thread mistake. @Baldini - I remember your misalignment and checked mine then. I’ll get a careful look at the replacement. Thanks for the reminder! I'll get another image up of the failed yoke. Wow, but there is not much metal there considering what that piece does!

I found the front pinch bolts about 24.5 Nm. Below the spec of 25-30 Nm for an 8mm bolt. Seems they must have loosened up. Even at ~30Nm, the collar slips fore and aft on the splines. [ I have one torque wrench that goes to 29.03 Nm and the other starts at 33.9 Nm. ] At 33.9 Nm, the collar does not slide on the shaft. I have also heard that torque wrenches are not accurate within 10% of their end ranges (?)

I always have painted alignment marks on the pinch bolts and monitored them, but not every ride, every time. Right now, the front half of the shaft slips fore and aft freely on the output shaft. Cheers, Tom! "Nut Brown Ale!"

This and making sure they have a tight fitting crimp, then seal them over with a generous length of heat shrink tubing for each.

I wish I had those observational skills. Josh does. I'm glad others do. I do ponder that the fasteners simply did not retain their torque, even with the LocTite. Is it expected that the coupling clamps down tight onto the splines such that there is zero fore-aft movement of the couplings (front and rear) on the gearbox output shaft and the reardrive input shaft?

Welldone, Sir! Really excellent example of a "How to . . ." post!

Neither of the fasteners show any sign of impact or rubbing. This is the yoke I had to move between rear drives twice in the past: just over 2,000 miles ago, and again about 1,000 miles ago. Also, the one I crossed a bolt into, could not obtain suitable replacements, so re-cut the threads, torqued up with LocTite Blue. Nonetheless, the work of "my last technician" (me) has to be called into question. Perhaps, it would be good method to retorque drive shaft pinch bolts after a couple hundred miles?

V11 keeping company with Vincents (and their wizards). That is fine company, indeed!

Not my idea. I do know Andy York has his cut. Perhaps I can get a look at his. I was happy to see the rear had grease in it. Not the best looking grease, but wet. As we all know, the front, on the early Sports, is fabulously hard to get to. After these 108,000 miles, I resolved that I would simply remove the swingarm every 12,000 miles/ 20.000 km. I am not entirely convinced this was a U-joint failure. Perhaps the yoke, itself, may have "come from together?"

With a used shaft coming for the Sport's lately expired unit, it seems prudent to give it fresh U-joints. The Della Concordia factory in Italy is, of course, closed until late August. I believe I found a good email address for Technomec in Montreal. I'm hoping to hear from them in the morning and learn what it takes to get goods from our provincial neighbors these days . . . > Come alone. Bring cash. No cops.

Anyone with a picture of the front access cut? And would that defeat the safety collar? (This event would have gone quite differently without the collar . . . )