Final Reduction Oil?

[slosquirrel]

How often does this have to be changed? Is it hard to do?

Im removing the restrictor plate behind the variatior today and was wondering if I should do this as well? Also, the gasket under the kick start cover is pretty messed up (the front half, not the back rubber seal) Is this thing supposed to retain fluid? I just got this thing and am trying to go through the whole thing

[Kenny_McCormic]

The kick start/belt cover gasket does NOTHING. To drain the fluid you

A. pull the cover off
B. remove fill bolt and lay the bike down

Then with the bike level fill through the fill hole to overflowing. Use 10-40 motor oil.

[desperado]

every 2yrs or 7500 miles, according to manual it should be checked.

[maddog]

Hey Kenny, you could save auto makers millions using motor oil in rear wheel drive cars/trucks? i guess there is no purpose to gear oil

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

Quoth KMcC:

The kick start/belt cover gasket does NOTHING.

I disagree. Without a gasket - or at least some equivalent spacing - the starter bendix is squeezed from the ends and won't spin easily. Honda didn't specify any part for NO reason. I do agree that it's not critical for fluid containment, but it does keep the outside free of pesky belt dust.

Honda says use 10W-30, probably a reason for that, too. Differential gears are subjected to different shearing stresses as well as about 200 times more torque than your 7:1s.

[maddog]

I checked all my manuals and you right 10w-40, i have been using 80w-90w gear oil which = 10w-40

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

I don't believe the type of oil matters very much except for the Countershaft plain bearings. (and the outer axle plain bearing on the '98.5-later SA50) . These gears and ball bearings live an easy life. They say plain bearings need thinner oil, yet many use Hypoid gear 80-wt without a problem. I prefer to stick with Honda's recommendation.