Greasing splines on V7.

[Toecutter]

How much? I've seen everything from "just a skin", to "stuff it".

So what's your thoughts? And why?

[F-22]

Greasing the splines does not really prevent wear. It prevents them from rusting (they'd rust really fast otherwise, the metal is constantly rubbed and exposed). Rust is what will cause wear.

So the amount of grease does not really matter, as long as there is some to prevent rust. You probably also cannot use too much of it, but it will just make the inside of the shaft drive really greasy for no reason or purpose.

I always wondered whether it would be possible to drill and tap a hole in the swingarm and have the shaft spin in an oil bath like on BMWs. But that's probably just an extra mess with no really good advantage (joints last for a very long time, and are cheap to rebuild).

[sign216]

There's also a discussion on whether to use molybdenum disulfide grease, and/or how much % moly is needed in the grease.  Ditto for lithium.

The arguments get like an oil thread.

[malik]

Yep. More than a skim - a generous amount, but not lavish. It's just got to keep the water off for 20,000km, or your next tyre change.

[Roebling3]

I'm often mistaken, but I've had a number of bmw's apart, especially drivelines, and don't know of any splines running in an oil bath - - -other than leaking seals @ final drives and the back end of a gear box.
R3~

[bigbikerrick]

I think what is most important is what grease you use. I bought a tube of the super sticky spline grease Wurth makes, and that stuff sticks on like contact cement. It is hard as heck to get off your hands. when I pull the rear drives for maintenance during tire change, the stuff is still on the splines, not washed away by the gear lube that sometimes migrates up the swingarm tube. This always happens on my eldorado. I dont find lubricant from the rear bevel working its way up the tube on 85LeMans, or 03 aluminum. I use the same stuff on these bikes, and its still there at tire changes.
 One "caulking gun" sized tube will last you your lifetime!
Rick.

[fossil]

What about a marine grade grease? E.g. Evinrude Triple Guard Grease?

[Madtownguzzi]

This is what I use marine spline grease. I have a tube left over from my boating days that I used on Mercruiser outdrive splines. https://www.amazon.com/Sierra-18-9200-Spline-Grease-Cartridge/dp/B0000BXHOV

[F-22]

I'm often mistaken, but I've had a number of bmw's apart, especially drivelines, and don't know of any splines running in an oil bath - - -other than leaking seals @ final drives and the back end of a gear box.
R3~

I meant the older boxer models. I think all /6 and /7 models had it (dual sided swingarm, and the monolever), except the late 80's and 90's Paralever models. The most rugged is probably the Monolever design (R80G/S, ST, and the late 80's and early 90's RT and RS models, but not the R100R and other classic models with paralever swingarm) - has no rear splines to wear out (4 lugs like a car to hold the wheel), and an oil bath in the swingarm.