Thunder Roads La/MS November TRLAMS_NOVW | Page 30

The
Weakest
Link
By: Nate T.
The weather is starting to cool off a bit as of late. Bike nights are get-
ting more crowded too on account of not having to worry about getting
sweat (yours or theirs) in your frosty beverage of choice. I’ve even noticed
that riders are starting to jaw about what winter bike projects during the
coming cooler months. I won’t say it’s cold because I’m from well north
of the Mason-Dixon where cold is…err…a bit colder. However, I will
digress in saying that as we’re getting to the end of riding season here in
South Louisiana, it’s probably a good time to take a look at the final drives
in our scooters.
The final drive is really just what it sounds to be. This includes
whatever mechanisms, gizmos, and whahozits that connect the gear
box of your motorcycle to the road. There are pretty much three systems
out there to make that happen. You’re gonna have either a chain, belt,
or shaft. Just like anything else, there are pros and cons to each one, so
I don’t subscribe to one being better than another. You’re gonna find
a belt on most of the modern cruisers out there. They’re quiet, easy to
maintain, and have a pretty long life. The drawback is that on a bike like
a Harley, you’re taking apart the whole world to replace it when it breaks.
Being as that’s not very feasible for most on the side of the road, you have
a better chance of walking or towing your ride. You don’t see shafts on
a ton of bikes (Beemers and some metrics), but they’re also quiet and
pretty maintenance free. The problem with them is that when something
goes sideways, it ends up being pretty involved and expensive. Chains
have been tried and true since before motorcycles existed. They take a
bit more maintenance, are noisier, and don’t last quite as long. However,
power transmission is excellent (if properly maintained), and if one has a
high-speed come-a-part, you have the option of getting back on the road
without taking much apart (if anything). There are also a whole lot of
options with chains from colors to performance levels. It just all depends
on what you’re trying to do or more simply what bike you chose to swing
your leg over. Regardless, you can see just how important it can be to
take care of your final drive.
For those of us that have a scooter with a shaft drive, there really isn’t
a whole lot to it. It’s mostly keeping it as clean as possible. This includes
taking a look through your service manual to find out if any guards that
might catch road grime can easily be taken off to really get everything off
of those sensitive areas. Really, other than that all there is to it is follow-
ing the manual and checking either the grease or oil level for the rear end
gearbox. I suppose that maybe a shaft drive doesn’t look quite as sexy as
a chain going down the road, but it sure doesn’t make many complaints as
you’re tryin’ to put the miles on.
The chain final drive happens to be my favorite. First, they look cool.
Beyond that, if you carry a chain breaker, a chain press, and a couple chain
links in your tool kit, there’s a pretty good chance that even if that chain
decides to leave the building, you’ll still be able to keep most of your pride
intact. While you’re waiting for that adventure to unfold, that chain is
going to need some pretty regular TLC. You see, that paste that you find
coating your chain is sort of this combination of assorted oils, street pizza
juice, and dirt. Besides being a good way to permanently stain just about
anything, it also makes pretty good grinding or lapping compound. That
might be a good thing if we’re gonna lap some valves on the side of the
highway. On the other hand, it is for sure not a good thing when it’s left
to grind away at your final drive chain.
To keep that stuff from sneaking dollars out of your wallet before its neces-
sary, you’ve got to keep it clean and lubed. It’s really pretty simple. You can
buy a fancy motorcycle chain brush or just use an old toothbrush…or some-
one’s current toothbrush you don’t like so much. Either way, I like to use some
dawn in hot water and go all the way around the chain. Just work around that
chain to break everything loose that isn’t chain. Then, rinse it with clean, hot
water. Don’t use compressed air to dry it ‘cause it can blow road grime into
places you don’t want it. Just pat it dry and be done with it. Then, if your bike
has a chain oiler, make sure it’s still oiling and you’re done. If you don’t have an
oiler, get a chain lube that’s specific to motorcycles and whatever type of chain
you have and apply it just how the instructions on the bottle say.
Last, but not least, if you’ve got a final drive belt, you’re in about the same
boat as the shaft driven bikes. There’s actually probably a bit less maintenance
considering there’s no oil or grease to check. For the most part, the belt just
needs cleaning and inspection. Clean a belt, you say? Well, they start out
clean, so returning them to that state every once in a while can’t hurt. Just
the same as a chain, take some Dawn in hot water and use that toothbrush to
scrub ‘er down. Then, just rinse it off with some more hot water. Once you’re
happy with it, either let it air dry or pat it dry…big choices, right? That’s it.
While you’re down there though, take a good look at the belt and the pulleys.
Cracks, big dents, chunks missing, or anything otherwise not as the engineers
intended means it’s time to change it out.
Just like anything else on a motorcycle, maintenance keeps your machine
running at its best, keeps you from walking. It may not be as fun as actually
riding, but we’ve got to keep making it happen. After all, beyond anything
else, it helps to keep you between the lines and shiny side up. Shovel on.
28 Thunder Roads Magazine Louisiana/Mississippi | November 2017 | www.thunderroadslams.com