Rear Diff fluid change intervals...on Darkside bikes

[MMR]

I am not sure whether to post this "only" on the Darksiders threads, or to post here, so it gets more exposure, but I have confidence that the admin folk will move it "if" they decide it needs to be moved.

My question is a simple one......for those of you that are using a CT on the rear....aka...Darksiders.....and you are getting much better mileage out of your rear tire than you were with a MT on the back......at what mileage interval are you now changing the Rear Diff fluid ?

In the past, I could always count on changing my Rear Diff fluid every time I replaced a rear tire...when using a MT on the rear, and that was generally around 15K miles average. That interval was good with me. I have "never" had a Rear Diff problem or issue of any kind.

Now that I am using a CT on the back, and specifically the Michelin Primacy Alpin 3 run-flat, and I have already exceeded my normal Rear Diff fluid change interval, I am wondering if those of you that have been doing this for more time than I have, are still changing your rear Diff fluid at your previous mileage interval, or are you waiting longer. It is not an issue for me to put the bike in the shop, up on the lift, remove the rear tire/wheel from the bike, and change out the Rear Diff fluid (that is just the way I do it, as I have more access to the rerar diff that way.)

So, tell me, what say all you experienced Darksiders ?

[sorcerer]

MC tire / C tire will not change Hondas maintaince change of rear end lube any more than engine oil change. Not near the manual but for some resene 24,000 mile sticks out in my mind for the change of rear end fluid.

[MMR]

Sorcerer, I rarely do maintenance at the "Honda" recommended intervals. I have my own set schedule of when to do things, and when not to do things, irregardless of what Honda says. I have found too many errors in the Owners Manuals, and Service Manuals. What I was wanting to know is.....at what interval do Darksiders change their Rear Diff fluid, given that they have a tire that lasts much longer than the original MT.

I could easily make my own decision on this issue...I was simply asking what others do on their bikes...that have CTs on it.

[murgie]

If I followed your logic when to change FD oil, I would have changed it 6 times in 20,000 miles. But, even now with 22,000 miles, I still have the original oil. I will change it out this winter as it will be due.

[MMR]

Murgie, if I follow your logic, that means you are only getting about 3,333 miles per rear tire. Are you the next door neighbor of Yellow Wolf, and live across the road from Deals Gap? You must admit that is low mileage on a rear tire...on a GL1800 Wing, and quite unusual.

Now, given my "normal" history of averaging about 15K miles from a MT rear tire......that is when it was convenient to change the Rear Diff Fluid. I could easily stick to that same interval, as I would much rather err on the side of doing maintenance TOO often, than err on not doing it as often as it should be.

I am a VERY experienced mechanic, and could easily make my own decision as to when to change the Rear Diff fluid....but all I was asking is...what do "other" Darkside riders do....now that they have a rear tire that gets twice to three times the mileage as their MT used to? Are they sticking to the same interval, or have they changed they interval of when to service the Rear Diff?

As of right now, I have already changed the Rear Diff fluid on my 2013 F6B....3 times, and I am getting ready to do it a 4th time in the next week or so.

[murgie]

MMR, your comment is right on track. In fact, I believe I can blame two of those six on Rick (YW), LOL. I normally get between 3-4 thousand on tires, depending totally on how many slab miles I ride to get on good roads. I will change my fluid every 20-25 thousand miles. If the drive dies in about 100,000 miles prematurely, I will simply replace it with one of my 2 spare drives, or, maybe give it to the dealer for warranty work.

[Cruiseman]

I replace mine ever other oil change, but that is way more than necessary.

[azsandrider]

Every other oil change too...and I change oil every 5000 miles on ALL my vehicles...Oil is cheap, internal parts not so cheap....

Of course I only rode my GW 10,000 miles in the past 3 year, my Jeep 12000 miles in the past 3 yearsw, my pickup 10,000 miles in the past 3 years, my RV about 4,000 miles a year, my BMW adventure bike 1500 miles in the past 8 months, my 5 year old Nissan cube has 24,000 miles and its the vehicle I drive the most. Being retired and spreading the driving/riding around helps keeps miles low.

[Rick Mays]

Every couple of oil changes or so, but I change oil at 10k.

[KYBubblehead]

I also have a Michelin Alpin on the bike - Change diff fluid every other oil change.

It costs VERY little to do - takes 5 minutes...why not ?

[MMR]

Okay, folks...thank you all very much for the info that has been offered. I now have made my decision...which is to maintain the rear diff fluid interval that I have always been doing, which is approx. every 15K miles. I agree that fluid is cheap, and I have no problem at all in changing it often, rather than waiting longer to save a few bucks.

As I said, if I ever err on maintenance, it is in doing it too often, rather than neglecting to do it.

The admin folks can now close this thread...if they wish. Again, I thank you all for your fluid change info. :toast:

[Haste Maker]

I change all the fluids once a year, no matter what the miles are...I put 132,500 miles 0n my 2002 without any problems..so I feel the 2008 I now have will get the same treatment.

[azsandrider]

Why close the thread?

Where is the fun in that???

[Lone Ranger]

Beginning of spring I change the rear fluid, every year. Doesn't matter if I ride A miles or B miles.

[MMR]

I change all the fluids once a year, no matter what the miles are...I put 132,500 miles 0n my 2002 without any problems..so I feel the 2008 I now have will get the same treatment.

This is both for Haste Maker, and Lone Ranger. Gentlemen, I can understand why you change the fluids at the intervals you do, however both of you stated that it "doesn't matter how many miles you rode during that year".....Hmmmmmm

Well, what if you rode that motorcycle to over 100,000 miles in that one year ? Would your answer still be the same ? Are you saying that you would not change the Rear Diff fluid at any time during that 100,000 miles ? And in the case of Haste Maker, that only changes all his fluids once a year....are you saying you would not even change the engine oil & filter, or the coolant....or anything else....during that 100,000 miles in that one year ?

You do know that the the very best GL1800 engine will not survive for a total of 100,000 miles on the original 4 quarts of oil...with no changes during that 100,000 miles?

Well, you wouldn't have to worry about making it 100,000 miles in that year, because if you never changed the engine oil during that time, it would not make it to 100,000 miles.

If your answer to these questions are..."you would never ride 100,000 miles in one year"...please remember that it was both of you that said..."no matter what the miles". And, there have been several people that have ridden their bikes to over 100,000 miles in one year, so it is not unheard of.

As for myself, I will continue to change my Rear Diff fluid every 15K miles (about 3 or 4 times a year), and change my engine oil & filter every 5K miles.

Now...I have to agree with azsandrider..."why close the thread ?" "Where is the fun in that ?"

[rays]

I change mine on a somewhat regular basis but my question is. How many here change the differential oil in your car that often. It's the same kind of gears doing the same job in the same oil. Cars have more gears cause they have a real differential where as the wing just has a final drive . I'm not saying not to change it but there is no combustion process or clutch particles to contaminate it so why should you change it any more often than your car. Are we overdoing it on the bike or neglecting service on our cars. I recently changed the third member in my 55 Ford truck and the oil that came out looked just as clean as it did when I put it in 10 years and 50 thousand miles ago.

[azsandrider]

I do my diff fluids in my Jeep & Pickup every 3rd oil change or 15000 miles...

But I plan on keeping them until I die, which I hope will be over 40 yrs from now...

[MMR]

Ray, that is a very good point. My answer is that I change out all the differential fluids on all my (non-bike) vehicles every 30K. That is the normally accepted interval to change the rear diff or transaxle fluid. I do it every 15K on my bikes, because that rear diff runs at a much higher rpm than my cars or truck do, gets ridden in all kinds of weather...meaning hotter conditions than any of my cars or truck do, and...it is much easier to change the fluid in the rear diff of the bike, so I am willing to do it more often.

As several of us have stated...oil is cheap...and I would rather change it too often, than not often enough. In all my years of riding and driving, I have never experienced an oil or lube failure of a mechanical part.