Friendly Reminder - Check your swingarm plug/cover

[snakebitten]

Mines gone. No telling how long. And I commute. Go figure. 8)

 

[wfopete]

That Texas commuting is bigger and badder than Arkansas commuting!

 

[greg the pole]

So if you go out and find your swingarm hole cover(s) missing - is it OK to just order a new one and glue it into place? Or does one need to inspect the inside of the swingarm for debris and clean it out somehow before putting the new cap into place? Mine is gone. Never even knew one was there till this thread. Mine could been gone since I bought the bike used a year ago.

Nothing to inspect.
If the plug is gone, and you ride gravel...then all it will do is eat away at your shaft drive seal (ask me how I know) I did find a small rock near the shaft as well.
Check it, glue it in place and forget it.

 

[RockyDS]

Mine is still in place despite some gnarly rides and over 20,000 kms, so that's good. It will be getting the silicone treatment though. ::001::

 

[RED CAT]

Just a thought but if its missing it probably wouldn't hurt to stick a hose in there and let her rip just to clean out all the crud which should come out the drain hole on the other side.

 

[yamadad]

Well, I finally remembered to check mine. On an almost new bike with under 2k miles, all street, the plug was loose and had worked itself about 1/2 way out. ???

 

[trikepilot]

Well... I guess I am not gonna break the entire back end of the swingarm down to see if any crud is down there at the driveshaft seal.

I'll call the below a "good rinse," glue the new cap in place, and hope for an outcome different than Greg's.

 

[RidingUpandDown]

Just stored the bike for the Winter -



and did the chk, yup the plug is gone!

The Cause Could have been this:


Or more prolly it was this:






btw, I'm Also Missing this! - warm wx to ride in, that smell of fresh cut hay and concord grapes ripening in the late summer sun and barnyards and fall leaves...

Will re-plug in the Spring and ride on.
All the best guys, Thanks Karson, I greatly appreciate posts like this to help maintain these excellent, dependable, versatile DS machines.

Cheers, dean, ::001::

::021::

 

[Karson]

Thanks dean. Great RR you had up on ADV a couple months ago!

This bike is one of a kind. ::022::

 

[Maxified]

Well, I finally remembered to check mine. On an almost new bike with under 2k miles, all street, the plug was loose and had worked itself about 1/2 way out. ???

When this was initially written up months back I was too lazy to go replace my solid tube of aged-silicon (it was pretty old) so I just Gorilla taped over the plug onto the swing arm. Still holding strong...

 

[creggur]

Mine's still there - guess spending 99% of your time on-road isn't as hard on the plug. It has survived some dirt/gravel and one 'down' in the mud. Will be securing it as it doesn't seem like much is holding it in place.

Thanks Karson!

 

[RidingUpandDown]

Anyone who's had this happen have one of those Flexible Shaft - Digital Inspection Cameras???

That could be used to look down inside the swing-arm on a bike that's lost the plug and has been ridden off road. I'd be very curious as to what, if anything, might find it's way down in there and/or might affect any part of the actual running gear. Info that might impact whether to just re-plug and go or, flush first as there is a weep hole twd the rear on both sides.

Inquiring minds... ::002:: ::002:: ::002::

d, ::001::

 

[Karson]

One last bump before riding season fellers - Check yours while readying the 'ol girl after the loooong 2013-2014 winter we've all had. I put my new one in the other day and figured there's still some out there missing.

Initial post below.

With some folks in parts of the country that might be starting to store their bikes for a little bit, it might not be a bad idea while in the process to check inside the right area of the swingarm for that infamous cover/plug.

Mine must have fallen out somewhere in my spirited gravel/offroad riding in NW AR last week and just noticed it cleaning the old girl up.

There is a drain plug near the axle on that same side, so unless it's plugged for whatever reason you'll more than likely be fine as any water should've drained out.

Part number is: 5JW-2219X-00-00

It ran ~$7 at my local dealer.

The fix, like others have said, is to just put a tiny bead of silicone on it and ::021:: I neglected to do this :-[

 

[Kelvininin]

I RTVed mine in over the weekend.

 

[~TABASCO~]

Yep,

I've lost 32 & 33..... I just ordered up a hand full of them and now have them in a sack here at the office... ::008::

 

[snakebitten]

I suspect the leaking seal suddenly escalating is related to this missing plug and water crossings. Can't prove it, but it makes sense.
Hope the seal came in today. Be nice to have it fixed before the hill country run this weekend.

 

[dirtsailor]

I'll be right back let me go check mine........................ ???

Its still there but now i'm paranoid now and probably check every time i ride. ::002::

 

[RidingUpandDown]

I had lost the plug #32, and had gotten one of those Digital Inspection Cameras this winter hoping to look into this and another vehicle inspection/restoration planned for this Spring. It's finally warm enuf to get out in the garage and take a look inside the swing-arm. Not to worry - besides a very little fine dust the interior is absolutely clean, the weep hole is open. I see nothing to prevent someone from flushing the area if they so chose or, to just seal up the hole and go on w/ life. ::008::
Plugs #33 at the base of the rear shock are in place, I think less likely they would fall out.

The cat, aka curiosity is dead.

Picts are a little skewed: View inside of the R-side end of the swing-arm looking aft, weep hole at bottom.


View inside of the R-side end of the swing-arm looking aft, weep hole at bottom w/ toothpick sticking thru, for some perspective.


All the Best.
Cheers, dean ::001::

::021::