ZANX XR650R SAFETY RECALL!!!! Please Read.

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Zanx

01/09/2002 at 18:04

If you haven't got an XR then you have no need to worry.

I have just had well documented XR650R fault No.2 happent to me. I was giving it some beans on a Basildon roundabout after wheelie practice when I had a HUGE HUGE slide coming out of the roundabout. I was waiting for the pain literally, luckily the bike miraculously (don't ask me how) got back into shape without highsiding and I pulled into a bus stop. I saw oil pouring from my final drive spindle (front sprocket), this had in turn covered my back tyre in oil which in turn soiled my leathers

It could have been so much worse and who knows, maybe my speedway training helped here

Turn out that it was the final drive shaft seal had blown, not melted or worn, just popped out due to crankcase pressure and poor seal design. I got home and tore it out. The following pictures are a step by step guide to removing it.

Pic 1. See, blown seal.
Pic 2. The circlip holdng it in. Go buy a circlip remover. £4 Halfords.
Pic 3. Honda Tool No.33235 or wood screws. Screw them into the rubber bit and tighten them evenly, one side then the other, this will ease out the seal.
Pic 4. The seal getting eased out.
Pic 5. After the seal was out, the blown bit pinged back into place but I couldn't re use it coz I just put 2 screws through it

The replacement part is wider and less prone to blowing.
Pic 6. The hole left after the seal is out. The screws you use to remove the seal bear against the washer behind them, thus pulling the seal out.
Pic 7. My rear tyre, dark bit on the left is oil. Dark bit on the seat is.........

Again, I urge any owners of 2000 or 2001 XR650R's to do this sooner rather than later. I was very lucky (again), I could have been doing 90 on a motorway and could have been looking at death, or even worse, an expensive engine rebuild.

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Dirtybill

01/09/2002 at 18:08

I still think that's a beaver.

Stupid question........but your chain wasn't overly tight by chance?

Zanx

01/09/2002 at 18:11

No it wasn't, it just one of the two things that early XR650R's suffer from. First was seized clutch bush (happened last week) and the final drive seal. As I said, not worn, just popped out, look at the pic.

spacehog

01/09/2002 at 19:56

Well, unlucky mate

How many miles has your bike done btw?

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Peanuts

01/09/2002 at 20:41

zanx wrote

the final drive shaft seal had blown, not melted or worn, just popped out due to crankcase pressure and poor seal design.

Crankcase pressure?? I thought it was a pumped oil feed?

Thats why you have to take the countershaft seal seriously on most 4 strokes as the engine can sieze due to loss of pressure / lack of oil.

Unlike a 2 stroke which simply looses a bit of gearbox oil if you leave it on the sidestand.

I love the woodscrew technique

Never thought of doing that on difficult to get to oil seals.

Zanx

01/09/2002 at 20:57

Hoggy, I don't mind it happenning at all, I've got them both out the way now. It's done 5000 miles now but I don't think it's a mies thing anyway

WRSM, It's a dry sump but remember, there's 1200cc's of air going in and out of a little breather pipe with every revolution. I think it was the wheelie practice that started it off, lot's of revs, 1st and 2nd gear action. Like I said, the new one will take all of 10 mins to fit and it will be an improved seal so no further probs. I can forgive the bike anything TBH coz it's so much fun to ride

I think the only reason it didn't highside is coz the whole tyre was spattered with oil and it kind of half gripped after the slide and shimmied back into a straight line.

Who else has got an early XR, they need to know.

Stevie J uk

02/09/2002 at 06:27

Check to see if the crankcase breather hose is trapped under the seat - thats the only time I've heard of XRs popping driveshaft seals and if the beather is still blocked it'll only do it again.

Zanx

02/09/2002 at 08:19

Funnily enough that was checked the other day and was fine. I might re route it though to be on the safe side.

Taipan

02/09/2002 at 09:52

zanx wrote

me. I was giving it some beans on a Basildon roundabout after wheelie practice when I had a HUGE HUGE slide coming out of the roundabout.

Hi Zanx
That wasn't you lapping round and round the 5 bells/Haywain roundabouts on Sunday was it?
cheers
dave

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3banana

02/09/2002 at 13:54

Thanks for the info Zanx

More early XR info

I changed my oil seal when I got the bike back in April and I am going to check the clutch bush tomorrow when I have a strip of metal to make a tool that holds the clutch housing still to get the big nut off.

some tips for you that I found on the bike rebuild.
headstock bottom bearings fill with water and rusted up
Swingarm pivot and rear shock linkage bearings fill with water and rust the bearings. rust then attacks the shafts and bolts so you cant get them out.

make sure the rubber seal on the bottom of the front forks ( covers the rebound adjusters) is still there and has grease under neath to stop water attacking the brass adjuster.

If you are using gaiters on the front forks ( I took them off, ) make sure the retaining clips on the forskseals havn't corroded to shit and the rust has cut into the seal

Be very ,very careful of the oil filter cover screws. do not over torque them and if you use thread lock, make sure that the heads are not mauled and you use a high quality socket on them.

If you knew all these already , sorry, sooner that than a headche later on

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Zanx

02/09/2002 at 14:12

3b, no that's fine, most of that I'd not heard of. The head bearings have 2lb of grease packed in them

I'll do the linkages next as a precautionary measure. Is it difficult?

3banana

02/09/2002 at 15:10

Yo Zanx

The shock linkage can be done on the bike and is easy as long as the rot hasnt set in. If one of the bolts wont come out ,don't belt it. wait till you have got the swingarm off and then do it in a vice or press, that way you may save the seals cos they cost money.
Before you take any bolts out check the swingarm for excessive vertical play, my bottom shock bearing was worn too.

The swingarm bearings will take longer . water gets in between the inner frame mounts and the inside edge of the swing arm bearings and then it starts to attack the long swing arm bolt. Take care drifting the swing arm bolt out dont chew the threads on the tip and take all the load off the swingarm before you start. If it wont come get a windy tool on the bolt head and spin it up whilst putting pressure on the other end , the corrosion builds up and stops the bolt drifting out, the windy method grinds all the corrosion into dust and the bolt will then come out a lot easier If they are rot you will need a long sharp ended drift as they are pushed out from the back. the seals are metal backed but the lips get tatty ( look real close) quite quickly so its best to replace them anyway as you don't want to be taking the swingarm off again later on. Clean it up and grease the hell out of it. My bike had been off roaded for 1 year and half the bearings were going rusty, cost me a pretty penny

also dont remove the white plastic splash guard or all the road shit will head straight for the swingarm bearings again . and whilst you are there take the long black plastic chain guide off the swingarm , clean underneath it , as it becomes a water trap too

to do the swingarm will take you all day even if it is just a regrease.

If you use a stand prop the front wheel too , Mine nearly fell off the black and decker workmate I did it on....scarey. swing arm in one hand frame in the other, left foot hold ing the workmate down and right foot on the floor... Errr darling , can you come and give me a hand please, ....Sorry I am about to wash my hair.......Get your arse in here right now biatch .....

spacehog

02/09/2002 at 17:06

I have seen some people replace the breather hose with a little K&N filter, seems like a good idea.

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Zanx

02/09/2002 at 17:35

Lets say I'm going to strip the linkages, is there anything I will definitely need to order as a replacement?

3banana

03/09/2002 at 08:26

The swingarm pivot bolt seals are a must, but the others, 6 seals and 3 bearings cost too much to do "on spec". inspect them first. that bits an hour job and if one is shagged expect the others to be too. If they are you will need various sizes of sockets and a vice to press out the bearing seats and press in the new ones. You have to get the seats in exactly centred or the seals wont sit flush with the face and then when you put it back together the seal gets chewed up one side and water gets in the other.

My local Honda dealer is an off road specialist so he had all the bits I needed in stock. He also gave me some of these tips

Zanx

04/09/2002 at 13:04

Boing!

Just the once, I'm sure you all understand

Thumper650

04/09/2002 at 14:26

Zanx,

when did they start to fit the new 'improved' seals ? Mines a June 2001 model I fink.

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Zanx

04/09/2002 at 17:20

Dunno, might be worth ringing Honda. Considering the price of them I'd be inclined to change it anyway.

stoo

06/04/2003 at 22:36

Boing.

I guess hoping the mod had been done on my (2000) bike looks to have been a touch optimistic.

Parked up on today's rideout to find a nice pool of oil under the bike, and a healthy smearing all over the back tyre.

Still, the bearing still seems OK, and it was a cracking ride down to the coast until then (if a bit unnerving touring around with 40+ sports bikes!

)

The 3 1/2 hr wait for the RAC was less pleasant, but at least it was warm(ish).

Ah well, back to the car for a couple of days then....

KTM 2 stroke stuff / XR650R stuff. Stiffy's house of bling