banging or snapping coming from the back of bike at slow speed

[Guest]

This just started happening a couple of days ago but my 82 GS1100GL started making a snapping/banging sound coming from what I think it the rear tire area. It only happens when I'm in first gear and just starting to roll.

Does anyone have any idea what this could be. Should I stop riding it?

[jsandidge]

Could be a number of things, all of which should be checked out. Since it's an 82, it could be the driven gear splines in the rear wheel. Could be wheel bearings. Could be an issue in the brakes. I'd take a look before any more riding.

[bille]

I have my tools in hand, where do I start? I replaced the clutch cable not to long ago...could it be related to that?

[recycled64]

Take the rear axle out, for a start, then go from there, the goal is to get the wheel off to check the splines. Have you checked the rear end oil?

[bille]

I haven't checked that gear oil in the back. I bought the bike last summer. Maybe a good place to start is by changing the gear oil, front and back.

[hillsy]

Shaft drive bikes have relatively small swingarm bearings compared to chain drive bikes. They also are tensioned like a car wheel bearing, so they can work loose or dry up. I've had a few swingarm bearings on shaft drive bikes dry up / corrode / collapse over the years and they can make weird clunking noises at take-off.

Check these out while you are pulling apart the back end.

[bille]

I replaced the front and back gear oil today and took it for a ride. It's still happening, still sounds behind me and still at really low speeds in first gear. Today I also noticed I can sort of feel it when it happens at my feet on the pegs. Also, clutch position doesn't seem to matter, it happened with the clutch pulled all of the way in.

[bille]

I put it on it's center stand and attempted to spin the rear wheel with my hand. There is some "drag" when spinning the wheel, I think that's probably the drive shaft spinning with it?

At some point, the wheel gets stiff and it takes extra force to turn it by hand, but then it goes back to just a small amount of drag. That stiff point didn't seem to happen every full rotation but it did happen at least half of them.

[JTGS850GL]

Do as jsandidge suggested and pull the wheel. My bet is you're about to loose the teeth on you rear driven gear. It's the one in the wheel hub that the final drive engages.

[jsandidge]

Yes, pull the wheel. You will have to remove the driven gear from the wheel. The ends of the teeth that show with the gear on the wheel will look fine. You have to pull it to actually see the wear. It happens with all the 82 models. Ask me how I know. Not to worry though, you can get one from another model year for probably 40 to 60 bucks and never have to worry about it. There's plenty of threads here on the subject.

[bille]

I have never taken the rear off before. So far I have the brake caliper off, I took off the top part of the shocks and I took off the pin and nut from the axe bolt. Using a screw driver and mallet I was able to get the axe bolt most of the way out of the other side of the bike but my longest screw driver isn't long enough to get it all of the way out. I'm currently looking for something longer I can use.

[JTGS850GL]

Lift up on the wheel and it will reduce some of the tension on the axle. Should be able to just wiggle the axle and pull to get it out.

[bille]

I was able to get the rear tire off and as soon as it came off I was able to see some damage. I took a couple of pictures of places I see damage and I'm attaching them here.

[bille]

Also, this damage is on the driveshaft side:

[JTGS850GL]

Good thing you caught that. Could of ended very badly. You have some work to do. Looks like everything in the bearing area is rusted and void of lubricant. I'd do a complete strip of the wheel hub and replace the bearings while it's torn down. Inspect those splines that mesh with the final drive as well.