Oil leak/front end wobble

[ironhead782]

I have a 2008 RSV and I am very frustrated with it right now. It has a little over 20,000 miles on it and this is my third set of tires. I have used Metzler 880's twice and now I am using Elite III's. After my tires get a few miles on them I get a front end wobble at low speeds. I talked to the local Yamaha dealer. After the mechanic showed me the cupping I put on new tires, front and back. Both times with the Metzler's the front tires were cupped. Each time I put on a new set it quit for a little while. It has started now with the Elite III's and they probably don't have 2000 miles on them and there is no sign of wear at all. With the Elite III's I used Nitrogen and balanced them with beads. I think the Nitrogen has really helped with the wear and I was hoping the beads would help with the wobbling. So far nothing seems to help. I have read about tightening the front bearing but that doesn't make sense to me if new tires fix the problem for a little while. I really don't know what to do.

 

The other problem is a nagging oil leak coming from the seal around the clutch shaft behind the master cylinder. I have had the seal replaced twice and it still leaks. The shaft feels smooth as it can be, no burrs at all. The second time the seal was replace liquid seal was put around the opening where the seal goes in case there might be a casting problem. But it is still leaking oil!!!!!! It is slower that what it was but I DON'T LIKE LEAKS and I don't think this bike should be leaking oil with this few of miles on it.

 

Has anyone had either of these problems with their bike and what is the cure? I told my dealer that I have 2 more years of warranty left on this bike and it will be back for the next two years if this oil leak isn't fixed. But I am really running out of patience. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Sincerely,

Damon Cates

[steamer]

Are you the original owner? Was it ever layed down? Just thinking a minor accident could cause problems like this.

[playboy]

I can sympathize with you on the dealer issue and leaks. I'm sure others will be along shortly to help with your wobbling. One question is have you had I think the 16000 mile service done where you repack the front bearings and adjust. I know you can put new tires on and old car with worn parts and it will drive great for a little while. I know 20,000 isn't much on these bikes but somethings up. Have you done the bounce check of the front end with it up on a jack.

[Kregerdoodle]

Try tightning the head bearings like has been said, also, try letting all the air out of the front forks and see if that has any effect, almost sounds like the air pressure is not the same in both, It wont hurt to run it with no air, so give that a try. as far as the leak goes, those can really be a pain, as bad as you dont want to, it would be sitting at the dealers until they fixxed it, maybe try another dealer if there are others around you. Sorry not much help, hope this helps alittle.

 

Kreg

 

 

I have a 2008 RSV and I am very frustrated with it right now. It has a little over 20,000 miles on it and this is my third set of tires. I have used Metzler 880's twice and now I am using Elite III's. After my tires get a few miles on them I get a front end wobble at low speeds. I talked to the local Yamaha dealer. After the mechanic showed me the cupping I put on new tires, front and back. Both times with the Metzler's the front tires were cupped. Each time I put on a new set it quit for a little while. It has started now with the Elite III's and they probably don't have 2000 miles on them and there is no sign of wear at all. With the Elite III's I used Nitrogen and balanced them with beads. I think the Nitrogen has really helped with the wear and I was hoping the beads would help with the wobbling. So far nothing seems to help. I have read about tightening the front bearing but that doesn't make sense to me if new tires fix the problem for a little while. I really don't know what to do.

 

The other problem is a nagging oil leak coming from the seal around the clutch shaft behind the master cylinder. I have had the seal replaced twice and it still leaks. The shaft feels smooth as it can be, no burrs at all. The second time the seal was replace liquid seal was put around the opening where the seal goes in case there might be a casting problem. But it is still leaking oil!!!!!! It is slower that what it was but I DON'T LIKE LEAKS and I don't think this bike should be leaking oil with this few of miles on it.

 

Has anyone had either of these problems with their bike and what is the cure? I told my dealer that I have 2 more years of warranty left on this bike and it will be back for the next two years if this oil leak isn't fixed. But I am really running out of patience. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Sincerely,

Damon Cates

[Rick Butler]

Damon,

 

My experience has shown that cupping front tires is almost always a suspension issue with bad dampening and not a balancing issue. Now I would not suspect this with a bike with your mileage, but anything is possible. I would suggest changing front springs with heavier Progressive or constant rate spings and fresh synthetic fork oil. This requires you to remove the forks from the bike so this is also a perfect time to repack and torque the head bearings, which will resolve your low speed wooble issue. And changing the tires is only a short term fix where the problem will always come back to the head bearing torque.

 

And on your oil leak, I can't tell if you are talking about the clutch rod shaft or the shift shaft seal. If it's still leaking after several changes, I would suspect that the mechanic is not installing it properly (or may have damaged something) and I would take it to another shop under your warrenty.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Rick

 

I have a 2008 RSV and I am very frustrated with it right now. It has a little over 20,000 miles on it and this is my third set of tires. I have used Metzler 880's twice and now I am using Elite III's. After my tires get a few miles on them I get a front end wobble at low speeds. I talked to the local Yamaha dealer. After the mechanic showed me the cupping I put on new tires, front and back. Both times with the Metzler's the front tires were cupped. Each time I put on a new set it quit for a little while. It has started now with the Elite III's and they probably don't have 2000 miles on them and there is no sign of wear at all. With the Elite III's I used Nitrogen and balanced them with beads. I think the Nitrogen has really helped with the wear and I was hoping the beads would help with the wobbling. So far nothing seems to help. I have read about tightening the front bearing but that doesn't make sense to me if new tires fix the problem for a little while. I really don't know what to do.

 

The other problem is a nagging oil leak coming from the seal around the clutch shaft behind the master cylinder. I have had the seal replaced twice and it still leaks. The shaft feels smooth as it can be, no burrs at all. The second time the seal was replace liquid seal was put around the opening where the seal goes in case there might be a casting problem. But it is still leaking oil!!!!!! It is slower that what it was but I DON'T LIKE LEAKS and I don't think this bike should be leaking oil with this few of miles on it.

 

Has anyone had either of these problems with their bike and what is the cure? I told my dealer that I have 2 more years of warranty left on this bike and it will be back for the next two years if this oil leak isn't fixed. But I am really running out of patience. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Sincerely,

Damon Cates

[Scooter Bob]

+1 on snugging up the neck bearings. You can check by getting the front end off the ground a couple inches and turning by hand. Check the tech section here for info.

 

Later, Scooter Bob

[ACE50]

Concerning your leak, mine was leaking near the clutch rod, not the seal itself but just to the rear of it. I left the clutch actuator out and started up the bike and there it was dribling out at the case split line. Put JB Weld on it and no more leak! The natural guess would be the seal but noooooooooooo...........

I won't tell you how long it took to find!

[MikeWa]

The bike is still under waranty. What you might need is to find another Yamaha certified mechanic. (Good luck with that.) If there is a fork problem beyond adjustment it should be covered. Dito on the oil leak.

Mike

[ironhead782]

As long as my bike is under warranty the local Yamaha dealer does all the work. I have not asked them if they did that but I assumed at each mileage service they would know what should be done. But we all know assuming makes of people. I will ask them the next time my bike is in the shop to do that check. It will be back in the shop soon, because of this continuing oil leak. Thanks for the advice.

 

Damon

 

I can sympathize with you on the dealer issue and leaks. I'm sure others will be along shortly to help with your wobbling. One question is have you had I think the 16000 mile service done where you repack the front bearings and adjust. I know you can put new tires on and old car with worn parts and it will drive great for a little while. I know 20,000 isn't much on these bikes but somethings up. Have you done the bounce check of the front end with it up on a jack.

[ironhead782]

From what I could see at the shop the leak was coming from under the slave cylinder for the clutch. When the cylinder was taken off it was obvious that the oil was coming out between the seal and the body of the motor where the seal sets. It was not coming out around the clutch shaft.

 

Damon

 

Concerning your leak, mine was leaking near the clutch rod, not the seal itself but just to the rear of it. I left the clutch actuator out and started up the bike and there it was dribling out at the case split line. Put JB Weld on it and no more leak! The natural guess would be the seal but noooooooooooo...........

I won't tell you how long it took to find!

[ironhead782]

Rick:

 

My leak is coming from around the clutch shaft seal, and it isn't leaking around the shaft. It is leaking around the outside of the seal where the seal sets into the motor housing. The last time the seal was put it the mechanic used liquid seal on the housing between the housing and the outside of the seal. It did slow the leak down but there is still oil dripping and of course riding it down the road it makes a mess on the bottom of my bike. I guess I may be over reacting to a small, or I should say smaller oil leak, but I can't stand a leak!!! The next closest shop to me is almost 50 miles away. My local shop is just 15 miles away. Convenience and how nice the guys are keep me going back. I really think they are trying hard to fix the problem, but it has them buffaloed.

 

I believe I sent you a message thanking you for the great job you did on my seat. It made a big difference. My wife and I can ride for a long time now without getting tired. I had ordered a Mustang seat and tried it. I put it on and my wife and I rode for about 10 miles. Came home and took it off and sent it back. It made me ride higher in the seat and my wife did too and it just wasn't comfortable. We like what you did to our original seat better than the Mustang. And the price of the Mustang compared to what it cost to have my seat redone by you is no comparison and we like the original a lot better. So if I hadn't thanked you before I am now. Thank You!

 

Damon,

 

My experience has shown that cupping front tires is almost always a suspension issue with bad dampening and not a balancing issue. Now I would not suspect this with a bike with your mileage, but anything is possible. I would suggest changing front springs with heavier Progressive or constant rate spings and fresh synthetic fork oil. This requires you to remove the forks from the bike so this is also a perfect time to repack and torque the head bearings, which will resolve your low speed wooble issue. And changing the tires is only a short term fix where the problem will always come back to the head bearing torque.

 

And on your oil leak, I can't tell if you are talking about the clutch rod shaft or the shift shaft seal. If it's still leaking after several changes, I would suspect that the mechanic is not installing it properly (or may have damaged something) and I would take it to another shop under your warrenty.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Rick

[ironhead782]

I am not the original owner. However the bike only had 2800 miles on it when I bought it and it was bought from an older man who had to have kidney surgery and the doctor told him to get rid of the bike because it was too heavy. The bike has never been down. But thanks for the advice.

 

Damon

Are you the original owner? Was it ever layed down? Just thinking a minor accident could cause problems like this.

[ironhead782]

Kreg:

 

Thanks for the advice. I will inform the local shop about that and have them do it. As long as my bike is still under warranty I really don't care to touch it.

 

Damon

 

Try tightning the head bearings like has been said, also, try letting all the air out of the front forks and see if that has any effect, almost sounds like the air pressure is not the same in both, It wont hurt to run it with no air, so give that a try. as far as the leak goes, those can really be a pain, as bad as you dont want to, it would be sitting at the dealers until they fixxed it, maybe try another dealer if there are others around you. Sorry not much help, hope this helps alittle.

 

Kreg

[ironhead782]

Thanks to everyone for the thoughts and suggestions about the problem with my RSV. I called Yamaha yesterday and talked to them. I told them my problems and they assured me that it would be taken care of and they wanted me to take my back back to the dealer that has been working on it because of the good relationship that we have. So I took it back yesterday. Jason, the service manager tore the bike apart to get to the seal as soon as I got there and I was there with him. Much to his chagrin the oil leak was still there and it was till leaking around the outside of the seal, not where the clutch rod goes through the seal. So he told me he was going to call Yamaha because he was tired of messing with the seal and get a new casing. I called him today and Yamaha didn't want to send a new casing. They wanted him to put in a new seal....again. The last time he had turned the clutch shaft around. But he found out today from Yamaha that, that won't work because the shaft is tapered different on one end. So they thought that might be the reason it leaked this last time. But I don't believe it and neither does he but he has to do what Yamaha said to do. Yamaha said that if it doesn't work this time they will replace the casing. But the first time the seal was replaced it leaked. The seond time the seal was replaced and the shaft turned around, it leaked. I do not think this is going to fix the problem.

 

As far as the wobble he says it is probably the stem bearings and they will probably replace the roller bearings with a tapered bearing. That was the fix they had to do on some of the Suzuki bikes that had the same problem. Just thought I would let everyone know where things are with my bike.

 

Sincerely,

Damon

 

I have a 2008 RSV and I am very frustrated with it right now. It has a little over 20,000 miles on it and this is my third set of tires. I have used Metzler 880's twice and now I am using Elite III's. After my tires get a few miles on them I get a front end wobble at low speeds. I talked to the local Yamaha dealer. After the mechanic showed me the cupping I put on new tires, front and back. Both times with the Metzler's the front tires were cupped. Each time I put on a new set it quit for a little while. It has started now with the Elite III's and they probably don't have 2000 miles on them and there is no sign of wear at all. With the Elite III's I used Nitrogen and balanced them with beads. I think the Nitrogen has really helped with the wear and I was hoping the beads would help with the wobbling. So far nothing seems to help. I have read about tightening the front bearing but that doesn't make sense to me if new tires fix the problem for a little while. I really don't know what to do.

 

The other problem is a nagging oil leak coming from the seal around the clutch shaft behind the master cylinder. I have had the seal replaced twice and it still leaks. The shaft feels smooth as it can be, no burrs at all. The second time the seal was replace liquid seal was put around the opening where the seal goes in case there might be a casting problem. But it is still leaking oil!!!!!! It is slower that what it was but I DON'T LIKE LEAKS and I don't think this bike should be leaking oil with this few of miles on it.

 

Has anyone had either of these problems with their bike and what is the cure? I told my dealer that I have 2 more years of warranty left on this bike and it will be back for the next two years if this oil leak isn't fixed. But I am really running out of patience. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Sincerely,

Damon Cates

[hunter 1500]

As far as the wobble he says it is probably the stem bearings and they will probably replace the roller bearings with a tapered bearing. That was the fix they had to do on some of the Suzuki bikes that had the same problem. Just thought I would let everyone know where things are with my bike.

 

I had a Suzuki with that problem. It started at about 18k and I replaced the stem bearings at 22k and never had a problem with it again. Manufactures use cheap bearings in them and I replaced them with good ones.

 

By the way I tried all the other fixes ie new progressive shocks and even bought a stabilizer for the front end and none of that worked. People said it was the brand of tire and that was bull.

 

Sorry I can't help you with the leak.

[ironhead782]

We know what the leak is and where it is. That is something Yamaha will have to deal with. I have two years of warranty left on my bike. I am confident that Yamaha will take care of that problem even if they have to send me a new lower casing. But

 

Thanks for the info on the front end wobble. I have had this problem since I owned the bike and each time a new set of tires fixed the problem, temporarily. I am beginning to think now that the reason my front tires were cupping so quick is because of the bearing issue.

 

Sincerely,

Damon Cates

As far as the wobble he says it is probably the stem bearings and they will probably replace the roller bearings with a tapered bearing. That was the fix they had to do on some of the Suzuki bikes that had the same problem. Just thought I would let everyone know where things are with my bike.

 

I had a Suzuki with that problem. It started at about 18k and I replaced the stem bearings at 22k and never had a problem with it again. Manufactures use cheap bearings in them and I replaced them with good ones.

 

By the way I tried all the other fixes ie new progressive shocks and even bought a stabilizer for the front end and none of that worked. People said it was the brand of tire and that was bull.

 

Sorry I can't help you with the leak.

[Venturous Randy]

I am curious, what are you refering to when you are saying "lower casing"? Are you refering to the lower half of the engine?

RandyA

[ironhead782]

Yes, that is what I am referring to. They called it the lower casing. The engine actually splits horizontally right across where the clutch shaft seal is.

I am curious, what are you refering to when you are saying "lower casing"? Are you refering to the lower half of the engine?

RandyA

[Venturous Randy]

I can not imagine that a lower casing and an upper casing are not machined as a matching pair. I would think that all the line bore characteristics would be very critical. Even the line bore in a head for the camshaft is done with the caps in place and the caps are not interchangeable.

Now, I may be wrong, but this is the way I see it.

RandyA