ATTENTION ALL M50 OWNERS! My issue resolved! FIX YOURS NOW B4 IT'S TO LATE!

[burnchassis]

Originally Posted by Manuel

Does the u-joint have a zerk fitting?

Well here is a few pics of the actual U JOINT..not much room there,also a couple pics of the engine side splines,and inside the u joint.
CS

[burnchassis]

If your going to do the U JOINT you'll need to remove the swing arm..be careful when you remove as to not damage these bearings posted in the pics to follow be sure you regrease them before you put it back together.
See how this is all 1 piece? u joint cover...mud splash/inner fender/swing arm.
See the video,and these pics will help.
CS

[tbone57]

As the owner of a 2006 C50t, (17,000 miles) I am equally concerned. It appears that even if we lubed the driveshaft splines (I didn't check yet) that we or a mechanic for that matter could have overlooked this problem. If there were ever a problem that should be reported to the NHTSA and suzuki, this is it. Even though I have an extended warranty (60 month) a SAFETY issue such as this should be covered by suzuki whether you have a warranty or not! THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEGWORK AND TIME IN SHOWING US ALL THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM. Lets hope there are some attorneys out their that will insist on an investigation and help to pursue a recall if necessary. Your posts are very appreciated, as will be your follow-up to get the NHTSA and suzuki moving on this. I appreciate the "how to's" and videos, but realistically, Suzuki should handle this at NO CHARGE, since its very safety oriented. Thanks again. I hope if it's determined that a recall is in order, I get the notice from Suzuki , before I get my hands dirty, but I doubt it. This is the web site to report to I think: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/

[burnchassis]

Everyone needs to gang up ,and make a call to the appropriate channel.
I can't find that channel.
1 more pic for grins ,and giggles....
CS

[RED-M]

Hey BC, Seeings how you got it half tore down ... you might as well yank that motor and powdercoat that baby some neon color !! J/K... excellent info as always... keep up the good work, it's much appreciated.

[burnchassis]

I called them ,and they tried to argue this was an isolated incident.
Told me I was out of warranty and it wasn't covered.I told him I didnt care about a warranty,I was letting them know they had a defective part before someone dies.
He checked his records ,and told me there are 3 other reported cases of this.
Then told me I needed to have an authorized dealer send in a report.
So I call Jim at Suzuki,and asked him again if there was any way possible this could be my fault.No was the answer..he told me it is a 100% sealed unit with no possible maintenance except the cutting ,and replacing of the oil seal.
So I asked him to go to bat for us,and he said HELL YES I WILL!
Now my friend Jim at my local Suzuki shop is going to bat for us,he agrees 100% someone could die from this problem.
The report is being made today,he told me he will call me back with the information he receives.
I encourage everyone to check their stuff out asap,and if needed take it to your dealer so they can report it.
Then please call this number 714-572-1490 ,and complain like I did to make the report,but be sure your stuff is rusted before you complain.
The ball is now rolling!
CS

[Manuel]

If the parts are not rusted, but completely dry, I'd still report that, these parts should be greased.

[burnchassis]

They will more then likely be dry,I was told there is only a light layer of thin grease from the factory.
CS

[Manuel]

Originally Posted by burnchassis

They will more then likely be dry,I was told there is only a light layer of thin grease from the factory.
CS

That doesn't make sense. I'll be greasing mine for sure this winter on the bike's down time. How did you go about greasing the U-joint? I've never greased one without a zerk fitting.


Thanks for the additional pictures. Now i understand why the swing arm needs to be removed.


I'm curious if other shaft driven bikes have this similar issue with dry parts?

[Clint]

Originally Posted by burnchassis

Any chance I can get a section under links ,and tutorials,so I can post some more stuff?
I would like to post my signature under a section called
"BURNCHASSIS HOW TO's"

We already have a comprehensive how-to thread for the M50. Think about how you can integrate with that rather than having separate resources.

First, though, tell me what the heck "burnchassis" means.

[burnchassis]

Originally Posted by Clint

We already have a comprehensive how-to thread for the M50. Think about how you can integrate with that rather than having separate resources.

First, though, tell me what the heck "burnchassis" means.

1st I hope you reconsider,My stuff is a bit more intouch,and much easier to understand.Without additional room in my signature, I cant post any more HOW TO's...the Cam Chains will be a popular video,as are the rest acutally.

Second, BURNCHASSIS is just an old screen name I used back in the late 90's and early 0's while racing on the internet with NASCAR.Ever heard of HAWAII (for nascar online)? TEN.NET? WON.NET?,even MOTORCITY ONLINE?
I used to make setups for the cars,my setups for hard to beat,so I adopted the nickname from RAYBURN CHASSIS from Dirt Late models in real life over to the world of SIMULATION racing.
I used to get paid for those setups..those were the good old days.
If you do a google search (BURNCHASSIS NASCAR) I'm sure something from back in the day will pop up.
CS

[Clint]

Well, do a little studying of BBcode and create a nicely formatted index of your stuff like Diamond Jim did. We'll put it somewhere. On a marble pedestal, perhaps?

[Quantumcat]

Excellent vids burnchassis.

It's a shame that such a thing had to happen to you for this issue to be discovered.

[Ad Hoc M50]

My M50 already has over 12,000 miles on it. Is it past the point where if this was going to be a problem it would have happened already. I just really don't want to mess with things.

[burnchassis]

Well you can look at it like that ,but the reality of it seems to be 1 of 2 things....you can mess with it now for a little $ ,or mess with it later for big $....or i guess you hope it becomes a recall.
CS

[draf]

I will definitely mess with it this winter! I'll let you know what I found!
Ad Hoc M50: are you talking about the problem that makes the final drive fail at around 30,000 miles?

[Manuel]

I hope for a recall, but will not rely on it. This winter the bike will be torn down and inspected. It's like burn said, as long as you have time, you can do it. Cutting that seal off may be a bit irritating, but it can't be that bad. I can't wait for the how to video when Burn gets all his parts to put it back together. Should be good!

[burnchassis]

I put the entire bike back together today,and then tore off the rear tire,and final drive again.
Then I tore into the final drive,you can see what the rusted broken problem is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW3WS7ibGbM

CS

[burnchassis]

Put it all back together except rear tire,and drive,and I couldn't resist hitting the fire button.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvh8QCWCFuE

Listen up!
She sounds lonely!
CS

[tbone57]

I think one point to remember is that if you take the bike to a mechanic (dealer or other) they CANNOT inspect this problem without disassembly. It must be torn apart to discover the rust or dry assembly, which they should be able to price out before they begin. If they tell you it looked ok without disassembly, move on to a more reputable mechanic. I think in every case, we should take pictures, document our cost to have this done or even if we do it ourselves, and go after Suzuki for reinbursement, and report the defect as burnchassis did.