Should the Final Drive Hub be HOT after going 30-miles?

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After traveling about 30-miles at 40-55 mph I happened to feel the hub on my final drive, where the oil reservoir is. It was very hot, too hot to keep my hand on it. I was riding with a friend who was on a Gold Wing and we felt his, and it was just slightly warm. I checked the oil level and it was good. I changed the final drive oil just to be safe and re-checked it after another ride, and the hub was still very hot. Is this normal/common with the NT? Thanks for any input!!!
 

DirtFlier

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Have you ever regreased the splines? And don't think the last shop who fitted a new rear tire for you did it because too often they don't.

If I were you, I'd remove the wheel and clean, then regrease the drive/driven splines with Moly 60.
 

Mellow

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+1 on pulling the wheel and re-greasing the splines but also check your wheel bearings while in there, if one is starting to go it may be causing a lot of heat from friction. Just guessing of course.
 

junglejim

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Doesn't sound right to me. There are 3 things that would cause that; exhaust heat, brakes, and friction inside the final drive. I'd try riding a short distance and feeling it to see where the heat was originating to get some clues. If you aren't draging a brake or feeling heat from the exhaust then I'd look inside the final drive. I really doubt that a brake draging or exhaust heat would make it that hot.
 
OP
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I did recently put on a new rear tire, I did it myself and did clean and re-grease the splines with Moly grease.
If I put the bike on its center stand, I can spin the tire by hand, and it turns freely. There is no brake drag or anything else detectable causing friction or drag.

When I changed the final drive oil I rotated the tire with the plug out and observed and felt the splines inside the hub. Everything looked and felt fine in there.

Also, when I did the tire change I took the wheel in to the dealer to mount and balance the new tire. The mechanic noticed that the right side wheel bearing was beginning to seize, it wouldn't turn freely.
They replaced the wheel bearings and seals on both sides just to be cautious. Before replacing the tire I could spin the new wheel bearings easily with my finger.

That is why I am wondering how warm or hot other NT owners hubs are after a moderate ride.
 
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Warren

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Mine gets hot. If its as hot as yours I don't know. I will try to remember when i get home from work tonight to see if its too hot to hold my hand to.
 

Warren

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It was 90F when I left work at 5:00. I got home at 5:30. All city street riding. When I got home I took off my glove and put my hand on the final drive. It was hot but not so hot it burned my hand. It was hotter than what I would describe as warm. Not sure that helps or not.
 
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Woodaddict

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hub will get hot even to hot to put hand on. also from tire transfer heat to hub
 
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I notice you live in MN so I wouldn't expect the air temperature to be very hot. I have noticed mine getting hot down here in Arkansas in summertime.
I once put my hand on mine and thought that it was way too hot. The rear end gears should not generate much noticeable heat but then I looked at it a minute and realized the gearbox is mounted just behind the engine and had been exposed to the road surface heat (~120 deg) for a while.
With that said I can't say what is normal or if you have a problem. I don't know if that helps or confuses the issue.

Brad
 
OP
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That helps a lot. Thanks. The hub isn't so hot it actually causes burns to my hand like the muffler would. I could probably hold my hand against the hub for maybe 3-4 seconds before it would get extremely uncomfortable so I'd have to remove my hand.

The temps while riding here in MN were in the mid 80's. Not super hot outside, but the reply from ARKNT makes sense, that the engine and gear box heat from in front of the tire is also radiating heat back toward the hub. I guess I was just curious if this was typical, or potentially problematic.

It was 90F when I left work at 5:00. I got home at 5:30. All city street riding. When I got home I took off my glove and put my hand on the final drive. It was hot but not so hot it burned my hand. It was hotter than what I would describe as warm. Not sure that helps or not.
 
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Make sure that the breather vent at the top of the final drive housing is not plugged. Also synthetic gear lube might help.
 
OP
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Thanks EODEAN. Yes, if you do a ride of 30 miles or more at speeds of 50+ please let me know how warm/hot it gets and what the outdoors temp was at the time also. That would be helpful. Thanks!
 
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Frosty

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Those Non-Contact Infrared Thermometer things like the ones sold by Harbor Freight
http://www.harborfreight.com/non-contact-infrared-thermometer-with-laser-targeting-61894.html
are good for this kind of thing. And lots of other things. I use mine to know when the olive oil in the pan is up to temp.
Have one but had not thought of that! I use mine for vehicle and trailer tire temps (bearings, hubs, brake drag)... which brings up the obvious ... low tire pressure and tire heating?
 
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I use mine for vehicle and trailer tire temps (bearings, hubs, brake drag)
Also good for checking the temp at the AC vent. Do that a few times so you know what is normal, then you'll know when it isn't. And auto transmission temp when you do a flush. The Harbor Freight one projects a laser dot, good for driving the animals crazy.
 

DirtFlier

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All of this is totally subjective without some sort of device for measuring temp.
 
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I set out my meter last night so I would remember to measure temps when I got home from work today.
I measured 128 deg F. The warmest area was at the drain plug of the final drive. This was measured with a contact thermometer (thermocouple on my multi-meter). The air temp was 90 deg F and was measured after a ride of 15 miles single rider very lightly loaded bike.
Hope that helps some.

Brad
 
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That all sounds about right to me although I have never measured mine.
128F is not really very hot for a hypoid geabox.
Normal oil temperature for my engine/gearbox, at an ambient 90F is around 175F.
I would not be concerned unless my diff temperature was 190F or above.

Macka
 
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