First of all, yeah, there is a difference how full the various fluids in the bike appear depending on whether the bike is actually resting on the front tire or rear tire. That said, I personally do not think it all that big of a deal and do not worry about it in my own bike, which made 100K miles without ever consuming a drop of oil and no drivetrain mechanical problems. That certainly is not proof that what I did is a great or even correct way to do it, just that it is not disastrous.
There have been some reports of final drives filled the what the manufacturer calls 'full' and then leaking. Reducing the fill level to the bottom of the fill hole instead of the top has been reported to stop these leaks, actually weeps. I would have thought exactly what you mentioned- that is what the seals and vent are there for. ?? So yes, I would think the driveshaft seal would seal the final drive if filled to the correct level but at the same time, if reducing the volume a little bit stops the seepage, that is perfect IMO. No trip to the dealer, no worry about a dealer's competence. Easy enough to try too, just take a little fluid out of the drive with a straw or something, get the level to the bottom of the filler hole threads and all is well. You can certainly give it a try and if nothing else, give yourself some more time to research Kawasaki dealers in your area before taking the bike in for that repair.
Brian
I didn't think I overfilled the final drive, but after reading other posts, i'm not sure. I followed the service manual, except I put the bike on the center stand. Apparently, that's incorrect. I was supposed to keep the rear wheel on the ground while centering the bike. I don't know if this makes enough of a difference to cause the leak at the swing arm.
If I did overfill the final drive, which caused the leak from the seal, the seal still needs to be replaced, right? Also, I thought there is a vent that's supposed to handle overfilling?
Thank you
