I just returned home from a 3400 mile trip to the Keys. I left with 12000 miles on my 2010 with not a single issue on this bike. By the time I reached Mobile, Alabama during my morning pre-ride I noticed an oily film on the front of the engine, mostly below the exhaust outlets, no noticeable drips on the ground and oil level was good. Ok, just a valve cover gasket. While entering the St. Pete area I noticed a lurching when the bike was just about stopped and progressively got worse the remainder of the ride. Warped rotors or scudz build up on the rotors, not sure. I am going for the warped rotor scenario since the bike will be going to the dealer for the oil leak. Ok, I can live with that. Then at a fuel stop in Deltona I noticed an oily build up on the rear wheel. WTF    Yup, o-ring failure. Made it home and oil level only dropped a 1/4" but the mess it  left behind was very annoying. Its not like the bike didn't get rode before the trip, I put 1500 on it before leaving. I may as well have them do the valve check while it is in the shop, they will have plenty of time for that. 

           John 

You can make a temporary 'diaper' for the final drive out of three paper towels and some electrical tape. Roll the paper towels up into a tube and wrap that tube around the final drive / wheel joint, about 1/2 overlapping each one. Tape the near edge to the final drive and allow the wheel to rotate inside the paper towel 'tube'. The paper towel will catch the lube so it does not splatter all over the wheel and tire. It is not a fix but a way to make the remaining trip a little more graceful.

By the way, it is usually the small inner seal that fails; there are two seals that seal the final drive, one small and one pretty large.

Brian

I just returned home from a 3400 mile trip to the Keys. I left with 12000 miles on my 2010 with not a single issue on this bike. By the time I reached Mobile, Alabama during my morning pre-ride I noticed an oily film on the front of the engine, mostly below the exhaust outlets, no noticeable drips on the ground and oil level was good. Ok, just a valve cover gasket. While entering the St. Pete area I noticed a lurching when the bike was just about stopped and progressively got worse the remainder of the ride. Warped rotors or scudz build up on the rotors, not sure. I am going for the warped rotor scenario since the bike will be going to the dealer for the oil leak. Ok, I can live with that. Then at a fuel stop in Deltona I noticed an oily build up on the rear wheel. WTF    Yup, o-ring failure. Made it home and oil level only dropped a 1/4" but the mess it  left behind was very annoying. Its not like the bike didn't get rode before the trip, I put 1500 on it before leaving. I may as well have them do the valve check while it is in the shop, they will have plenty of time for that. 

           John

4cedars, sorry you had the problems, hope the trip was OK. How did your forward pegs work?......blanton

wow that sux.

my '10 has 32,000 miles with zero issues.

knowing its a Kawi though, it may fall all to hell on my cross country trip this sumnmer!  maybe between my HONDA jacket and the KiPass Gods, it'll be ok

Blanton, those forward pegs are fantastic. Found I could stretch the legs and relieve the hip also. No issues with the brackets moving either. 

Brian, thanks for the heads up on the "diaper".   

Blanton, those forward pegs are fantastic. Found I could stretch the legs and relieve the hip also. No issues with the brackets moving either. 

Brian, thanks for the heads up on the "diaper".

What foot pegs d you have?

So Cal Joe, 4cedars has some home made ones that look nice. I think you thought about them but they were on a 2010. They looked like these but with removable pegs. Do not mean to answer for you 4cedars.........blanton

no problem Blanton after all its a mod of your design

I could repost the pics if anybody is interested. Its the same as Blantons with a shortened horizontal and a Kuryaken removeable peg and mount