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You're right about that assembly dampening driveline shocks. The standard cush drive in the wheel is too stiff to completely do this by itself.

Drilling the cush rubbers was Greg Field's idea. I tried it, and never went back. Making a Cushier Cush Drive - Technical Topics - Moto Guzzi V11LeMans.com Forum There are 3 places that need lubrication while you have the drive plate off. The input spline to the wheel benefits from Kluber Staburags NBU 30 PTM grease, the rubber pucks and retainer plate spacer benefit from dry-lube spray, and the drive plate bore needs waterproof grease. Should I lubricate my rubbers? - Technical Topics - Moto Guzzi V11LeMans.com Forum More discussion here: Cush drive lubrication - Technical Topics - Moto Guzzi V11LeMans.com Forum

A picture of the O-ring, so as Docc said, part of the "cush drive". This picture shows the standard V11 configuration, with all 12 undrilled rubber pucks

I lubed my rubber bits. I sprayed the cush rubbers and the pockets with molybdenum disulfide dry lube spray. Greg Field wrote about a good idea you can do to the cush rubbers here: https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?/topic/11820-making-a-cushier-cush-drive/&tab=comments#comment-125587 I think this link might be interesting too: https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?/topic/20331-cush-drive-lubrication/&tab=comments#comment-230956 For the spline to the wheel, you might think about Kluber Staburags NBU 30 PTM. BMW part #. 07559062476. Expensive but good.

Hello Blight, My bike is exactly the same as your video. It is bad enough that riding slowly in first gear is uncomfortably jerky. All the backlash is between the output splines of the bevel box and the rear wheel. I thought the same as you, that the bevel box was failing, but no. You could check that backlash again with the rear wheel off to see if yours is the same.. See also https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20324 I tried installing the rear wheel after applying mould release spray and aluminised epoxy to the spline. After the epoxy cured, I greased the spline, refitted the wheel, and rode the bike. Much better, but a very temporary solution. It proved to me that the only fix is to replace the cush drive spline plate, and the crown wheel & pinion set. Expensive. Actually I bought a spline plate from Moto International (before they closed) and a 2nd hand low km bevel box from eBay Italy. How will I slow the spline from wearing again? Use a good layer of spline grease like Staburags NBU 30 PTM on it. I have already drilled the cush drive rubbers, and removed half the rubber pucks, to make the drive cushier. That is an idea from the Guzzi expert Greg Field, and I think it will prolong the life of all the splines from the clutch all the way back.

I used Sandstrom Lubricant, Solid Film, MIL-PRF-46147. Molycote 321 is just as good. But since anything is better than nothing, whatever molybdenum disulfide spray you can find in your local hardware store will be ok. Probably better actually, as the Sandstrom stuff I used should be cured at 60°C, (150°F), and I didn't bother. BTW, I got this idea of drilling the cush rubbers from Greg Field, who knows stuff about Guzzis. As Scud mentioned, Greg posted here: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11820 I agree with him that the V11 is improved, and the drive train should last longer, with a cushier cush drive. But I don't share his view that engine braking causes damage to the wheel drive spline. I think that each 530cc piston slamming torque down the drive train every engine rev is the main reason for spline wear.

The hub definitely needs to be greased. If the splined drive plate seizes from rust, then the cush drive cannot cushion any more. You can see grease distribution grooves inside the spline drive plate bore, so we know the designer thought this is important. Of course some grease will get in there anyway if you are generous with grease in the drive spline. On my bike, I sprayed the rubber pucks and puck pockets with a thin layer of dry lube, and also on the large diameter spacer. The wheel stays clean, and the plate can still move in the wheel. I drilled the rubber pucks with lots of little holes, and only refitted half of the pairs of pucks so the cush drive would be "cushier". Also, an odd effect of rubber is that it does not compress much. If you squeeze in one place, it will bulge out in another place, without the volume changing (Poisson's Ratio for rubber is 0.5). This tells me that the pucks will be cushier if they could squirm in in their pockets easily, so dry lube helps. So to summarise, my bike rear wheel has: 1. Half the pucks drilled, half discarded. (optional choice for you) 2. Dry lube on pucks, puck pockets, large spacer. (optional) 3. Grease in bore of drive plate. (must do)

I think that some grease on that spline is really important. So important that a little cleaning job is better than not having enough grease in there. I have to fit a new cush drive plate, and a near new bevel box to my bike this coming winter. The spline teeth in the crown wheel spline, and drive plate are 1/3 worn away, probably because of lack of lubrication in the bike's 80,000 km before I got it. Backlash makes the bike uncomfortable to ride really slowly in first gear. I bought the bike cheaper because of this spline wear, and I'm finally going to fix it. I have been greasing that spline with Penrite wheel bearing grease, and think a little too much grease is better than too little on that spline. Cleaning is easier than replacing worn parts.

I agree, Staburags grease would be great for the spline couplings at each end of the driveshaft. It would squeeze out to allow the splines to clamp together tightly, but still exclude air & water, to reduce fretting corrosion. Drylube in that joint could crush away to allow the spline clamping to loosen, and rapid wear might be next. The spline in the middle of the driveshaft needs regular thin grease, as it slides a lot, and clearances are too tight for a layer of dry lube. The spline from the bevel box to the cush drive can benefit from both dry lube on all contact faces, and when cured, Staburags or similar HT moly grease. It is not a tight spline, so a buildup of drylube is a good thing. My bike is very worn there so lube can only delay the inevitable parts replacements. But still it is plastered with drylube, including the cush drive parts & rubbers, then the spline is greased. CRC Dry Moly is probably fine, especially for your rear wheel cush drive spline, since you can reapply at every tire change. I don't know how durable it is longer term in the clutch, which is harder to access, but still anything is better than nothing. When I get to the clutch on my bike, I will drylube the clutch parts just as Tim described.