Final Drive & Driveshaft¶

The 2000 Honda GL1500 SE Gold Wing uses a shaft final drive — there is no chain or belt. Engine torque leaves the 5-speed transmission, passes through a universal joint (U-joint), down a splined driveshaft inside the right swingarm leg, and into a final drive gearcase that contains a hypoid ring & pinion that turns the drive 90° to the rear wheel. The system is nearly maintenance-free except for two critical jobs that owners must keep up with: changing the small charge of hypoid gear oil in the final drive, and periodically moly-greasing the driveshaft/pinion splines — the single most common neglected point that destroys GL1500 final drives.

This page covers the year-2000 SE specifically, which (being a post-1997 bike) already has the heavier-duty "Valkyrie-spec" U-joint, driveshaft, and final drive and the 5-pin driven flange (see notes below). Where a value could not be pinned to a single trustworthy source it is flagged inline.

Cross-references: see Torque Specifications, Wheels & Tires, Brakes, Rear Suspension & Air System, Transmission & Reverse, and the Maintenance Schedule for related figures.

1. System Overview¶

Transmission output shaft (CCW, viewed from rear)
        │
   [ Universal Joint ]  ← rubber boot seals it to the swingarm
        │
   [ Driveshaft ]  splined both ends, runs in RIGHT swingarm leg
        │
   [ Final drive gearcase ]  hypoid ring & pinion, 90° turn, 2.833:1
        │
   [ Pinion joint / pinion cup ]  ←★ the splined coupling that wears
        │
   [ Driven flange (5-pin) → rear wheel hub ]

Final drive type: Shaft (driveshaft) with hypoid bevel gearcase, right-hand side.
Rotation: The transmission output shaft rotates counter-clockwise viewed from the rear; the hypoid set in the final drive turns this 90° to drive the wheel.
Lubrication is split: the gearcase ring & pinion run in gear oil; the driveshaft and pinion-joint splines are lubricated only by moly paste that you apply by hand (gear oil is not reliably reaching them — see §6).

2. Gear & Reduction Ratios¶

Honda specifies three reduction stages between crank and rear wheel. The final reduction (the ring & pinion inside the final drive gearcase) is 2.833:1, the figure owners usually mean by "final drive ratio."

Stage	Ratio	Teeth (where documented)
Primary reduction	1.592 : 1	78 / 49
Secondary reduction (output-shaft bevel)	0.971 : 1	34 / 35
Final reduction (final-drive ring & pinion)	2.833 : 1	34 / 12

Transmission gear ratios (for context; covered fully in Transmission & Reverse):

Gear	Ratio
1st	2.666 : 1
2nd	1.722 : 1
3rd	1.291 : 1
4th	0.964 : 1
5th (overdrive)	0.758 : 1

Notes: - Honda often writes the combined secondary × final as 0.971 × 2.83, which is why the final drive is quoted both as ~2.83 and (loosely) ~2.75 in some forum posts. The gearcase ring & pinion itself is 2.833 (34/12). - The GL1500 final-drive ratio is commonly said to be shared with the later GL1200, but ⚠️ this is forum hearsay — do not assume gearcase interchangeability without checking part numbers. - There is no practical way to change the final ratio short of swapping the entire gearcase; the transmission ratios require splitting the cases. Owners wanting taller gearing fit a larger-diameter rear tire instead.

3. Final Drive Gear Oil — Specification¶

Item	Specification
Oil type	Hypoid gear oil
Grade (factory)	SAE #80 (straight 80-weight hypoid)
API rating	API GL-5
Common modern equivalents	SAE 80W-90 or 75W-90 API GL-5 hypoid (e.g. Pro Honda HP Hypoid Gear Oil 80W-90, GL-5)

Honda's original spec is hypoid gear oil SAE #80. Straight SAE 80 is now hard to find; the overwhelmingly common owner practice is a quality GL-5 80W-90 (or 75W-90), which is fully acceptable for this gearcase. ⚠️ Verify the bottle reads API GL-5 — GL-4 lacks the extreme-pressure additives a hypoid set needs.
Pro Honda "HP Hypoid Gear Oil" (the factory shaft-drive oil) is GL-5 80W-90 and is approved for Gold Wings.
Do not use engine oil or a GL-4 manual-transmission oil here.

Capacity (verify before refilling)¶

⚠️ Capacity figures conflict across sources — confirm against your own factory service manual. Regardless of the number, the correct method is to fill to the lower edge of the filler hole, not to measure a fixed volume.

Condition	Capacity (primary figure)	Alternate figure seen
After draining & refilling	~140 cm³ (4.7 US oz / 4.9 Imp oz)	120 cm³ (4.1 US oz / 4.2 Imp oz)
After full disassembly	~170 cm³ (5.7 US oz / 6.0 Imp oz)	150 cm³ (5.1 US oz / 5.3 Imp oz)

The GL1500 owner's manual states approximately 140 cm³ (4.7 US oz), and one transcription of the factory service manual gives 140 / 170 cm³. A very widely copied figure across forums is 120 / 150 cm³. ⚠️ The discrepancy is unresolved here — it may be a model-year or printing difference, or a propagated copy error. Fill to the level (lower edge of the fill hole) and ignore the exact poured volume.
It is a tiny amount of oil — a single small bottle is plenty. Over-filling is harmless to the gears but can weep past the seals; under-filling destroys it.

4. Final Drive Oil — Change Procedure & Interval¶

Interval¶

Action	Interval
Check oil level	Every 8,000 mi (12,000 km) / 12 months (with the major service)
Replace oil	24,000 mi (38,000 km) / 36 months, per maintenance-schedule data
Practical owner habit	Many change it every rear-tire change (~26,000–28,000 mi / ~42,000–45,000 km) or at least once a year — cheap insurance

⚠️ Confirm the exact replacement interval against your model-year owner's/service manual; the 24k-mi / 3-yr figure is from a maintenance-schedule compilation, not read directly off the year-2000 book.

Procedure¶

Ride first — change the oil with the final drive at normal operating temperature so it drains fully and stirs up any debris.
Park upright on firm, level ground (centerstand). The bike must be level for an accurate fill level.
Loosen the filler cap first (lets it vent and confirms you can refill before you drain). The filler cap is plastic — see caution below.
Place a small pan under the gearcase, remove the drain bolt, and let it drain. Slowly rotate the rear wheel to pump out the last of the oil.
Inspect the drained oil: a faint metallic shimmer is normal; bright metal flakes, large particles, or a milky/water-contaminated look mean further investigation (worn ring/pinion or a failed seal).
Check the drain-bolt sealing washer; replace if crushed or damaged. Reinstall and torque (see §5).
Refill through the filler hole with the recommended oil until oil reaches the lower edge of the fill hole, then stop.
Reinstall the filler cap to spec — gently (plastic).

Cautions / tips¶

The filler cap is plastic and cracks easily if over-tightened. Snug it to spec only; many owners hand-tighten to a "9–10 ft·lb feel." A cracked cap will weep oil.
A new sealing washer on the drain bolt every change avoids a slow weep.
If you find oil around the wheel side of the gearcase or down the swingarm, suspect the output (axle) oil seal — see §8.
Some owners safety-wire the drain and filler plugs after service.

5. Torque Specifications¶

⚠️ Several of these were corroborated from service-manual citations and reputable DIY write-ups rather than read off the factory page directly — confirm critical fasteners (axle, swingarm pivot, final-drive nuts) against the factory service manual before relying on them.

Fastener	Torque (metric)	Torque (imperial)	Notes
Final-drive drain bolt	12 N·m (1.2 kgf·m)	9 ft·lb	New sealing washer recommended. ⚠️ The owner's-manual page conflates this as 20 N·m / 14 ft·lb — the service-manual value is 12 N·m / 9 ft·lb.
Final-drive oil filler bolt/cap	20 N·m (2.0 kgf·m)	15 ft·lb	Plastic cap — many torque to a much lighter ~12 N·m (9 ft·lb) by feel to avoid cracking. ⚠️ conflicting figures; err light.
Final-drive (final gear case) mounting nuts to swingarm (×4)	~64 N·m (6.5 kgf·m)	~47 ft·lb	Studs have play in the flange holes for alignment.
Rear axle nut	~108 N·m (11.0 kgf·m)	~80 ft·lb	From DIY write-up — ⚠️ confirm.
Rear axle pinch bolt	~31 N·m (3.2 kgf·m)	~23 ft·lb	From DIY write-up — ⚠️ confirm.
Swingarm pivot	~98 N·m (10.0 kgf·m)	~72 ft·lb	From DIY write-up — ⚠️ confirm; pivot also has a lock/adjuster on GL1500.
Rear shock lower mount bolt	~69 N·m (7.0 kgf·m)	~51 ft·lb	From DIY write-up — ⚠️ confirm.

(See Torque Specifications for the consolidated master table.)

6. Driveshaft & Pinion Spline Lubrication (the #1 maintenance point)¶

This is the maintenance item that kills more GL1500 final drives than anything else, because the factory schedule barely mentions it and the splines run dry if neglected.

Why it matters¶

The splines that couple the driveshaft to the final-drive pinion joint (the "pinion cup") are supposed to receive a little gear oil through small oil holes in the pinion joint. In practice these holes commonly clog, so the original assembly moly grease is the only lubricant those splines ever see.
Dry splines wear rapidly under the high contact pressure of a 360+ kg touring bike. Honda issued a Technical Service Bulletin recommending the splines be moly-greased by hand every ~16,000 mi (~26,000 km).
⚠️ TSB number not located — flagged below.

What grease to use¶

Honda Moly 60 Paste (genuine, MoS₂-rich) was the original specification. It is discontinued and superseded by Honda "M-77" Moly Paste, part no. 08798-9010 (~2.65 oz / 75 g tube). M-77 contains roughly 55–75% molybdenum disulfide, meeting the original ~60% intent.
⚠️ Note a nuance debated among owners: M-77 also contains a silicone (siloxane) carrier; some long-time GL technicians and the Wing World tech editor prefer a straight high-MoS₂ moly paste (≈60%) — Honda Moly 60 (when available), Loctite/Permatex moly paste — or a quality NLGI #2 moly-fortified grease, for the high-load open splines. Any of these is far better than plain grease. Plain (non-moly) grease is flung off the splines by centrifugal force and is not adequate.
Do not rely on the gear oil to lube these splines — the design is unreliable, which is the entire reason for the TSB.

Spline locations to grease (apply a THIN, even coat)¶

When the rear wheel / final drive is off, moly-paste:

Driveshaft splines (both ends).
Pinion joint / pinion cup internal splines (the driveshaft-to-final-drive coupling) — the critical one.
Transmission output-shaft spline and both female splines on the U-joint ends (if the U-joint is out).
Driven flange splines in the rear wheel hub and the final-drive output splines that engage them.
5-pin vs 6-pin flange: the 2000 SE has the 5-pin driven flange (1990-and-up GL1500). ★ On a 5-pin flange, do NOT grease the pins — only the splines. (Lube the pins only on the older 6-pin flange of 1988–89 bikes.) ⚠️ Confirm your flange visually.

Application tips¶

Clean off all old, hardened paste with brake cleaner first; wear gloves (it is messy and stains everything).
Thin, even film only. Over-packing causes hydraulic-lock / squeeze-out, can fling onto the brake, and is itself associated with accelerated wear. A modest smear in the spline grooves is enough.
Replace the grease/oil seal at the pinion-joint area on reassembly if it shows wear — it keeps water and grit out and oil in.
Best done at every rear-tire change — the final drive is already accessible, so the marginal effort is tiny.

7. Universal Joint & Driveshaft¶

1997+ ("Valkyrie-spec") components — applies to the 2000 SE¶

When Honda launched the Valkyrie (1997, same GL1500 flat-six), it beefed up the transmission, U-joint, and final drive. All 1997–2000 GL1500s, including this 2000 SE, already have the heavier-duty U-joint and the wider boot, so the "upgrade the U-joint" advice aimed at 1988–96 bikes does not apply to you — you have the strong parts from the factory.

Part	Honda part number	Notes
U-joint / driveshaft yoke (heavy-duty, "Valkyrie")	40200-MZ0-A00	Fits 1988–2000 GL1500 (all sub-models incl. SE) and 1997–2003 GL1500C Valkyrie. Cross-refs seen: 40200-MZ3-003, 40200-MN5-003. ⚠️ Verify against a current fiche for the 2000 SE.
U-joint boot	52104-MN5-000	Standard boot. ⚠️ A more durable Valkyrie boot 52104-MZ0-A40 is sometimes fitted as an upgrade — confirm fitment.
Final-drive output (axle) oil seal	⚠️ Not confirmed	Wheel-side seal; replace if leaking. Look up on a current parts fiche.
Final-drive filler cap ("cap, tappet adjusting hole")	12361-300-000	A generic Honda inspection-hole cap shared across decades of models; inexpensive. Uses a separate O-ring / sealing washer.

Symptoms of a worn U-joint / driveshaft¶

A small vibration felt in the footboards/pegs at ~30–40 mph (50–65 km/h) when coasting (rear wheel unloaded, throttle closed) — early wear.
A clunk on throttle on/off transitions ("driveline lash") — worsening play. Some lash is normal in a shaft drive, but a growing clunk is a warning.
Squeaking, knocking, or grinding from underneath — advanced U-joint failure. A failed U-joint can damage the swingarm or lock the rear wheel — do not ignore it.

Replacement notes¶

On later GL1500s the U-joint is reached by removing one swingarm pivot and sliding the swingarm slightly aside; on early bikes it could be pulled without full disassembly.
It is good practice to replace the boot whenever you replace the U-joint.
Moly-paste all engaging splines on reassembly (see §6).
The boot installation is notoriously fiddly — seat the lip in the swingarm groove and "roll"/slide it on like a tire bead, with a little silicone spray or grease as a lubricant. Owners routinely report this taking far longer than the rest of the job.

8. Common Problems & Failure Modes¶

Problem	Cause	Symptoms	Prevention / fix
Pinion-joint / driveshaft spline wear (the classic GL1500 failure)	Splines run dry — clogged pinion-cup oil holes + neglected moly service. Notably common on the 1998–2000 models.	Driveline lash/clunk; in late stages a metallic rattle on acceleration that quiets when the clutch is pulled, then loss of drive despite engine running. Worn / "squared-off" splines on inspection.	Moly-grease splines every ~16k mi (26k km) / every tire change. Replace worn driveshaft (~$60) and pinion joint/cup (~$40) once chewed — there is no other repair.
Output (axle) oil seal leak	Worn wheel-side seal	Gear oil weeping at the wheel side of the gearcase; oily rear wheel/brake; falling oil level	Replace the seal; refill to level.
Drive-line carrier seal failure (driveshaft entry to final drive)	Failed seal lets water/grit in, oil out; common on '98–'00	Grease/debris contamination in the carrier, dried-out splines	Replace the grease/oil seal on reassembly; keep splines moly'd.
Filler cap weep / crack	Plastic cap over-tightened or split	Slight oil weep at fill cap	Replace cap (12361-300-000) and O-ring; tighten gently.
Ring & pinion wear	Old/contaminated gear oil; long neglect	Whine, metal in drained oil, severe lash	Change gear oil on schedule; severe cases need a gearcase rebuild/replacement.
Driveline lash (mild)	Normal cumulative spline/gear backlash	Light clunk on throttle on/off	Largely normal in shaft drives; rule out worn splines/U-joint if it grows.

DIY takeaways¶

The cheapest, highest-value thing you can do for a GL1500 final drive is pull the rear wheel at every tire change, clean and moly the splines, and inspect the seals. This one habit prevents the expensive failure that defines this drivetrain.
Inspect the drained gear oil every change — it is an early-warning window into the ring & pinion.
If you ever hear a growing clunk or rattle that disappears when you disengage the clutch, stop riding hard and inspect the splines/U-joint before they strand you or damage the swingarm.

Sources¶

Honda GL1500 Owner's Manual, "Final Drive Oil" (ManualsLib p.91): https://www.manualslib.com/manual/598692/Honda-Goldwing-Gl1500.html?page=91
Honda GL1500 Owner's Manual, "Maintenance Schedule" (ManualsLib p.78): https://www.manualslib.com/manual/598692/Honda-Goldwing-Gl1500.html?page=78
Honda GL1500 Service Manual, "Final Drive Oil – Check/Change" (ManualsLib p.38): https://www.manualslib.com/manual/817941/Honda-Goldwing-Gl1500.html?page=38
Webike technical specifications, GL1500 Gold Wing (ratios, displacement): https://www.webike.de/HONDA/GL1500+GOLDWING/325/m-spec/
goldwingdocs.com — "How to replace the gear oil in your final drive" (GL1500 DIY): https://goldwingdocs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10535
goldwingdocs.com — "Drive Shaft Lubrication" (GL1500): https://goldwingdocs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=28597
goldwingdocs.com — "How to lubricate the splines in your rear drive": https://goldwingdocs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=77
goldwingdocs.com — "How to replace your universal joint (and driveshaft)" (GL1500 DIY): https://goldwingdocs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30309
goldwingdocs.com — "Final drive issue." (spline/seal failure, '98–'00): https://goldwingdocs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=35166
goldwingdocs.com — "Final drive ratio?": https://goldwingdocs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6905
goldwingdocs.com — "Part number for Final Drive fill plug": https://goldwingdocs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=55773
Valkyrie Forum — "Final Drive Pinion Cup – Moly, Gear Oil, etc." (Wing World tech editor, Stu Oltman): http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php?topic=55983.0
Steve Saunders Goldwing Forums — "GL1500 final drive rotation and transmission gear ratios": https://www.goldwingfacts.com/threads/gl1500-final-drive-rotation-and-transmission-gear-ratios.383638/
Steve Saunders Goldwing Forums — "GL1500 FINAL DRIVE OIL": https://www.goldwingfacts.com/threads/gl1500-final-drive-oil.323558/
maintenanceschedule.com — Honda Gold Wing GL1500 maintenance schedule: https://maintenanceschedule.com/honda-gold-wing-gl1500-maintenance/
Honda M-77 Moly Paste 08798-9010 (parts listings): https://www.hondapartsonline.net/oem-parts/honda-moly-paste-m77-87989010 and https://www.amazon.com/Honda-HN-08798-9010-MOLY-PASTE/dp/B0083BWUYW
eBay / KuduParts — Honda U-joint 40200-MZ0-A00 fitment listings: https://www.ebay.com/itm/272354639367 and https://kuduparts.com/products/driveshaft-yoke-with-universal-joint-40200-mz0-a00-for-honda-motorcycle-1988-2001-gold-wing
Pro Honda HP Hypoid (Shaft Drive) Gear Oil: https://powersports.honda.com/pro-honda-oils/vital-fluids/shaft-drive-oil

⚠️ Items to Verify¶

Final-drive oil capacity: Two well-circulated figure sets exist — 140 / 170 cm³ (owner's manual "approx. 140 cm³" + one service-manual citation) vs 120 / 150 cm³ (very widely copied). Confirm against your own factory service manual; in practice fill to the lower edge of the fill hole and the exact volume is moot.
Drain vs filler torque: The owner's-manual page appears to conflate the drain bolt at 20 N·m / 14 ft·lb, while service-manual citations give drain 12 N·m / 9 ft·lb and filler 20 N·m / 15 ft·lb. Treat the plastic filler cap gently regardless. Confirm both.
Axle nut, axle pinch bolt, swingarm pivot, and shock lower-mount torques were taken from a reputable DIY write-up, not read off the factory torque table — verify against the service manual / Torque Specifications.
Final-drive oil replacement interval (24,000 mi / 38,000 km / 3 yr) is from a maintenance-schedule compilation; confirm the year-2000 owner's-manual figure.
Honda M-77 vs Moly 60 for splines: M-77 (08798-9010) is the current Honda paste, but it contains silicone and some technicians prefer a straight high-MoS₂ (~60%) moly paste for the open high-load splines. Either beats plain grease; pick per the service-manual wording.
Spline-lube TSB: Honda is widely reported to have issued a TSB recommending ~16,000-mi manual moly lubrication of the pinion splines, but the TSB number was not located — verify with a Honda dealer.
Part numbers: U-joint 40200-MZ0-A00, boot 52104-MN5-000 (or Valkyrie 52104-MZ0-A40), and filler cap 12361-300-000 should be confirmed on a current parts fiche for the 2000 SE VIN; the final-drive output oil seal part number was not confirmed.
Final reduction ratio 2.833 (34/12) and primary 1.592 / secondary 0.971 are corroborated across spec sources but were not read off the factory specification page directly — confirm in the service manual.
5-pin driven flange on the 2000 SE (1990+) — confirm visually; lube the splines only, not the pins.