Any ideas?  I saw on some older threads that it might be a seal what seal would I need to replace?  Very slow like like a couple drops all day.

nm i see oil seal ill try that only 3 dollars

So does anyone know how to replace it?  Do I need to drain the oil first?

Quote from: jchc413 on February 21, 2009, 03:50:20 PM
So does anyone know how to replace it?  Do I need to drain the oil first?

Do you have a service manual? I'm fairly certain you'll need to drain the oil, if the seal is holding back oil, when you take it out, the oil will come with it. You should do a search, it has been covered before. Here is a post I found that seems to indicate it isn't hard:

Quote from: GeeP on January 12, 2006, 10:10:58 AM
Pull the shift lever off (if you haven't already).  Remove and replace the seal.  You can use a deep socket that fits the outside diameter of the new seal to drive it home.  Make sure to lube the outside of the seal with a little engine oil.

Also, wrap the splines on the shifter shaft with a piece of overhead transparency film, drafting mylar, or similar before sliding the seal over.  This will protect the lip from damage.  Lube the mylar with engine oil.   

It might just be lube flung off the chain collecting behind the cover and seeping along the shift-shaft, its not uncommon. Take the cover off, give it a good clean and see what happens.

I agree with sledge.  I thought I had a problem too until I took the sprocket cover off and discovered that chain oil flies off, coats the inside of the cover, then it runs onto the gear shifter shaft.  It's not a problem.

Quote from: bill14224 on February 21, 2009, 04:44:40 PM
I agree with sledge.  I thought I had a problem too until I took the sprocket cover off and discovered that chain oil flies off, coats the inside of the cover, then it runs onto the gear shifter shaft.  It's not a problem.

Very good point. Every time I take the sprocket cover off I'm totally amazed at how nasty the crud is in there. I usually scrape as much as I can off with a rag then try to forget that it is there...

sweet, I will try that tomorrow.  Thanks for the help.

Holy crap there was like an inch thick of goop in there.  Do you guys clean that every time you do the chain?  Is there any way to avoid that mess?

Not translated yet, but pics might help: http://www.gs-500.info/index.php?title=Simmering_Schaltwelle_austauschen

Avoiding the mess in there... well, DryLube or a less sticky oil as is used in chain oilers (e.g. ScottOiler) - but don't use it w/o chain oiler! I clean it every time I open the casing at that spot - so every time the chain gets changed... Fitted a ScottOiler now, so should be better.

Besides the typical humongous pile of goop; my '08 was also leaking oil form the shifter seal.  This happened after only a few hundred miles.  Upon invetigation the seal had "crawled" out to almost the end of the opening.  I drifted it back into place and (knocking on wood) it has not been an issue since.  I am not sure of just what is supposed to hold it in there -- maybe a groove or such.

prs