Just having the bike serviced at the moment and the guy just rung me up to tell me I've half a skip of gravel in the swing arm. No wonder chain adjustment was a bit stiff! He's cleaned it all out and greased up the hub but to try and stop it happening again I'm thinking of fitting a bung in the hole. Has anyone done this already and where did you get it from? I do remember in the dim and distant past a German guy popped up offering a plastic plate to do said job. However, I can't remember much more about it. I'll be having a look later but if anyone from the collective can remember who it was and where he's from I'd appreciate it. Cheers
If I remember correctly he had it 3D printed. Might want to look into getting similar done yourself. It was basically a square with 4 prong clips. Would and oversize square and some double sided reg plate sticky stuff work?
Found the post ‘Mud in My Swingarm’ with a link through to the Shapeways website. You lucky 2015 model owners don’t need one apparently. Your hole has healed up! https://www.shapeways.com/product/YPW748F2R/ducati-mts-1200-deckel-schwinge-cover-swingarm
@Majvs Did all that crap get in there through that square hole thing, or is it getting through some other way. If so its a shit design, well, I suppose it's a shit design anyway to have that opening there in the first place.
It gets though a large casting hole in the front of the pre-2015 Multi swing arms. It's a bad design. I've sent off for a plastic cover from Shapeways designed to seal the hole.
As you can't see the hole, why not do the 1970's trick of chewing gum over the hole. I know it works, as my dad drove his old austin with chewing gum sealing the leaky petrol tank for years.
Because the "hole" is about 7cm x 4cm......need a loooooot of chewy to block that hole!! Am half tempted to silicone a piece of black plastic over it though.....
27500 miles. Not ridden off road except occasional gravel access track. All that crap comes from normal road riding
Interesting read, I hadn’t realised the hole existed. Can it be accessed fairly easily on the bike without removing the swing arm etc?
If you wanted something like the chewing gum idea (but a bit more stable) you could try using Sugru to mould a 'bung' https://sugru.com Good stuff to have in the emergency tool kit as well.
They managed to make the Monster 1200 swing arm with a plastic cover for the window. Maybe its intentional on the Multistrada? The samples of different terrain that you take home on are mementos and part of the experience?
