Update: So, now would not be a good time for someone to show up here with a gently used Final Drive, for a Roadster, that you're willing to part with for next to nothing- I just plopped down over 1K for a new one from Triumph of Westchester, NY who actually had one on their shelf.
At the prodding (probably good advice) of several members to have a look see, I put the bike on the lift, took some weight off the wheel, removed the left shock (so I could get a torque wrench back on the FD bolts), and cracked the bolts between the final drive and the drive shaft. As expected out came fluid and it sure smelled like gear oil.
Now, unless motor oil just being in proximity with the final drive is enough to cause it to pick up that odor, I think the diagnosis is a bad seal in the final drive leaking gear oil into the drive shaft tube.
Before someone says something... I change gear oil with every rear tire change, so about every 4-4,500 miles. It looks like that from being in the drive shaft tube with moly paste, dust and dirt. What comes out of the FD would not look like that.
So, apparently this is a rare occurrence, but stuff seems to just happen to me.
The part should arrive late next week and hoping to have it in by Friday. I use the bike to get to work and back and thinking that as long as I don't run way low on gear oil continuing to ride shouldn't be a problem. I think I said in an earlier post that when I topped it off it was down 2 ozs, this after who knows how long it's been leaking. Anyway, if I'm insane for driving it this way for a few more days let me know your thinking on this.
I'll update after the new part is in and enough time has lapsed for it to show another leak, indicating I just wasted $1,000 and have a whole 'nother issue to contend with.
Thanks for everyone's input.
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