Interesting that this question would come up just as I finished pulling my shaft drive swingarm and final drive unit
to see what I could do to make it spin a little easier.
After disassembly and cleaning everything up,
tight bearings and a tight u joint appear to be the major factor in my resistance.
Well........ that and the cold gear lube basically gluing everything together.
Since I can't afford ceramic bearings, I think I'm gonna try some thinner oil to see if I can't free things up a bit that way.