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Rear suspension needle bearings in suspension connecting rod & swingarm (dog bones)

Tifa said:
Yes, if you haven't dropped it all out yet, do it asap.
It's not too big a job, and it can save a whole lot of work later on.
Also, there have been a few bikes that have had the link plates/dogbone collapse due to siezing.
Click to expand...

T, when yer did yers did you notice that the plates when held against their anchor points DO NOT LINE UP, ie something in the setup is OFF. Their not aligned and don't sit flush to all pivot points in the assembly.
Whit a mean is the three bolting points do not sit on the same plain.
In my case I've noticed a clunk from the pegs every now and then, that yer can definitely feel, so much so that on one occasion a stopped tae check it oot.

I fitted the af1 solid link plates and recently took them off to grease the bearings, the front fixing point of the inside of the RH/plate and the rear of the assembly on the other side were worn.

There's somat seriously oot wae the whole set up.
 
Mine is the same mate.The hollow pins in the bearings have a fair amount of sideways 'float' causing the assembly to go off centre somehow.My link plates are scuffed on the inside.I seem to remember that someone on AF1 made up some nylon spacers to prevent it happening.

There ya go mate,...bit of reading for ya,
http://www.apriliaforum.com/forums/...inkage/page2&highlight=suspension+link+plates
The bottom line is,a bit of float is perfectly normal.
 
Last edited:
I'm feeling pretty smug here.

When re-greased and re built them a few years back, I too noticed the lateral float in the dogbone. It was as though you could slide it sideways back & forth about 3-4mm.
At the time the link plate failure was at it's height, and me being a chickenshit numpty thought I'd better do something about it...so I swapped over an put some AF1 link plates in there...at the time there was much discussion about this 'float' and one of the members came up with a bit of a soloution. Four teflon shims (like washers) to take up the slack. These to be fitted to the two rearmost bearings, leaving the front one (the one on the frame) to do it's own thing, and find centre without being pushed or forced either way.
They (the shims) have performed perfectly, no binding, kept the **** out, and the grease was fairly clean when I pulled it all apart, which is more than I can say for the bearing without the shims. The grease in this one was just starting to break down and emulsify.
Anyway, supplier of said shims was Kirk form AF1....but pukka Tuonoists will know him better as kzmille (he of the rear brake bleeding thread)
I PM'd him a few weeks back to update him on the long term performance of his shims, and like me, he was well pleased with the results.
He's planning to do another batch shortly I think...about $30 ish...which might sound a tad expensive...but worth every penny imho
 
if you dinnae hae an Abba type stand or yer roofs nae strong enough you can insert to long rods or bolts into the holes each side o the frame at he swing arm pivot ( ah actually used two o my long reach T Bar Allen keys) and chock it up on blocks.

I did it this way worked a treat. Firstly put bike on rear paddock stand and use this to lower onto the pile o blocks, or whatever ye have tae hand, to land the bike on tae yer blocks. Pack the blocks up as close as ye can before ye drop the paddock stand to get max lift.
 
Aldo said:
T, when yer did yers did you notice that the plates when held against their anchor points DO NOT LINE UP, ie something in the setup is OFF. Their not aligned and don't sit flush to all pivot points in the assembly.
Whit a mean is the three bolting points do not sit on the same plain.
In my case I've noticed a clunk from the pegs every now and then, that yer can definitely feel, so much so that on one occasion a stopped tae check it oot.

I fitted the af1 solid link plates and recently took them off to grease the bearings, the front fixing point of the inside of the RH/plate and the rear of the assembly on the other side were worn.

There's somat seriously oot wae the whole set up.
Click to expand...
Cheers Aldo...Will check when I reassemble, mate.

So, UPDATE guys....bearings and new bushes and seals just gone in (not without a few fecks, n shites ina father jack stylie!). Big thanks te Dave Millings Motorcycles, my Aprilia dealer. Dave gave a quick reminder how to shift the bearings. But main concern is Dog Bone condition, cleaned it up. Not sure if alloy is starting to delaminate or badstone chips and corrosion:
'bumps' near bottom part of dog bone. Dunt look good as feint grooves, is this start of failure? :/

DSC_1193.jpg
 
Another photo, it'll go back together for now, new one is £ 111.00 !!!
 
DSC_1197.jpg
Another photo, it'll go back together for now, new one is £ 111.00 !!!
 
i hung mine from garage roof using the rear footbegs (as per manual)....i also used a rope to jam the front brake on.

i losened the exauhst to get the front bolt out....and yes i did start it baffless:crazy

my swing arm has a slight amount of play...and bike only has 4k on it.


IMAG0381.jpg


IMAG0378.jpg


i also thopught of putting some rubber on swing arm to keep junk off....not done it yet though....

IMAG0382.jpg
 
El Liamo said:
i hung mine from garage roof using the rear footbegs (as per manual)....i also used a rope to jam the front brake on.

i losened the exauhst to get the front bolt out....and yes i did start it baffless:crazy

my swing arm has a slight amount of play...and bike only has 4k on it.


IMAG0381.jpg


IMAG0378.jpg


i also thopught of putting some rubber on swing arm to keep junk off....not done it yet though....

IMAG0382.jpg
Click to expand...



Ffs, HEAVY DUTY FEMDOM fir yer machine:no

If yer don't wan't yer machine to look used then don't ****** use it, yer cant do 20,000miles a year an show no signs of it.:thumbup

Am talkin **** as usual.
 
Femdom? like shagging a plastic bag in a cottage pie. Cheap women use Lidl, posh birds use Waitrose.

Aldo my distilled apple swallowing chum - it's a very valid point. this bike gets little use for many many reasons. (look close enough atthe garage queen and you can see a finger print...)
 
Femdom? like shagging a plastic bag in a cottage pie.

Sounds like yer tasted some mucker.
 
EL a'll tell yer the story behind ma sig when we're at Keswick.
 
Back to the thread at hand, I 've still got my old needle bearings, if anyone wants the bearing number drop me a PM.

EDIT: You can get them a little bit cheaper and possibly quicker at a bearing factor rather than directly through Aprilia (1 week through dealer). But you'll still need bearing shims.

Emva Cream, what? In Keswick?
 
Last edited:
Emva Cream, what? In Keswick?

If there is it can stay on the shelf. :yes
 
My step mother used to take a tipple of the bloody awful stuff, put me off for life :no
 
just did my rear shock linkage bearings ,sure enough no grease rusty and seized pins on a 8000 miler 08 tuono ,bearins £11 each seals £48 a set ! i cleaned up old pins and re used old seals .Here,s the good bit though when i undid the front header pipe to drop the exhaust pipe 3 head studs sheared off plus 2 oil cooler mountain bolts ,using very little force .aprilia really do use **** quality bolts .Anyway all studs removed and re tapped and back on the road .
It has put me off buying another aprilia though !
 
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