Suspension linkage bolt access blocked by exhaust

V-twindude · Feb 13, 2013

Hi,

Having looked in the manual on how to remove the suspension linkage, it makes no mention of having to remove the rear down pipe of the exhaust. On my bike the dogbone bolt nearest the engine won't clear the exhaust, so i cant get it out.

Do i really have to remove the exhaust or am i missing something?

RSV-Squid · Feb 13, 2013

You're not having much luck of late, are you dude

.

V-twindude · Feb 13, 2013

RSV-Squid said:
You're not having much luck of late, are you dude .

You don't know the half of it. I haven't ridden since last summer because of Cancer treatment, and now it's one thing after another getting the bike ready for riding. I just want to feel the wind in my hair again :down.

stress · Feb 14, 2013

whoa! sorry to hear about your treatment! are you ok?

you can undo the bolt holding the shock absorber on the frame.

BB1000 · Feb 14, 2013

You don't need to remove the exhaust ... Take the spring off the header and you can drop the down pipe a few inches .... You can then remove that bolt ... I do this once a year to service the rear linkage

V-twindude · Feb 14, 2013

stress said:
whoa! sorry to hear about your treatment! are you ok?

you can undo the bolt holding the shock absorber on the frame.

It was nasty, but i'm on the mend now thanks Stress. Moving the shock wont help, it's the bolt that attaches the dogbone to the frame.

Cheers BB1000, i did wonder about that, i will give it a go. No doubt i'll graze some knuckles undoing the springs. I had greased the other linkage bearings previously, easy enough so hopefully they wont be in too bad a shape, it's that pesky front one.

Tifa1 · Feb 15, 2013

BB100 is correct.
Mine however wouldn't split on the downpipe, I tried everything (heat, sharp impacts, hardwood drifts etc but no-go.) And I didn't fancy forcing it.
In the end, I just dropped the header.
It's quite easy. 4x 10mm nuts. Access is pretty easy, but you'll need a 14 " or longer 1/4" extension, with a u/joint.
Goes back in easy too, just lightly tape the nuts into the socket, and offer them up.
Forgot to mention, it's much easier with the shock out, which given you're doing the dogbone already is not an issue, you just have to pull the upper shock bolt and out she comes.
It IS possible to reverse the bolt to make it easier for next time, there is a spacer in the frame that can be fitted on the opposite side. I must admit I didn't do this as I was unsure if reversed the suspension action could unscrew or loosen it. (probs not...but that's just me being paranoid)

V-twindude · Feb 16, 2013

Nice one Tifa, cheers for the info. I have been out enjoying the sun, so haven't gone back in the garage and attempted it yet. I can understand your paranoia about switching the bolt around, it's odd they'd put it in the difficult side for no reason.

albrown001 · Apr 19, 2013

Once you get the bolt out (I had to remove my exhaust) just get a hex bolt and put it through from the other side. If you make up a spacer about 21mm long to go on the exhaust side, the same thickness as the spacer on the bolt, you can just put a lock nut on the exhaust side. Then you can remove it as many times as you want to and you don't have to remove the exhaust.

V-twindude · May 16, 2013

Think i'll do that next time, cheers Albrown.

Skullface · May 17, 2013

I had same experience as Tifa, on an 07 Factory, the system was locked solid and secure, i dropped the 4 nuts off the front manifold studs and it was easy then.

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Suspension linkage bolt access blocked by exhaust

V-twindude

RSV-Squid

V-twindude

stress

BB1000

V-twindude

Tifa1

V-twindude

albrown001

V-twindude

Skullface

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