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Old June 19th, 2017, 07:43 PM   #7773
Ram Jet
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Name: Bill
Location: Port Huron, Michigan
Join Date: Mar 2017

Motorcycle(s): 2007 Kawasaki 250 Ninja, 1982 Honda Ascot FT500

Posts: A lot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Momaru View Post
So, technically this is yesterday's project, but after finishing up just before midnight, I figured it was ok to delay write-up:
Attachment 43057

This started out as a simple sprocket and chain replace. After spending nearly a year in mothballs while I was living in a place that had some very shady parking, I finally started checking out Perigee to get 'er back in shape.

Several chain links had seized and it had been stretched badly in places and was too tight in others. Also was scraping the sprocket cover. Basically, way past time for a new chain. Sprockets were 8+ years old and starting to wear, but not bad, but visible. Surprisingly, I was able to remove the first 15T I put on with just a 2' breaker bar and standing on the rear brakes - no cheater bar or 2x4 required, unlike the first time around in 2009-ish.

While removing the rear wheel to get to the rear sprocket, I noticed the rear rotor was way under minimum thickness spec. Like, hard to pull the brakes off because the un-worn lip on the outer rim was making really tough to remove the rear caliper. Doing that, I found out one of the pistons had seized as well. Got it moving, but the seals were hosed.
Fortunately, I have a small stock of parts from a good friend, @Yakaru, whose ninjette met an untimely end.

After replacing the rear caliper & rotor with parts I had on hand, I realized I still needed to do the swingarm service... never been done on my 2008. Equal parts procrastination and no good access to a carport/garage/good ladder when I had the motivation to do it.

Now that I've got a house, tossed some eye bolts in the ceiling of the carport and put her up. Started removing bolts from the rear suspension and guess what... more seized bits. The bolts had rusted to the bushings. 20 sweaty minutes with an aluminum rod & a 3lb hammer later, everything came apart. Also courtesy Hotaru's parts pile, installed almost-new rear shock & uni-track linkage thingy.

Clean everything, add grease, lots of grease, reassemble, press on new chain, align rear wheel/set chain tightness, check torque/tightness on everything, clean up, go to bed ~midnight.

Replaced:
Chain
Front sprocket
Rear sprocket
Uni-trak linkage
Rear shock
Rear caliper
Rear rotor

Notes:
1) Don't put moto in mothballs for that long... ride more
2) Do your freakin' swingarm/suspension maintenance. Had I not had literally almost a whole second bike's worth of parts in my basement, this would've been expensive and I would've been waiting for weeks on parts.
3) Don't lift the bike above rear stand height unless you have a safe way to lower it slowly... ask me how I know
4) Next weekend: carb cleaning and re-tune
Sounds like you made a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Like that old saying goes "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". You've paid your pound and saved your bike from being "partsed out" on eBay. Be glad it's June and not September, you'll have all summer to enjoy the fruits of your labor. It's a good time to tackle the carbs while it's sort of torn apart.

Bill
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