The rear shock on the new 300's is adjustable, just like it was on the 08-12 models. And it's still a pain in the neck.
The bike ships in position 2 (of 5), unlike the prior models which shipped in position 1. The bike felt a little unsettled for me at 2, so I wanted to up the preload a bit today to match what I was used to on the prior bike. And yes, I was able to complete it without drawing blood.
First, here's the tool you need from the toolkit:
Here's how you're supposed to put it together for more leverage:
But forget that, as you'll never get it in position with the arm that long.
In fact, while trying to get the tool in there, I realized I'd never be able to get enough leverage with the hugger in place. So I figured it would be a piece of cake to remove the hugger. Not so much. The two bolts near the part that covers the chain are easy:
But then I realized there are 2 additional bolts that attach the hugger to the swingarm directly in the middle. It is quite a chore to find a tool that can get to those bolts, and then apply enough leverage to break them loose the first time.
You can try with an allen wrench, but I was eventually successful with a standard 5 mm hex bit, on the end of a ratchet extension. Once loosened, this mini-ratchet worked great:
Now with the hugger off, there is enough clearance (barely) to adjust the shock:
You can see that it ships at position 2. To adjust it, you need to use that shock tool to turn the collar in the appropriate direction. If you turn it clockwise (facing down from the top of the bike), it lowers the preload. If you turn it counterclockwise, it increases the preload. From 2, I first adjusted it to position 3:
And then adjusted it to position 4, before buttoning everything back up again. There's no magic to using the shock tool, it just takes some appropriately applied brute strength to both keep it in the right position, and turn the collar hard enough to get it to the next position. It's *very* easy to lose your grip, or have it pop out of the slot, and then you skin your knuckles as they bang against something sharp and metal down there. Be careful. And keep antibiotics nearby just in case.
I haven't had a chance to test-ride the bike with the stiffened preload, but looking forward to next weekend to do exactly that.
