The tie-downs are loosened, as it will be nothing more than minutes
before that new bike is unloaded and ready to ride. But is it
really ready? No! Other than the list of
New Bike Prep Tips listed, the bike should be very thoroughly
inspected and greased properly before the maiden voyage. Below is a
photo-illustrated "How-To" article regarding the steps involved to
greasing the suspension linkage. This process should be performed
when a bike is new, simply to verify whether or not the bike was
prepped properly from the factory. Chances are, it will be greased
lightly; not enough for typical off-road abuse. In addition to
greasing the linkage when the bike is new, it should also be done
periodically to guarantee top performace.
How to Grease Suspension Linkage
For starters,
you'll need to remove the seat, sidepanels, rear wheel and silencer
which will open the subframe for removal. The clamp fitting the
airboot to the carb must be loosened also (yes, the photo shows
that the rear wheel is still in place, it simply needs to be
removed before the swingarm is taken off).
Now remove the three bolts
which hold the aluminum subframe in place. Next pull straight back
on the subframe assembly. The airboot may be difficult to seperate
from the carb, but just be careful when pulling. (For future
reference, put a very small amount of grease on the inner lip of
the airboot to ease re-installation and future
removal.)
Next on the agenda is to
loosen the upper and lower shock bolts. Remove the lower shock bolt
first, then the upper. Be sure to hold the shock while removing the
upper bolt. Set the shock aside, vertically if possible. Now it is
suggested to loosen all of the other linkage related nuts, to ease
future removal.
Now that the shock is out of
the way, it is time to remove the linkage. It is a good idea to
take a quick photo of how the linkage is bolted together, as it may
get a little confusing when re-installing. First remove bolt which
connects the "dog-leg" shaped pivot to the swingarm. Now remove the
swingarm axle. This should free up the swingarm to be removed and
set aside.
The pull rods
are the only parts left. Simply unbolt the pull rods from the frame
and the pivot. It is a good idea to set the parts on a bench in a
relative order to remind you what goes where when
re-assembling.
Finally, we get to the whole
point of this tutorial. We started with the pivot. With a flat
blade screwdriver, gently pry upward on the washer as shown.
Next do the same to the seal. Be very aware to be cautious when
removing the seals.
The pivot,
shock and the swingarm both have similiar configurations, regarding
the seal and bushing setup. Once the seal is removed, slide the
bushings out from one end. Unless all parts are new, it is
necessary to clean all of the parts with a solvent washer. Now
force a good quality grease in between all the needle bearings.
Also lube the bushings.
Repeat the process with the
shock bearings and the swingarm bearings (on the Hondas, only the
lower shock bearing can be greased). Simply push the bushings out,
grease the needle bearings and bushings, then
re-install.
That basically sums up the process of greasing the
suspension linkage. To re-assemble the bike, obviously reverse the
above directions. Be sure to torque all nuts to manual-specified
specs. Expect the process to consume around 1-2 hours.If you have any questions,
opinions or comments, let us know!Kevin Gorzny
did sell a suspension of crf and how much of cost if i buy.
cddj77 / Albuquerque, NM, UNITED STATES
Posted huhti 24 2009 01:17PM
I'm not sure if anyone is around anymore to answer this but i'll give it a try.. i blew out the bearings in my suspension linkage... i bought all new bearing and the triangular linkage piece. Actually everything that goes into the linkage piece other than the "pin screws" themselves i bought new... now the bearings are not greased and they are not installed in the linkage piece. do i need to lube the outside of the needle bearing housing before i put it in the linkage piece.?? i would assume not because it seems to be stationary... anyway if you could get maybe detailed about the instaliation of the bearings and sleeves that would be a tremendous help. i don't really think it is going to be that hard but for the money i paid to buy all the parts i would prefer to make sure it is right the first time.... thank you so much.. 99 kx 250 rider.. cddj77
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Posted joulu 10 2008 02:14AM
