For a few days last week the temperature was well above zero… most of the snow has melted, and a bit of rain has washed lots of the grit and salt from the roads. Which got me thinking of motorcycles!
I had ordered some parts for both bikes and it seemed warm enough to start working on them in the underground garage. Since my first ride last year was mid-March, I’d rather get a jump on things now and be ready… then spend the first nice day playing mechanic. New spring for the rear shock, clean and lube the swingarm, and replace the chain. How hard could it be?
That’s a picture with the bike about half disassembled. I couldn’t believe how much stuff has to come off to get the shock out! Oh well, it’s the long weekend so I have the time. Tomorrow hopefully I’ll get the rest of it stripped down and fixed up.
Update:
Day 2: got the tank and swingarm off to get the shock out…
…took everything upstairs to warm up…
…cleaned everything up…
…and, success! Now to get it all back together, put on the new chain, and set the preload correctly.
