redxxrdr

I just did my first chain. Purchase the Motion Pro Jumbo tool. They think a lot of it. White Buffalo Racing has a better price. A wrench in town showed me his tool, a pipe flaring tool and a piece of metal for the back side of the chain. I am glad I purchased the tool. The tool was incomplete when I got it and I tried to use it without the anvil that the link rests on. ORDER the second link. It worked much better when they shipped me the anvil. You will also be suprise as to how little force it takes to stake the chain. Go slow, measure often. I have seen people saying they used a impact wrench on the tool. I would suggest not. I cut the old chain off with a dremel tool, and cut off my buggered link the same way. If you are changing sprokets, don't forget to break loose the front sproket bolt before you remove the chain. I would use a six point socket on that bolt, it is really on there. Good Luck

Excellent, At least Saturdayand Sunday have been good for riding. Back to work tomorrow. Daytona end of following week. Still available for comparisons but I bet you have it fixed. I have always wondered about these Battery Stores. I may check Valdosta for this part number next time I am there.

Warchilds procedure from the previous link is great. Do watch the nuts that hold the coils. They can drop into places that you don't want. I would put clean rags or paper in the intakes to limit thing going inside. The plugs come pre-gapped. The standard feeler gauge is not to be used with the small electrodes. Manual says to torque to 12 N-m, or 1.2 kgf-m, or 9 lbf-ft. This is small. When you look at the threaded barrel of the plugs, you will know why. I used a 1/4 inch drive socket with extension to break the plugs loose. The plug wrench provided with the kit has the proper rubber insert to hold the plugs. I did remove the side covers and the covers on top of the ram air. I figured it was time to look for loose stuff and leaks. As for sounds. I have found that around 18K miles, the tone of the exhaust became deeper. Not bad, just deeper.

I too use wd 40 at work as a cleaner. Nothing cuts rust as fast as a scotchbrite and wd40. Lubricate afterwards. I am installing my first chain soon. The directions say to add grease to the stake link before assembling. Any ideas what type of grease is in the factory installed links? Wheel bearing grease OK? 18+ K on the origional DID chain with little cleaning. I will pull the front sproket cover off every few thousand miles. That was where the real mess was.

Rear brake wouldn't even hold the wheel good enough to break loose the front sproket bolt, (50 ft/lbs). I need this for my old Magna. Wife has gotten the rear so hot that it will raise blisters.

Aren't 2000's one of the models with the bad ground. A friend with a 2000 has had quite a few issues. I have seen a fix on one of the CBR sites.

If you are riding every few days, ride or charge and make sure it starts.Remove the ground terminal from the battery while the bike is not used. Reconnect and try to start the bike. I have had automotive regulators, and the diodes in the altenators fail. This drags the battery down. Most testers did not find this failure. Batterys do intermittantly fail under load, but most fail completely soon after. A quick check after a short ride on my 01 origional battery. Switches off 12.6 vdc. Ignition on, FI lamp off, dip beam 12vdc. Starter, dropped to 9.85 vdc. Running, idle of 1200rpm, charged to 14.6vdc. You may want to look at the electrolite level. I have found that my Magna will over charge enough to lower the level below the plates. If you catch it soon enough, distilled water will give you a few more months. If you need to compare, I am near Tifton, Ga. And if I ever get this new chain staked correctly could ride down.

The rear is easy, remove the axle bolt, slide the wheel forward to allow chain removal, then pull the wheel straight back. I had to move the tag up a little to get the wheel past it. Tye wrap the brake caliper up to prevent strain on the hoses. Also if you have little helpers around, you might wedge something between the brake shoes to prevent damage, should someone grab a brake. The rear caliper is held in place by the axle bolt and a notch on it's casting that slides into a groove on the swingarm. Make sure you are in this notch before you slide the tire in. For the front, I remove the front fender bolts, (4). Then I loosen the axle bolt. Next loosen the four pinch bolts on the bottom of the forks. I do all work on the center stand, and usually have my wife on the pillion seat. This lifts the front enough to remove the tire, then I place a footstep under the forks for support until I am ready to reassemble. I have heard of people catching the front axle on the pinch bolts during reassembly. The word was that the axle did not seat fully and caused poor alignment of the front end. Keep the bolts loose, insert the axle and proper shims, then torque the axle. Torque the pinch bolts and reinstall the fender. Check the alignments and go ride.

I blew it, had the stealer install my last rear and did not verify my alignment. Now my 18k chain has a kink so I am changing it and sprokets. I made a version of this laser tool, http://www.bikersoracle.com/jaws/waligntool.htm But I keep hitting the beam on the center stand. Shifting the beam up hits the covers, down gives very little seperation of the beams on the rear tire. The string method hits the stand also. Laser does show that the stealer was way off, and I know I can do better. I have thought about parallel lasers, one to position on the rear, and one to hit the target for the front. I have also seen production versions in catalogs that use two lasers and targets to site both sides at once. For $1200.00 this too can be yours. Have any of you made these tools, and can you point me to where I am being stupid?

Ordered new chain, DID xvm? and Jumbo breaker tool. Man they like that tool. Friend with bike shop likes the OEM sprokets better than what he has put on other bikes. Checking price at stealer Tuesday. Any advice on staking the chain? First time for me or the shop.

Great responses. I do most of my riding in South Georgia, flat. Two to three trips to Deals Gap and Suches a year. Sounds like stock gearing to me. Going to measure SAG again and add a 4mm shim for starters. As a limited Squid, I don't want to do too much too fast. Maybe racetec next year. Thanks, Craig

I am a novice to suspension, and want to add the 6mm shim under the rear shock mount. The question, once the shim is added, do you readjust SAG to the old spec, or is the goal to get the rear higher without droping the forks? Also, 18+K and getting ready for sprokets and chain. Good information on other threads, and I would like to go down one in front and up one in the rear. Any recomendations on who to get the rear from. VFR 800 looked good to me for the front on my 01. Thanks, Craig

Thank You, I have also found some web sites discussing SAG measurement and adjustment. I now have a place to start. Hope to hear from Racetec about progressive springs.

Hi all, I am new to this site. I have read back quite a ways and see many questions and thoughts about upgrading the suspension. My question is can anyone guide me to doccumentation on what to do and define some of the terms. I am fair with a wrench, but the XX is my first sport bike in 20 years. We didn't have all the adjustments in my old Kal 1000 days and I want to learn and do it right the first time. Most of my riding is in the Southeast. Lot's of straight (yuk) roads with a few trips to Deals Gap or Hw 180 into Suches each year. At 220lbs, I bottom the front and probably push the limits. Please pass along the names of any manuals or magazines that would provide guidance. I know you can make anything work if money is no object. Unfortunately that is not how I live. Thank You, Redxxrdr