[lewellen180]

Hi, folks,

I'm getting ready to have my suspension - forks and shock - redone by Sasquatch, and everything's going to his shop for the work to be done. However, the frame, motor, seat, wheels, etc., will be remaining in California.

So, my DL1000 will be sitting there with no forks and no shock. I have searched the forums for removing both, but haven't come across a thread discussing taking both off at the same time.

Any suggestions on whether to remove the shock or the forks first? I can see pros and cons to either way.

Good roads,

- Lewellen180

 

[greywolf]

Assuming you have a center stand, I'd remove the shock first. The rest of the bike will get along fine in the process and the shock isn't as exposed requiring more fiddling. A stable platform is preferred for that.

 

[RichDesmond]

Haven't done it on the Strom yet, but here's the procedure on an SV.

1. Put bike on rear stand
2. Lift front with stand. (the stem type)
3. Remove rear wheel. (you can do the job with the wheel in place, but it's easier if it's off.)
4. Slightly loosen all the shock fasteners. (Do that now because the bike is most stable on the rear stand, and sometimes you have to use a lot of force to break those bolts free.)
5. Put a couple of jack stands under the frame ears below the swingarm pivot.
6. Lower the bike off the rear stand onto the jackstands.
7. Remove the shock.
8. Remove the forks.

 

[bower100]

Basically it depends on what equipment you have,.. duh.:green_lol:

Others have described methods when you have those bike stands and maybe a center stand, (not to mention car jack stands).
But if you have none of this ................


your screwed.:thumbup: No just kidding.

You can still do it just remember if it's up on a center stand, (rear wheels off ground), you want to start on the rear because taking weight off the back will just transfer more weight bias to the already heavier front, (bike remains stable).

What you really want to know at this point is, will taking all the parts off the front transition the balance back to the rear and I dunno that. ( Maybe some one does?)

If the bike wants to tip back youll have to prop something under the rear fender. If it still wants to tip to the front don't let it nose dive much or the center stand will fold up and, well thats not good.

Here's where I'm gonna throw the pitch for a way to hang the bike from overhead in your garage. Really most folks say they have no way to do this and I say bull. Buy two, three, or four 1/2" eyebolts and screw 'em into your ceiling trusses or whatever it is you need in your case. Then use standard m/c tie-downs from the eyebolts to wherever you feel you need "hang" the bike.
Dave

 

[dhally]

I will be sending Sasquatch my stuff later this year -- make sure and post some pictures of what you do so I can copy it!!

I had my KTM sitting on an upside down milk crate with both wheels off. It is 100 lb lighter tho.

 

[garandman]

I had to remove the Elka at a track day to be worked on - had air instead of nitrogen in the system. It's pretty easy with the center stand. The key part is to prop the wheel up on something to open up the gap below the shock - easier to remove that way.

If you can find someone with an SV front stand, IIRC it uses a 16.5mm pin and the V-Strom a 17mm so it will fit. A Woodcraft is $159. that's what I have, there may be cheaper alternatives.

 

[Cake_Kat]

Hi, folks,

I'm getting ready to have my suspension - forks and shock - redone by Sasquatch, and everything's going to his shop for the work to be done. However, the frame, motor, seat, wheels, etc., will be remaining in California.

So, my DL1000 will be sitting there with no forks and no shock. I have searched the forums for removing both, but haven't come across a thread discussing taking both off at the same time.

Any suggestions on whether to remove the shock or the forks first? I can see pros and cons to either way.

Good roads,

- Lewellen180

Easy, empty the gas tank, drain oil and remove battery. Put down a blanket. Rest bike on its side while work is being done.

 

[richw]

Motorcycle Stand Models Starting From $49.99

unknown quality also I think harbor freight has economical ones.

If it was a chair at walmart it would be $15

 

[garandman]

There's always the block and tackle from the ceiling approach, if you have beams to secure from.

 

[lewellen180]

Folks,

First, thanks for the useful suggestions.

Last night I wound up removing the SW-Moto centerstand that was on there, and putting on one of the OEMs from Suzuki. I was concerned about the reported reduction in ground clearance with the SW-Moto stand, and I think it also would have gotten in the way of removing the shock. So... that was fun.

I'll be trying to pull the springy bits on Sunday night - will try to take pictures and report back as to how it goes.

Good roads,

- Lewellen180

 

[lewellen180]

Update - Removing the suspension took a couple of hours, taking it slowly and with a few glitches. Really, the thing that took the most time was figuring a way to hold the rear of the bike down.

If you don't have the shop manual - get the manual, as it includes photos and torque values for all bolts, as well as the procedures to follow.

Also - and this is a generally good shop tip I got from a service manager - have on-hand a box of small Ziploc baggies and a pad of Post-It Notes.

Each time you perform a step in the instructions, put the parts in a baggie, and put a note in or on the baggie indicating what they're to, what size sockets or wrenches you need to reinstall them, and whether the nuts were on the left or right side of the bike. That can save some time and frustration. Then put the baggies in a bin, so you don't kick them all over the garage, scattering both baggie contents and Post-It notes. (Guess how I learned that last one...)

I didn't need to remove any body parts (mine or the bike's) to pull the suspension, save the front fender.

Specific notes on the rear shock removal:

• If you place a jack under the swingarm, it will help to keep the rear wheel from banging down on the ground when you start unbolting things.
• You don't need to remove the dogbone, just the lower bolt. The dogbone can then pivot down and back far enough to let you get to the lower shock bolt.
• The hose for the preload adjuster is held in place by a small clip; you need to free it before you can remove the shock.
• You need long extensions to get sockets to the shock bolts, particularly the upper mounting bolt.
• You can use a long wrench to brace against the centerstand cross brace (Suzuki OEM in my case) when trying to break loose the lower bolts. For reinstallation, a helper might be advisable when torquing things down.

Specific notes on the front fork leg removal:

• The easiest way I found to take weight off the front wheel - barring a steering head stand or an overhead lift - was to run a tiedown from the luggage rack to heavy things (boxes of books in my case).
• Using a jack under the oil pan just tilted the bike onto one or the other of the centerstand feet, but didn't lift the rear wheel.
• The front fender is fairly well trapped by the forks; it's much easier to remove after starting to slide one of the fork legs down
• Make sure to remove any stickers or decals (e.g. state inspection stickers) placed on the fork legs between the upper and lower triple clamps. Even with the clamps loosened, it's a very tight fit; the stickers will be shredded and you'll be annoyed.
• A jackstand at full extension proved a convenient way to support the front brake calipers after the wheel, forks and fender were removed.

Finally, a bit of advice from Jay @ Sasquatch - a rifle case makes a dandy way to pack the shock and forks for shipping.

Good roads,

- Lewellen180

 

[lewellen180]

Hi, folks,

Finally got Blue Bunny back together.

The suspension work by Jay at Suspension by Sasquatch had a fast turnaround - I didn't, due to too much travel and other time commitments.

Anyway ... Installation was the reverse of removal, with a couple of caveats.

1. The bolts that hold the front brake calipers to the fender are a real PITA to get back into place if you have large hands and / or short fingers. Removing and replacing the front forks would thus be a dandy time to switch to a dual brake-line setup...

2. When you put the rear shock back in, torque the lower shock mounting bolt before you install the dogbone bolt. Otherwise you'll be removing the dogbone again in order to get to the lower mounting bolt.

3. It's very helpful to have a second person around to be a "backer" on the other side of the bike when you're torquing the rear shock mount bolts.

Good roads,

- Lewellen180

 

[PTRider]

For safety, I put a tie-down strap from the centerstand to the skid plate to prevent the centerstand from folding. Preventer ropes to garage ceiling joists, or eyebolts into the ceiling joists, are a good idea to keep the bike upright.