Servicing the swingarm: Difference between revisions

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This is an important, but often neglected, part of your bike's maintenance. One reason that this operation is so important is that Kawasaki is sometimes stingy with the grease in this area (one member said the factory lube felt like a light coating of machine oil). If you let it go too long, the lack of lubrication could lead to dried-out and/or rusty swingarm bearings. Poor swingarm lubrication can lead to corroded parts, excess/inconsistent rear suspension damping, limited suspension travel, and a creaking sound which is particularly pronounced mounting and dismounting the motorcycle.

The service schedule calls for lubrication of the swingarm pivot every 6000 miles.

The service schedule calls for lubrication of the swingarm pivot every 6000 miles. Here's the reaction from one member who did this procedure with the recommended mileage on the bike:

Please note: The service schedule calls for the suspension linkage inspection/lubrication to be done at the same time. You will have to consult your service manual for this part, as we do not have an FAQ writeup for that at this time. This basically consists of removing all the bolts to the Unitrak rocker arm and tie rods ("dogbones"), pushing the bushings out (they should come out easily -- if not, get out your wallet), ~~inspect~~ them for wear, ~~lube~~ them with moly grease, and ~~put 'em~~ back in.

*My bike has about 6300 mi on it, and I wanted to change tires. One thing led to another, and I end up removing the swingarm and uni-trak shock linkage. I followed the swingarm servicing procedure here in the FAQ. I'm amazed at the improvement I feel while riding now; it's almost like having a new shock back there. Well, not really; it still feels like a wet sponge, but the friction is gone. No longer can I feel every little pebble in the road. This service had never been done before on this bike, and I could see that there is little lube in there from the factory. The little bit of lube they use looks like petroleum jelly.

Please note: The service schedule calls for the suspension linkage inspection/lubrication to be done at the same time. You will have to consult your service manual for this part, as we do not have an FAQ writeup for that at this time. This basically consists of removing all the bolts to the Unitrak rocker arm and tie rods ("dogbones"), pushing the bushings out (they should come out easily -- if not, get out your wallet), inspecting them for wear, lubing them with moly grease, and putting them back in.

'''Tools/supplies needed'''

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[[Image:swingarmoff.jpg|200px]]

Remove the rubber chain guard from the swingarm (warning: soft bolts) and wipe off any crud from it and the swingarm. If you are planning to re-paint the swingarm when you see how horrible it looks, Duplicolor silver wheel paint, available at fine ~~Walmart~~ stores everywhere, is a perfect match.

Remove the rubber chain guard from the swingarm (warning: soft bolts) and wipe off any crud from it and the swingarm. If you are planning to re-paint the swingarm when you see how horrible it looks, Duplicolor silver wheel paint, available at fine Wal-Mart stores everywhere, is a perfect match.

7) Remove the plastic rings from either end of the pivot shaft and clean them. They pop out easily with your fingernails.

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 This is an important, but often neglected, part of your bike's maintenance. One reason that this operation is so important is that Kawasaki is sometimes stingy with the grease in this area (one member said the factory lube felt like a light coating of machine oil). If you let it go too long, the lack of lubrication could lead to dried-out and/or rusty swingarm bearings. Poor swingarm lubrication can lead to corroded parts, excess/inconsistent rear suspension damping, limited suspension travel, and a creaking sound which is particularly pronounced mounting and dismounting the motorcycle.
-The service schedule calls for lubrication of the swingarm pivot every 6000 miles.
+The service schedule calls for lubrication of the swingarm pivot every 6000 miles. Here's the reaction from one member who did this procedure with the recommended mileage on the bike:
-Please note: The service schedule calls for the suspension linkage inspection/lubrication to be done at the same time. You will have to consult your service manual for this part, as we do not have an FAQ writeup for that at this time.  This basically consists of removing all the bolts to the Unitrak rocker arm and tie rods ("dogbones"), pushing the bushings out (they should come out easily -- if not, get out your wallet), inspect them for wear, lube them with moly grease, and put 'em back in.
+*My bike has about 6300 mi on it, and I wanted to change tires. One thing led to another, and I end up removing the swingarm and uni-trak shock linkage. I followed the swingarm servicing procedure here in the FAQ. I'm amazed at the improvement I feel while riding now; it's almost like having a new shock back there. Well, not really; it still feels like a wet sponge, but the friction is gone. No longer can I feel every little pebble in the road. This service had never been done before on this bike, and I could see that there is little lube in there from the factory. The little bit of lube they use looks like petroleum jelly.
+Please note: The service schedule calls for the suspension linkage inspection/lubrication to be done at the same time. You will have to consult your service manual for this part, as we do not have an FAQ writeup for that at this time.  This basically consists of removing all the bolts to the Unitrak rocker arm and tie rods ("dogbones"), pushing the bushings out (they should come out easily -- if not, get out your wallet), inspecting them for wear, lubing them with moly grease, and putting them back in.
 '''Tools/supplies needed'''
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 [[Image:swingarmoff.jpg|200px]]
-Remove the rubber chain guard from the swingarm (warning: soft bolts) and wipe off any crud from it and the swingarm. If you are planning to re-paint the swingarm when you see how horrible it looks, Duplicolor silver wheel paint, available at fine Walmart stores everywhere, is a perfect match.
+Remove the rubber chain guard from the swingarm (warning: soft bolts) and wipe off any crud from it and the swingarm. If you are planning to re-paint the swingarm when you see how horrible it looks, Duplicolor silver wheel paint, available at fine Wal-Mart stores everywhere, is a perfect match.
 ) Remove the plastic rings from either end of the pivot shaft and clean them. They pop out easily with your fingernails.