The monoshock swingarm linkage area is surprisingly simple
Since we can’t access the rear suspension upper mount from the sides, we’ll remove the swingarm first and then take off the rear suspension.
It was as dirty as expected, so there’s not much surprise. You’d want to disassemble it once every few tens of thousands of kilometers or 5 to 6 years.
When I write the years like this, I think, “Maybe a lot of people have already retired their bikes?”
Just cleaning and polishing brings it back to shine
After polishing, it’s in usable condition, so I’m relieved. However, the rear suspension is pretty much at the end of its life, so when the time comes, we’ll do an overhaul at the same time.
The stock rear shock has a collapsed bumper rubber and a pretty worn rod, so we should prepare an aftermarket rear shock.
The chain slider is essential on any bike, so we always keep it
It’s hardened and shattered into pieces. If the timing is bad, it can get wedged between the drive sprocket and chain, so if it’s never been disassembled before, you should definitely check this spot before you run into trouble.
The swingarm ball bearings are completely seized, so we’re replacing them
The needle rollers are all fine, but one of the ball bearings won’t budge at all. We’ll just replace that one.
We cleaned the inside as much as possible and gave it a nice shine with silicone spray.
We’re replacing the lock nut with a Honda flanged one
You don’t have to blindly stick with that manufacturer’s OEM parts. If other manufacturers have reasonably priced or high-quality options, I think it’s good to incorporate them.
For touring riders, Michelin Road 6 is the best for all-weather and durability
The tread is deep, so water drainage is excellent and you can ride safely even in sudden rain. And despite having so much tread, this tire has exceptional durability.
The tire’s gentle rounded profile gives you smooth, light, and natural handling.
The air valve is TR412, and since they prefer to replace it every time, we chose this one. That’s how the tire change is complete.
When removing the swingarm, we also take off the rear caliper
The front caliper also looked pretty tired, so I thought maybe, and tried to push the piston back by hand while it was off, but it wouldn’t budge at all. Since it’s already off, let’s do a quick overhaul.
Time passes… and here’s how it turned out. We’re reusing the piston and just replacing the seals.
By the way, this Tokico caliper is shared with Suzuki. In other words, Suzuki parts can be used too. The ones from the GSF1200 area come with oil seals, dust seals, and split seals as a set, and they’re more reasonably priced than Kawasaki’s. When you cross-source like this in these small areas, ordering becomes easier and you can lower costs, which I think is a good approach.
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