The rusty work hoss.

[Craigfell]

While I've got these I thought i would try them on, a quick Google told me 50mm to yoke 54mm bottom.. so same.

But they're longer & I'm sure the zx10r has a wider or narrower fork spacing, I can't remember.. look nice though, from a 2004 Zx10r.

Back on the shelf they go.


Also, zx10r discs are offset so i would have to find a front wheel with discs I think.. the spindle is 5mm smaller than the raptor one.

Uness I got a spacer for the zx10r axle & spaced the raptor discs out.. hmm not worth the effort unfortunately I don't think, especially with so many forks fitting right in.

[nickst4]

If they are a bit too long, you could lift them through the yokes, surely? The main difficulty would come if the axle is a different size but I'd expect there are plenty of Raptor owners who could advise on fitting alternative forks and, if necessary, wheels/discs. It would be a significant task, but you'd likely get a much better front end!

Nick

[Craigfell]

Anyone know the correct cable routing?




I know the braided lines shouldn't be in there, I took a before picture.. but I can't get my clutch cable right it's like it's snagging.

[Craigfell]

Front end is back together, fresh bearings..

Indicators won't flipping work now.

I thought they were just corroded connections so stripped and fitted new & nothing, nothing on the dash, no click from the relay.

[nickst4]

Can't help with the indicators beyond observing that the corrosion on your bike likely extends to all the electrical connections, but I thought I'd point out that you have aftermarket brake lines so you can run them wherever they fit. Factory is a strange setup of one braided flexi into metal piping fixed to the back of the bottom yoke and then two flexi pipes to the calipers. It has no spare length and that makes changing the 'bars a real pain, so your twin pipes direct to the master cylinder probably give more flexibility if you ever want to change the riding position.

Nick

[Craigfell]

Can't help with the indicators beyond observing that the corrosion on your bike likely extends to all the electrical connections.

Nick

This.. i stripped the wires back and found they are black, not sure what i can do about that




This balancing act is making me nervous.. Rear shock time.

[Craigfell]

Shocks out





I Can not move this bolt, should there be a nut on the other side? Been soaked in wd40 & I've tried the blowtorch.

[nickst4]

That's the bolt I had trouble with, because the bearing sleeve was seized onto it. The bolt threads into the chassis mount on the NS, so no nut. I used a hammer gun to get some movement on the bolt but had to resort to a thin diamond blade on a multi-master tool (oscillating action) to cut through the combined sleeve and bolt at one side of the dog-bone. Good luck, cos yours looks worse than mine did!

Nick

[Craigfell]

Good luck, cos yours looks worse than mine did!

Nick

Cheers nick! After you cut it out how did you get the remainder out of the threaded hole? Doesn't look to be much room to get any tools in. I'll go borrow an impact gun.

[nickst4]

Cheers nick! After you cut it out how did you get the remainder out of the threaded hole? Doesn't look to be much room to get any tools in. I'll go borrow an impact gun.

The hammer gun extracted the bolt most of the way out of the thread, pulling it partway through the sleeve before it became immovable. Once I'd cut through the bolt and sleeve at the offside end, I could prise the remainder out of the jaws of the mounting. It left me nervous about the state of the thread in the chassis but I ran a tap through it to clean it and then put a longer bolt in place with room on the end to fit a nyloc lock-nut as a backup.

With mine, it was only the bearings which had rusted and seized but not the chassis mounts and thread. I fear you may have to resort to putting a 10mm drill through the threaded end, and access is at least difficult if not impossible from the nearside.

Good luck!

Nick

[Craigfell]

Got the impact from my brother, not moving it.

I heated it and heated it, just didn't budge. Tomorrow I'll try get an early finish from work and if it's not moving with the impact gun it's getting chopped. I've taken the back wheel off and the nearsdie exhaust can off.in preparation.

I also half thought about drilling through the kick stand bracket, to the bolt. Then welding the hole up when I'm done. Tell me that's a bad idea? Because I'll never get any drill bits through the other side.. do you know how much thread the bolt actually goes into nick?

still, I don't regret buying it.

[nickst4]

The thread in the chassis lug is much the same depth as the nuts on the other pivots, maybe 12mm or 1/2" in old money. I couldn't remember exactly what bit obstructed access to that end but I guess it is the side-stand lug. A 10mm hole isn't going to make much difference to that.

Whatever you do at the threaded end, you're still going to have to release the bolt end because I'd bet that the bolt is seized into the sleeve of the bearings. You can buy long-shanked drills that might allow you to drill the head off and you'd need to do that while the bolt is held solid in the thread at the other end, otherwise it'll spin. Alternatively you'd need a thin cutting disc on a grinder or a diamond quadrant on a multi-tool to slice through the sleeve and the bolt between the dog-bone and the chassis lug. The advantage of the diamond cutter is no sparks!

I hope other Raptor owners are following this saga and will check their shock linkages. I'm not sure that it would be possible to fit grease nipples to the dog-bone because the needle-roller bearing shells inside fit hard against each other. Maybe some grease could make it through though. I didn't bother to do the grease-nipple thing myself.

Nick

[Craigfell]

Good news, the bolt rounded off.. so I cut as far into offside with my grinder and then bashed a socket over the bolt & snapped the bolt on purpose.. after I did that the bolt actually started turning in the sleeve but only half a turn each way, but thats good because the thread isn't seized on the near side..

It's all got abit scrap heap challenge at the minute I'll update with photos later, but don't be shocked about the bodgery.

If I ever meet you nick I owe you a beer, fountain of knowledge on this bloody bolt!

[nickst4]

If I ever meet you nick I owe you a beer, fountain of knowledge on this bloody bolt!

Glad to be of assistance!

Nick

[Craigfell]

Do you see where this is going? the bottom linkage from the falco is 5mm shorter than OEM Cagiva. I looked at this for a while and even drew a picture on how it would affect the shock, i think its going to push it up (Jack it up) But i am unsure of how it will affect the geomatry of it all or if it will even fit right I appreciate all critisims on this. Its the only way to go until i find a replacement unless it works of course. Also the bearings in the flaco link are like new with internal seals in them, just need to make a few mm of spacers because its all around 5mm thinner than cagiva stuff if i remember correctly.

Butchered this to get it off, not ideal, cannot get a grinder in there unless you take the safety gaurd off & wear an old bike helmet to protect your face & ears, welding gloves for your hands, but i didn't do that... nope. Ideal world reciprocating saw as nick said above, My only real worry while this was happening? My chain getting blasted with aluminium powder which will ruin it.


Before cleaning

After cleaning.

Cleaned the garage floor after, tools away.


Last thing i did, knocked the swingarm bearings out from underneath, go pick some of those up today.. they also had little rubber seals internally too. Ohh indicators are now working, quick search brought an old thread up with the advice 'whack the relay'