Mystery Part

[Fencer]

I was messing around the bike and found this where you see it circled. It looks like a spacer. The location is by the foot break engine mount. It was lying loose in the "V" formed here. Could it be from the oem shock I replaced with the Penske? Did I knock something out and did not realize it? I have put a few 100 on the bike since the swap and have not died yet. Ideas?

 

[jestal]

So....what else did you have apart during the shock change....???

My first thought was that it is the lower shock mounting bushing but it isn't long enough for that.

The upper shock mounting on the OEM shock has a long thru bushing that stays with the shock so that isn't it.

Could the replacement shock have a separate, loose spacer that dropped during the installation?

From the pictures it looks like the part has wear/installation marks like it is a used part that came out of something...not something new that was left out. Correct?

 

[Fencer]

From the pictures it looks like the part has wear/installation marks like it is a used part that came out of something...not something new that was left out. Correct?

Correct there are hex marks on one side that look like a nut pattern

 

[jestal]

Have you looked at the upper shock mount to make sure that there are spacers on each side of the upper shock mounting eye to center it in the mount?

I have the Wilbers shock and it has a one piece spacer/bushing with about an inch of spacer showing on each side of the upper shock eye. If the shock you have has a wider eye and the side spacers were separate pieces that might be the part you are looking at.

I went down and looked at my FJR and couldn't see anything that looked like that. My bike is a bit buried behind a car so I couldn't get a real good look standing on my head but I didn't immediately recognize a bushing that short.

 

[Groo]

Kanuter valve?

 

[jestal]

Look at this image from the FJRinfo article about lubing pivots. Your part looks like one of the spacers that go into the pivot arm mount on each side.......

https://www.fjr1300.info/howto/lube.html

If you had the complete lower shock mounting system apart to lube it I would look here for a missing bushing maybe??

 

[jwilly]

Come on Fencer, there are better ways to lighten up that heavy a** 06 other than leaving off needed parts.

-jwilly

 

[v65]

I don't know about earlier years, but on an '06 getting the top shock bolt out is a real PITA. The ABS bracketry is in the way, so there is a spacer that must be pulled after the bolt is part way out. Once this spacer is pulled out of the shock mount there is JUST enough freeplay to get the bolt underneath the bracketry. Your part looks suspiciously like this spacer, but your shock would noticeably loose without it. If you did drop this spacer it could easily fall in the space in your picture, the simple fix to avoid similar incidents in the future is to put your cc in that space

 

[Fencer]

I got down and wiggled my rear tire up and down and it does have about 3/16 of play

The upper shock bolt picturedwiggles just a hair. can some one tell me if a bushing goes here on one side or other or both?

Edit

V65

I just saw your post. must have done it while I was messing with the pics. Yes, the upper bolt is a PITA!

Is this bushing in both sides?

 

[jestal]

I believe you are getting warm. There is no bushing on the side of your circle....but there is supposed to be one on the other side. Bet it is missing. If you tightened the cross bolt down tightly with that bushing missing you should look at the aluminum mounting boss very carefully for cracks or damage as the bolt would be sideloading that boss pretty severely without the bushing on that side.

 

[v65]

The bushing is on the right (when seated). It sticks out about 1/8" when in place, just enough to get some pliers on when you pull it out.

 

[v65]

Sorry I don't have a pic with the shock installed, but the bushing should stick out slightly from here in the red oval:

That bushing makes the bolt fit tightly in the hole on this side.

 

[Fencer]

Upper Bushing.

GOOD CALL!

What a PITA that was!

Jestal,

the alum was mared from the hex head of the nut but other than that it was fine.

Question.

Everthing is TIGHT, but I still have about 1/8 inch of up and down play on centerstand. It feels like it it is in the bottom shock mount bolt, or lower dogbone bolt. These bolts are tight and in from the correct side and no missing bushing . Is a little play Normal?

 

[v65]

I don't have any play in mine. Can you tell if the play is in the shock or the attachment points? All of the bolts at attachment points should have no play in them.

 

[Fencer]

I don't have any play in mine. Can you tell if the play is in the shock or the attachment points? All of the bolts at attachment points should have no play in them.

It feels like the lower shock attachment point not the shock. The nut and bolt are tight but, if I place my fingers on the bolt and nut and put a prybar under the tire to lift, I feel slight wiggle in the bolt.

 

[jestal]

Cool. You found it. Glad nothing else was hurt. I guess that specific bushing never made much of an impression on me working on the rear suspension. Mine is not an ABS bike so it is pretty easy to slip that bolt out and in so the bushing being there was pretty transparent. I honestly do not even remember taking it out ever despite having the shock out several times. The clue, once you pointed it out with the circle, was how far the bolt was sticking out of the nut. Lots less excess threads showing now I bet with the bushing in place.

When mine is on the center stand there is about an 1/8 of an inch or less of play in then rear suspension measured at the tire. It isn't real obvious as you have to pry with a fairly good sized pry bar to get enough leverage to easily pick the tire/wheel/swingarm up to feel the play from hanging to where the suspension picks up. It isn't much but there is a tiny bit there. Hard to say, specifically. Just a lot of joints in the rear suspension. If each has just a tiny bit of clearance magnified by the length of the swingarm you will sense a little free play at the tire. Since the tire/suspension is always in compression it really doesn't matter for what a street bike has to do.

 

[SkooterG]

Kanuter valve?

Great Scott! But of course!

It's always the damned Kanuter Valve!

 

[HIGHLANDER]

Cool. You found it. Glad nothing else was hurt. I guess that specific bushing never made much of an impression on me working on the rear suspension. Mine is not an ABS bike so it is pretty easy to slip that bolt out and in so the bushing being there was pretty transparent. I honestly do not even remember taking it out ever despite having the shock out several times.

The Gen 1 bikes were tight to work on with ABS, but the Gen 2 are even tighter. I know what Fencer was going through, I just swapped over my Wilbers from the 04 ! The front and rear linked valves are now also close to the ABS controller, talk about threading a needle.......

 

[v65]

The nut and bolt are tight but, if I place my fingers on the bolt and nut and put a prybar under the tire to lift, I feel slight wiggle in the bolt.

Ahh, that would be different than trying to do a 50lb curl, which was my method :lol: