Removing/replacing the rear wheel

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Revision as of 05:51, 3 May 2009 by Bokonon (talk | contribs)
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Removing the wheel

  • Support the bike. Do one wheel at a time for better bike stability.
  • Remove the brake. Disconnect the 2 bolts that hold the unit over the rotor. Leave the brake line connected. Get a piece of rope, wire, or string and tie the brake unit to something solid on the bike. DO NOT just let the brake hang from the brake line.
  • Loosen the nut on each end of the brake torque link. You may need an open end wrench instead of a socket.
  • Loosen the chain adjusters so the chain is as loose as it can get.
  • Remove the axle nut cotter pin. Remove the axle nut (24mm).
  • Slide the wheel/axle slightly forward; lift the chain off the sprocket and place to the side.
  • While supporting the wheel, remove the axle. Simply slide the wheel rearward to remove.

Castle nut loosening technique

This does not have to be a 2-man job. You need a fair amount of force on the castle nut side and just a little bit on the other side to keep the axle from spinning. Straddle the bike, standing facing the rear. Use a breaker bar/ratchet/wrench (17mm) against the ground on the right (brake) side of the axle to keep it from turning. Position your other breaker bar (24mm) pointing toward the rear of the bike on the castle nut (left/chain) side. Pull up on it with your right hand, which will loosen it (counterclockwise). Since you are straddling the bike, it should be difficult to knock it over. You may want to rest your left shoulder on the pillion seat as you do this. And no, you don't have to have long legs. This is short-person certified.

Reattaching the wheel

Now reinstall the wheel (exact reverse of above). Be sure to reattach the brake and use the proper torque on everything. If the rear wheel gives you trouble, try this:

Sit on the ground behind the bike. Hold the wheel up with your left hand, or your feet, and feed the axle in with your right. When it starts to hang up (and it almost always does), tap (not whack! just tap) the head of the bolt with a hammer while moving the wheel up and down a little with your left hand.

You may have to lower the right muffler in order to tighten the torque link properly. Don't forget to install a new cotter pin. You can buy an assortment at an auto parts store or find a reusable alternative such as one of these:

If you get it back on and it doesn't seem quite right, check that your spacers are all in order. Should look like this:

You'll now have to adjust the chain and align the chain/rear wheel.

If you have trouble with the front wheel not spinning after it's back on, check that the speedometer drive is installed correctly.

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