Started the swingarm installation

[jrevans]

After waiting for many months, I finally found the time to start my swingarm project. Back in winter/spring, I picked up a 2007 swingarm (and associated pieces) and this summer I painted it silver to match my 2004 FZ6's existing swingarm.

Last night, I washed the bike (and took a nice ride through the country) and then put it up on the centerstand in the garage. So far I've removed the rear wheel, the hugger (broke the front pop-up clip, since I just pried the while hugger up after removing the bolts), removed the bottom shock bolt and started to loosen the exhaust.

It doesn't look to complicated, but I've never removed the swingarm before. Hopefully I'll have time to finish the job tonight so I can ride again tomorrow while we still have some warmth left here in Pennsylvania.

I'll post pics once the new swingarm is installed.

 

[madmanmaigret]

be sure to lube it up real good with quality grease while you have her apart.

 

[jrevans]

be sure to lube it up real good with quality grease while you have her apart.

That's a definite thing! I wanted to lube my swingarm pivot anyways, so why not just replace it.

I'm hoping that the exhaust doesn't give me any trouble. I have the Laser Quad with the cat eliminator, and am planning to just remove the cat eliminator pipe that goes through the swingarm.

I'm also hoping that I can just leave the top of the shock connected, and move the bottom out of the way when I pull the swingarm. At least that's my plan.

 

[oso2k]

Do it howto style if you can.

 

[Hellgate]

That's a definite thing! I wanted to lube my swingarm pivot anyways, so why not just replace it.

I'm hoping that the exhaust doesn't give me any trouble. I have the Laser Quad with the cat eliminator, and am planning to just remove the cat eliminator pipe that goes through the swingarm.

I'm also hoping that I can just leave the top of the shock connected, and move the bottom out of the way when I pull the swingarm. At least that's my plan.

Its a fair amount of bolts to remove it, but nothing very complicated. You can lay out the parts in the order in which you remove them, helps to put it back together.

 

[FZ6771]

It would be a good time to put heat wrap on the mid pipe so it doesn't get the rear shock and swing arm bearings too hot . All the race teams do this simple mod.

 

[Airhead]

You gotta post pictures of this when you're done! I've been wanting to put the newer style swing-arm on my 04 as well.

 

[jrevans]

First pictures of the 2007 swingarm installed on my 2004 FZ6

Well, I started around 9:45pm and finished up around midnight tonight and it wasn't a bad job at all. The only problem that I ran into, is that I thought that I would be able to separate the exhaust and remove the cat pipe without removing the muffler and that was not the case. But, with the Laser Quads that I have, it was simple to get the exhaust off. One bolt to remove the plastic guard under the seat and then two bolts to unbolt the exhaust. Since the pipes are all slip fit together, each set of tips came right out and that I just pulled the y-pipe and then the mid/cat pipe.

No dramas anywhere along the line, and it was simply a matter of remove the old parts and install the new parts.

Attached are the first two pictures. Poor quality, since they were taken after midnight, but you get the idea....

I really like the new chain adjustment mechanism and the fact that I no longer need to monkey around with a wrench on both sides of the axle any more. Yamaha did good on the redesign.

And since I was asked over on the other forum about the paint, I scotchbrited the surface and then applied many coats of Rust-Oleum Professional High Performance Enamel "Aluminum 7515" (picture attached):

RustOleum.com

It's supposed to be good stuff and it's a really good color match, unlike the other two paints that I tried (on black scrap brackets) before this paint.

 

[DefyInertia]

Looks good, J.

You gotta post pictures of this when you're done! I've been wanting to put the newer style swing-arm on my 04 as well.

Another color combo for another 04

 

[jrevans]

Here's another picture

Here's a lame picture from this morning in the work parking lot.

I couldn't find my stinkin' key this morning. Grrrrrr...

Somehow in between riding my motorcycle into the garage last night and getting up this morning, I lost my key. I have no idea where it went, as I'm rather anal about keys. I could have sworn that I put it into my riding jacket pocket when I was done last night, but I couldn't find it. It also wasn't in my work pants, or the jeans that I wore after that. I ended up using the spare key and I hope the other one will show up.

Another color combo for another 04

Your black wheels / black swingarm is a neat color combo, but I prefer the dominant silver on the 2004. Actually, your pictures are what convinced me to paint the swingarm silver. :Flash: I do like the black front forks though. I thought that the factory forks were way to bright up there.

 

[Speedygonzales]

Which parts exactly do you need (beside the arm offcourse) to do the swap?
That rear wheel system is a 100% better then the pre 07 ...

 

[oso2k]

Re: First pictures of the 2007 swingarm installed on my 2004 FZ6

This looks awesome....man...now feel like I need to scrounge up some cash to take this on.

Well, I started around 9:45pm and finished up around midnight tonight and it wasn't a bad job at all. The only problem that I ran into, is that I thought that I would be able to separate the exhaust and remove the cat pipe without removing the muffler and that was not the case. But, with the Laser Quads that I have, it was simple to get the exhaust off. One bolt to remove the plastic guard under the seat and then two bolts to unbolt the exhaust. Since the pipes are all slip fit together, each set of tips came right out and that I just pulled the y-pipe and then the mid/cat pipe.

No dramas anywhere along the line, and it was simply a matter of remove the old parts and install the new parts.

Attached are the first two pictures. Poor quality, since they were taken after midnight, but you get the idea....

I really like the new chain adjustment mechanism and the fact that I no longer need to monkey around with a wrench on both sides of the axle any more. Yamaha did good on the redesign.

And since I was asked over on the other forum about the paint, I scotchbrited the surface and then applied many coats of Rust-Oleum Professional High Performance Enamel "Aluminum 7515" (picture attached):

RustOleum.com

It's supposed to be good stuff and it's a really good color match, unlike the other two paints that I tried (on black scrap brackets) before this paint.

 

[mercm3]

Which parts exactly do you need (beside the arm offcourse) to do the swap?
That rear wheel system is a 100% better then the pre 07 ...

You'll need the rear axle bolt and chain pullers/tensioner blocks from an 07 and up, I found this out in mid mod.

BTW the rear axle bolt and chain pullers/tensioner blocks from an 03-04 R6 is identical to the 07' and up FZ6. It's easier to find those then FZ6 parts.