I did the "hard" part of the Ride-Str8 install today and thought I'd share some photos and comments relative to installing one of these units if you're running the stock head pipes.
Most of this is covered in the Ride-Str8 instructions (they are really good), but there is more involved with loosening up the exhaust system than installing the swingarm bracket itself. I started by removing the heat shield from the right side crossover and the one that runs along the bottom directly behind the rider's foot board and loosened the one on the front head pipe. This was to gain access to the nuts at the exhaust flange without scratching the shields and to be able to spread apart the clampt that holds the exhaust to the bracket under the transmission side cover. You need to remove the nut and bolt from that clamp and spread it open so that you'll have some room for movement there when you loosen the remainder of the exhaust. Then, loosen the TORCA clamp above the starter to allow for some movement in the exhaust at that joint and remove the keps nut from the starter bracket to further free-up the head pipes. Next, loosen (don't remove) all four exhaust flange nuts at the heads. I loosened them until there were maybe 2 threads holding them on.
After you do all that, you will have just enough room to get the lower nut off the footboard. It is still a tight squeeze, but if you pry the the tip of the muffler outward, it will basically come right off. When putting the new one on, I put the supplied Loctite on the threads inside the swingarm bracket instead of the bolts themselves and then inserted the lower bolt into the bracket before putting the bracket on.
Loosening the exhaust flange nuts was easier than tightening them back up. There is not much room on the lower rear nut due to the way the crossover is made. I was able to get a fairly thin-walled 1/2" 6-pt 1/4"-drive socket on that one which seemed to work best. On the top rear and top front, a deep well 3/8-drive worked fine and on the lower front, a box-end wrench was all I could fit. The flange nuts take a light torque: 100 -120 inch-lbs., which is basically "snug." I found it impossible to get a torque wrench on the two lower bolts, so I torqued the ones I could get to and then calibrated my biceps to what those felt like. Patience is a virtue when working with those nuts and trying to get wrenches on them. I was concerned about the possibility of exhaust leaks from disturbing the gaskets, but all seems to be fine. The remainder of the exhaust components were re-installed in the reverse order of the way they were removed.
Here are a couple photos of the finshined install of the bracket only. Since I am going to get a new tire within the next 400 miles, I elected to hold off on completing the installation until I do the tire, at which time I'll have the alignment checked and then be good to go.
Author
Topic: FOR ALL US HIGH SPEED JUNKIES (Read 16026 times)