SX Rear up grade.

[Jackrat]

I shouldn't really be posting this here cause my bikes not a cruiser.It's a custom OK!!
So now that's sorted we can get to the yarn at hand.
My clutch was shot.Money was dispatched to the US for a complete clutch set of plates and some bronze swing arm bushes.
Eight days later the new bits arrive.That's what I call sevice.
I work six days a week now so I had to wait a few days to work on bike,but yesterday I cut the day short an was home by 1500 hours.
I've had my clutch apart three times in the last few weeks so it was a quick job to pull it again and the new plates went in no worrys.Go for a short ride and BLISS,no more slipping.
Now this morning I pull the swing arm out and replace the joke called swing arm bushes that Yamaha put in twenty years ago.The whole job took around four hours as it was a first and I had dramas geting the new bushes in.After pussyfooting about for a while I just used a bigger hammer(sort of) and the job was done no sweat.
Before puting the rear wheel back on I cheaked the movement in the swing arm an was a bit worryed as it was VERY firm,more so than I thought it should be, but it all went togeather ok, so I just carryed on hopeing this is how it should be.Anyway job finished an I live on Whiri Whiri Rd Waiuku,this road was just made for testing things motorcycle.Around twenty kms of up& down twisty back road complete with flat,off camber,positive camber,big swoopers,hair pins,perfect surface,gravel bits,you name it,this road has it.
I go past the Otaua pub at full noise,up the 1km straight and into a flat right hander and know this is going to be the corner that shows if I got it right or not.Normaly bike is weaving and I'm doing my best to just hold the line coming out,this time it like she's on a rail and we come out healed right over still making real power.From here on it's like I'm on a different bike,pushing hard into corners that I normaly approach with caution.
I come out of an up hill left hander in third gear,2/3 throttle when something gives(shit the clutch)but nope,the back end starts coming around,a slight lift an she straightens up,then down the hill towards the lake.Whaoooooo!!!
The next ten minites were more of the same,going harder than we've ever gone before,and never a twitch.
I get home raving to the Mrs about 10-15kms faster than ever before through teeth clenching corners,drifting it,blasting through the gravel bits,blah,blah,blah.
I got the look
So how's your day been ?

[Motu]

Choice Jack - sounds like you've been where no mans been before on an XS650.I've always maintained that they're a bloody good handling bike - on either a perfectly smooth surface,or totaly unsmooth....on a gravel road or on a dirt track they handle great,the flex just gets soaked up.It'd take more than swing arm bushes for the XS1 though...close your eyes and point to the problem.

Just come back from a jaunt down SH22 and dropped into Puke to see how things were going.Stopped for a rest at the Franklin boundry rest stop and saw a cruiser go past,lazily put my gear on and thought I might real him in - but it was me that was realed in...by a Hyabusa,fair enough I reckon,then I did a loop aroud Te Aku rd and headed back up again.260km round trip on one tank - did me the world of good....aaahhhhh.

[toads]

I could feel the exhileration, nice story, got my feeling all amped up now, what a shame the weather is so sucky here today, never mind the kids return to school tomorrow and when I get the nessceries out of the way, should be sorted by tuesday all going well, I'll be out on my bolly bike and making a loud noise again!, Your bike may not be a cruiser, but it's a cool bike JR, very cool!

[Bonez]

It's a good feeling having sorted a cikle out yourself isn't it? Well done. Try not to get over confident on those corners and be carefull of those mobile chicanes Keep the rubber to the road ol boy.