Keeping those moving parts free from excessive wear, drag or binding should be on our list of maintenance items. Although we haven't had many wet or muddy conditions this season, cleaning our bikes adds a bit of concern while using the pressure washer. While moving from a pds to a linkage suspension, its added a little more time to my prep schedule as I have more moving parts attached to the suspension. Think about this and depending how close you get with the pressure washer, all the sand/dirt that accumulates on those linkage parts could get forced past the seals and into the bearings of the knuckle and pull arm of the linkage. Along with the normal time put on all these moving parts, running through mud/water and cleaning adds additional concern in keeping those bearings clean and greased. Another concern is the effect of the dry, dirty pins and bearings that help provide the smooth/ non-stictsion action we all expect out of our suspension. Having a well serviced linkage will allow the shock to perform at its best in its compression and rebound stages without any interference from dragging or a binding linkage. Another missed item is applying the proper torque to the bolts/fastners on the linkage as its real easy to just crank down on them
As we all like doing our own maintenance, doing it properly and on a schedule will give you the best results and save you in expensive repairs.
Swingarm, wheel bearings and the rear brake caliper should also be included in your preventative maintenance schedule.
As we all like doing our own maintenance, doing it properly and on a schedule will give you the best results and save you in expensive repairs.
Swingarm, wheel bearings and the rear brake caliper should also be included in your preventative maintenance schedule.