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[ST] Re: Fitting a rear hugger



> wondering if anyone else has fitted it themselves
> do you need to bugger about taking the back wheel off

I've fitted one.

You do need to take the wheel out. It helps if you've slackened off the
chain adjusters completely each side first (you'll want to readjust the
chain tension anyway when it goes back), and it's also wise to loop a bungee
round the brake pedal and tension it upwards quite hard before you do
anything else, to prevent it being squeezed and popping the pads out. Over
the seat to the left rear footrest works for me.

It's no big deal: put it on the centrestand (you DO have a centrestand,
don't you?), undo the big nut, pull out the axle a bit at a time (noting
where the spacers go and lining them up on the bench!), let the wheel drop
and push it forwards, loop the chain off the sprocket and over the end of
the swingarm (to keep it out of the dust ... this is where you wish you
hadn't worn your best shirt), pull the wheel back gently, easing the brake
caliper off it's supporting bar/spigot thingummy (you'll see what I mean!),
gently place the caliper somewhere safe out of the way, then pull the wheel
out.

The sprocket/cush drive comes out of the hub but you don't need to do that
for this job. To fit the hugger you also need to dismantle the left footrest
bracket/gear change, but that's not as bad as it sounds - the instructions
with it are pretty good. Then take off the chainguard.

Then clean the swingarm, thoroughly. A simple instruction but the longest
and messiest part of the job!

Installation begins with the new chainguard. Then the hugger itself has a
curved metal bracket you install on the top of the swingarm (it fits UNDER
the top chain slider), then you basically bolt the hugger through dinky
little shock-absorbing rubber grommets to that bracket, plus a couple of
other fixing points: a point on the new chainguard on the left, and a
cunningly hidden threaded hole on the right swingarm, which is normally
plugged, and which I bet most owners don't even know is there! Et voila!

Take your time putting the wheel back - basically 'just' reverse the above
sequence, although gravity will have you cursing at the caliper (twice -
getting the caliper to fit the swingarm, then getting the pads over the
disc), and at all the many many MANY spacers, if you're trying to do this
yourself! Even kids can be a great help here, holding small things in place
while you wrestle with the wheel and axle. That best shirt is only fit for
rags by now! By now you'll be boggling at your new beauty, but don't forget
little matters such as checking that the brakes work, the chain tension is
right, the big nut is done up etc!

And it looks fantastic.

You'll need the BIG spanner for the back (27 mm), plus the usual 13, 12, 10
and 8, scissors (you'll find out why), Star keys (or Allen keys) ... and a
rubber or hide mallet is handy. And lots of rags and oily grit
cleaner-offerer. I also used some modelling glue, since a small
double-thickness reinforced section of the hugger didn't look well glued
together to me, so I knocked them apart then glued them back up properly! I
guess the whole job took me 2 hours, though you mustn't rush it so should
allow more.

I'm especially pleased to have shared this with you, since sadly I had to
take mine off again immediately - with my shorter chain and a
fatter-than-average Azaro II eating up clearance the wheel wouldn't fit,
nohow! Dammit! But for a few minutes my RS looked bloody great. If your bike
is stock there will be no problem ... just don't ever shorten the chain!

Barry
Another satisfied RS owner (mostly)


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