On to the swingarm.
Recall I had rebuilt it prior, but found it binding. More careful sleuthing uncovered a bent pivot bolt, but not before I trashed my new bronze bushings in a vain attempt to seat them a bit better in the swingarm. Faced with $60 for another set of bushings, or $100 for this tasty set of roller bearings plus a new pivot pin and trick radial end bearings, I went with door #2.
Z1 Enterprises sells these, a Japanese part, with German instructions. Go figure!
Short version: I will use this setup every time moving forward, if it is available. Suggest you do too.
Long version:
Kit (does NOT include the new swingarm pivot pictured, but that was cheap and readily available elsewhere):
Linky:
http://www.z1enterprises.com/ItemDetails.aspx?item=KL31-6924Cool radial bearing/caps, used instead of the stock dust caps, fit a lot easier:
Needle/roller bearings furnished, two per side.
Took the stock bushing, cut two kerfs in it with a cutoff wheel and used is as a bearing driver. This worked perfectly and easily.
These things are a skosh over 15mm wide, and the full diameter of the furnished collar is a tad inset when installed and centered in the swingarm, so I drove them in till there was ~17mm of space for the second one. You DON'T want to try to drive one with the other - they are only designed to be driven on one end, the end with the markings. Measure your driver, mark it, only drive it till you hit your mark, A bit of space between them is perfectly fine, they are snug in there, they aren't going anywhere.
No getting around it, you're going to have to bonk on them to start them off, as straight as possible. Use a plastic or hard rubber hammer:
Grease the daylights out of everything, with good waterproof grease, You cannot over-grease these bearings in this application.
I could not resist cramming as much grease as I could force into the radial bearings, to lube and waterproof them
Install the spacers:
A little piece of plywood over the rear frame stays made the installation of this SOOO much less fumbly for me, and less prone to nicking things up.
Likewise a bit of tape around the pivot bosses prevented me marking up the fresh powdercoat.
5 swipes with a file on the bosses to remove powdercoat insured a snug fit with no binding. Torque it to 25 lb/ft, check for play and stiction, found absolutely none of either. Silky smooth, best one I've done so far. I'm converted.
