#^@$*!% SPACER!

[tmcafe]

I decided to tackle greasing the notoriously hard-to-reach front U-joint fitting on the drive shaft. Hoping to find a slightly easier way around--without lowering the swingarm, I took off the right muffler and the top mudguard that's attached on both sides of the swingarm. Turned out that I would need a smaller hand, or an insane amount of patience, the latter in order to remove the third screw about 1/2 way on the inside of the front U-joint guard. The smaller hand would have the advantage of positioning the 5mm allen wrench with a little less guesswork. Otherwise it would take forever only to feel your way with the short end of the wrench and undo the screw a tiny fraction at a time. I decided to postpone the whole thing until I change the rear tire, which has now less than 1k miles on it. Oh well...

 

But here's the crazy thing: after I had removed the 4 screws that attach the mudguard, while I was trying to remove the mudguard something, rattled and fell down: it was a spacer or washer, Luigi issue (not Japanese perfect), and for the life of it I still can't figure out where it came from. Of course I saved it assuming it may have been part of the assembly. Well, I looked pretty much everywhere it could have come from. I looked under the seat, underneath the fender, at the other exhaust mount, rear drive housing, etc... I went and searched the parts manual for "spacer", and the only one that could be suspect was a spacer listed in the muffler installation. Well that spacer is inside the rubber washer, so no, it wouldn't even fit the mounting screw. Eventually I resigned myself to leaving it out and blaming Luigi (who's probably innocent).

 

Here's the suspect's description: steel, coated with that silvery galvanized (hey, it's Luigi, really: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9035937/Luigi-Galvani ) thing , dimensions:

 

Int. diam: 7 mm

Ext. diam: 15 mm

Thick: 5mm

 

The outside edges are very slightly (and approximately) beveled at something like 45˚. On one side it has a vague darker smear/skid/rub-off mark, on the other side it looks like it may have pressed on something circular, about 11 mm in diam.

 

The bike is working fine without it, but I'm a bit paranoid about this left-out spacer/washer, let alone very curious!

 

So what's your best guess?

 

TIA

[joe camarda]

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[FalcoLion]

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[pasotibbs]

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[mdude]

I might be wrong as I'm not able to measure it but it sounds like the washer on the bolt that holds the fuel tank?

On my bike there 2 washers one acts as a spacer beneath the tank mounting, if it dropped off you may not have noticed it .

 

 

my first thought also. that washer has a habit of sneaking away...

[grossohc]

Hi

There is a spacer that goes between the mudguard and swingarm, looking from the back of the bike right hand side nearest the engine I think it is just to keep the mudguard at that side out a touch (maybe it rubs)

Gary

[pille]

grossohc is correct. just put it between swingarm and plastic cover!

[tmcafe]

Hi

There is a spacer that goes between the mudguard and swingarm, looking from the back of the bike right hand side nearest the engine I think it is just to keep the mudguard at that side out a touch (maybe it rubs)

Gary

grossohc is correct. just put it between swingarm and plastic cover!

Thanks. This was my first thought, since the forward part of the mudguard is loose. Glad you picked up on it too. OTOH I discounted it almost right away since the shape of this thingie didn't make sense to me for that purpose. It actually looks like Luigi found the washer/spacer as he was searching in the parts bin for some buffer between the sw-arm and mudguard. I mean, it's a washer, albeit very thick for its diameter. Shouldn't it go on some kind of rod, screw, etc? If only tension between the two holds it there, then what's that shape for? Why not a rubber bumper in a hole, like the ones they put to hold back the license plate?

 

I also thought about the muffler spacer. The left muffler apparently has a thin spacer that seems to be square in shape!

 

Anyway, thanks everybody for your suggestions.

[Ryland3210]

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[tmcafe]

When I took my original mufflers off, I found a soft aluminum washer that was partly square under the nuts. There was no lockwasher. My theory is that this was intended to act like a crush washer, and would deform as the nut was tightened to act as some kind of anti vibration, anti loosening device. I have never seen anything like this used for this purpose. It seems to have worked, however. It was not spacing the muffler bracket away, just right under the nut.

Sounds like the square washer I can see right after the collar nut on the left exhaust. Never had to unbolt that yet, but it looks like what you're describing. On the right muffler, however, there was no such thing. Thanks, at least it confirms that there's some degree of resemblance between your Cafe put together by Giuseppe, and mine, by Giovanni.

[rac]

hi tmcafe

the mudgard fixing prop side front is where the spacer came from . its a pig to put the bolt though mudgard then spacer and then into frame ,happened to me .dropped down then rolled down the drive ,30000 swear words and i found it . glue the f.... er to the inside of gard.bike looks ace without all the plastic crap .alright for dry days eh .

[JackBoots]

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[tmcafe]

hi tmcafe

the mudgard fixing prop side front is where the spacer came from . its a pig to put the bolt though mudgard then spacer and then into frame ,happened to me .dropped down then rolled down the drive ,30000 swear words and i found it . glue the f.... er to the inside of gard.bike looks ace without all the plastic crap .alright for dry days eh .

I recently had that mudguard off and there is one spacer there. I can't remember where but I do remember there is definately one bolt that needed a spacer when replacing the mudguard

Dry days? I've been riding on ice since yesterday morning . Seriously, that thing looks like it should go through a bolt or something like that. I'll have to look underneath again to see where it could go. JackBoots, I miss your area. Worked in Lowell for a year.

[JackBoots]

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[tmcafe]

Lowell... LA Baby! yeah it's nice area, I enjoy it, and Lowell has come a LONG way. There has been a big Mill/Loft/Condo push and it seems to be working. Lots of little restaurants and what not popping up all over downtown

When I was there (not long ago, 4-5 years) this trend had already started, although neither I nor any of my direct colleagues lived in Lowell. Nice town, environment, history, mix of people. It should continue to get better with Boston so close and house prices down there going through the roof.