that bloody farking front UNI joint?

[docc]

It's not the guard that keeps me from the front UJ, it's the swingarm itself.  This *might* be more difficult, for some reason(?) on the early frames.

[docc]

Finally, a clinically derived solution to properly treat That Bloody Farking Front UNI Joint on of the early ShortFrame V11 . . .

[gstallons]

Uh , where is the rest of the bike ?

[Chuck]

Dang! that's a lot of roach clips, Docc.

Yeah, the early girls are different from the later as far as nipple access.  I made up a rig for the Centauro, and easily used it on the Mighty Scura. When The Kid said he couldn't get to the one on his (now Lowryter's) greenie, I tackled it with a grin.

I couldn't get to it, either.

[LowRyter]

1 hour ago, Chuck said:

Dang! that's a lot of roach clips, Docc.

Yeah, the early girls are different from the later as far as nipple access.  I made up a rig for the Centauro, and easily used it on the Mighty Scura. When The Kid said he couldn't get to the one on his (now Lowryter's) greenie, I tackled it with a grin.

I couldn't get to it, either.

neither could my mechanic 

[docc]

5 hours ago, gstallons said:

Uh , where is the rest of the bike ?

In my sometimes awkward, or even embarrassing, position of calling back over my shoulder to other V11-ers to look out for someting-or-another, the front U-joint has remained an enigma. No doubt, the access to the nasty bugger changed with the LongFrame (for the better) in 2002. We know, now, that the spine frame, itself, made its new length at the headstock while the swingarm and frame side plates remained unchanged. The only thing I can see, or propose, is that the redesigned, "braced" rear lower subframe allows the swingarm to tip down ever so slightly more than the early un-braced subframe giving just enough clearance to get a modified grease gun contraption on (and off) the Zerk.

Like many others with a ShortFrame (RedFrame or Rosso Mandello), I resigned myself to removing the swingarm every third rear tire (about 12,000 miles/20.000 km for me). It is really a straightforward prospect. With a lift and proper jacking, tie-downs, light, tools, time, and an air conditioned space with a coffee maker and a beer cooler . . .

Also a great opportunity to address and handful of other important tasks: rear brake bleed (nipple up!), clutch bleed, clear the gearbox vent, inspect and rotate the swingarm bearings, inspect the torque reaction rod bushings, inspect the shock eye (lube its bushing and grease the pivot bolt), and ABOVE ALL: grease That Bloody Farking Front UNI Joint!

Whether I did not get to mine often enough or it just went as long as it could before freezing in one direction, who knows. But a U-joint with one direction of motion becomes a J-joint.

[cue docc, calling back over his shoulder: "Grease that bloody, farking front UNI, boys!" (even if you have to pull your swingarm . . .)]

 

[dangerous]

18 hours ago, docc said:

Finally, a clinically derived solution to properly treat That Bloody Farking Front UNI Joint on of the early ShortFrame V11 . . .

Haha... Hey there docc been a while, how's life your ways

[docc]

6 minutes ago, dangerous said:

Haha... Hey there docc been a while, how's life your ways

Hey, my man! Great to see you on!

Just here milking this old Sport for all she's worth. And then some!

At the very least, I've learned how to get to the front UNI!

 

[dangerous]

That's a good job ya done on the uni... What's the milage on it? 

Iv not done a lot of riding but still have the Nero corsa ya got me wondering if I should pull it out, only ever have once in 80k

[docc]

36 minutes ago, dangerous said:

That's a good job ya done on the uni... What's the milage on it? 

Iv not done a lot of riding but still have the Nero corsa ya got me wondering if I should pull it out, only ever have once in 80k

Is that a trick question? Of course you should pull it out! I'll "write you a note" . . .

(116,912 miles/ 188.568 km as she sits. Hoping to button it all up this evening and make an even 117k miles tomorrow . . .)

[dangerous]

7 hours ago, docc said:

Is that a trick question? Of course you should pull it out! I'll "write you a note" . . .

(116,912 miles/ 188.568 km as she sits. Hoping to button it all up this evening and make an even 117k miles tomorrow . . .)

wow... excellent milage, whats been done recently does it use oil, mates got 130k on a griso puffs a wee bit but nothing done to it

[docc]

Well, no puffing.

Lots done recently, just trying to get her back to another SpineRaid . . . .

[LaGrasta]

After reading this thread, I see now, it's not just me.

I'll attempt this front Zerk again this weekend, maybe helping myself by lifting the bike to allow the rear wheel to hang down a bit. If this doesn't allow me to get in there, I'll use this as an excuse to visit fellow forum member @Scud as he is just down the coast from me. 

[billgreenman1]

Heh heh--"nipple access"😂😜

[Pressureangle]

19 hours ago, LaGrasta said:

After reading this thread, I see now, it's not just me.

I'll attempt this front Zerk again this weekend, maybe helping myself by lifting the bike to allow the rear wheel to hang down a bit. If this doesn't allow me to get in there, I'll use this as an excuse to visit fellow forum member @Scud as he is just down the coast from me. 

I can, with herculean effort, grease my front if I lift the bike. When I'm done I look like a bulldozer mechanic after a final drive rebuild in the field. It's far more humane to remove the wheel, and I get to clean all the bits you'd otherwise have on your arms and face.