[Duster929]

Hey everyone. I just picked up an Ohlins shock on ebay, and as I'm waiting for it to arrive, I'm planning how I'm going to install it. My first instinct is to get a shop to do it, mostly because I'm lazy, but also because then I know it will be done right. On the other hand, as I've learned from past experience, paying someone to do a job doesn't necessarily mean they'll do it any better than I will myself.

How hard is it to swap out the shock on a 929? Does anyone have a link to some instructions/directions/pictures for the installation of an Ohlins into the 929? Even if I don't end up doing it myself, I'd still really like to know what's involved and how it's done.

Thanks in advance.

--- D

[Atreyu]

I'd do it yourself just for learning purposes, but then again from what I do know it's no easy job

[HondaGalToo]

I swapped mine out, it's not too bad. A second pair of hands helps. You'll need to suspend the rear of the bike off the ground, but a rearstand under the swingarm won't work. The swingarm needs to be able to be moved around to get the old shock out, and the new one in. Plus, once the shock is removed, since it is attached to the swingarm via the dogbone linkage, there's no more support, and the bike will fall downwards. I have non-folding rearsets, so I placed a jackstand under each one, then took away the rearstand. If your pegs fold, another thing to do is first put the rear up on a rearstand, then get a couple of sawhorses, and run a pipe or heavy 2x4 through the subframe, then have one end resting on the 2 sawhorses placed on either side of the bike. Or, suspend it somehow from the rafters in your garage.

Remove the dogbone that's held on by 2 triangular shaped plates, one on each side, at the bottom of the shock. Remember how they are positioned (there's arrows on them). This frees the bottom of the shock. Hang onto the swingarm so it doesn't fall. Then unbolt it from the top and remove it.

Slide the new one in and attach it at the top first. It helps to have someone there to move the swingarm up or down to give the best clearance, as it's a bit tricky to get the shock in there. Not a lot of room, but moving the swingarm up or down you'll find the position that gives the most clearance. Then have someone hold the swingarm in the right position while you reattach the dogbone and the triangle pieces. Then you're done!

That's what I recall, anyway, it's been a few years.

[DarkStarCBR]

It was the easiest potentially hard job I ever did... Took all of 15 mins

[Red Rider]

Originally Posted by HondaGalToo

I swapped mine out, it's not too bad. A second pair of hands helps. You'll need to suspend the rear of the bike off the ground, but a rearstand under the swingarm won't work. The swingarm needs to be able to be moved around to get the old shock out, and the new one in. Plus, once the shock is removed, since it is attached to the swingarm via the dogbone linkage, there's no more support, and the bike will fall downwards. I have non-folding rearsets, so I placed a jackstand under each one, then took away the rearstand. If your pegs fold, another thing to do is first put the rear up on a rearstand, then get a couple of sawhorses, and run a pipe or heavy 2x4 through the subframe, then have one end resting on the 2 sawhorses placed on either side of the bike. Or, suspend it somehow from the rafters in your garage.

Remove the dogbone that's held on by 2 triangular shaped plates, one on each side, at the bottom of the shock. Remember how they are positioned (there's arrows on them). This frees the bottom of the shock. Hang onto the swingarm so it doesn't fall. Then unbolt it from the top and remove it.

Slide the new one in and attach it at the top first. It helps to have someone there to move the swingarm up or down to give the best clearance, as it's a bit tricky to get the shock in there. Not a lot of room, but moving the swingarm up or down you'll find the position that gives the most clearance. Then have someone hold the swingarm in the right position while you reattach the dogbone and the triangle pieces. Then you're done!

That's what I recall, anyway, it's been a few years.

Excellent instructions. That's how I installed mine. Just be careful not to scrape your shiny new shock against the swingarm, if you care about scratches!

[Spanky]

Originally Posted by Red Rider

Excellent instructions. That's how I installed mine. Just be careful not to scrape your shiny new shock against the swingarm, if you care about scratches!

Yep, I agree...

When I did mine (929 and 954) I suspended the rear of the bike from the rafters in the garage (fixed a couple of big eye-bolts into a rafter and fitted additional bracing around the rafter itself - probably over kill, but I figured a little extra work up front might save a long explanation to my wife later about how the garage ceiling collapsed !).

I had someone lift the rear wheel up and down as I manoeuvred the shock out through the bottom of the swing arm...its actually a pretty straight forward job because you can see all the nuts and bolts you have to undo - just remember when you take the triangular brackets off the dogbones/shock to clean them up and set them aside so you know which goes on which side...my 954 had little arrows stamped on each one indicating the front of the bike, but my 929 had nothing - and they are a slightly different shape, mix 'em up and you'll alter the way your suspension works.

Cheers, Spanky.

[r15suk]

Originally Posted by Spanky

Yep, I agree...

When I did mine (929 and 954) I suspended the rear of the bike from the rafters in the garage (fixed a couple of big eye-bolts into a rafter and fitted additional bracing around the rafter itself - probably over kill, but I figured a little extra work up front might save a long explanation to my wife later about how the garage ceiling collapsed !).

I had someone lift the rear wheel up and down as I manoeuvred the shock out through the bottom of the swing arm...its actually a pretty straight forward job because you can see all the nuts and bolts you have to undo - just remember when you take the triangular brackets off the dogbones/shock to clean them up and set them aside so you know which goes on which side...my 954 had little arrows stamped on each one indicating the front of the bike, but my 929 had nothing - and they are a slightly different shape, mix 'em up and you'll alter the way your suspension works.

Cheers, Spanky.

I used a sissor jack on my swinging arm to support it and then i could make fine adjustments (up or down) to get all the brackets and holes lined up. To be honest it was an easy job.

HOWEVER the Honda workshop manual (954) tellsyou to remove the exhaust system to remove the rear shock so be warned, don't follow it!

Cheers
Simon