I'm still trying to figure why I had to drop the swingarm....I guess I could go look at the bike, but I'll stew about it for a while. The book right here tells me I had to.

 

Yours is a tourer isn't it? Frames are different. Mind you, they say to drop the swing arm on FXR models but I dont.

 

Thanks for taking the time. Will be a project prolly in the spring. One question for ya. Also plan on doing a top end re-build as well & bumping compression up to 9.5:1 & while having the clutch out , upgrading starter ring gear & pinion gears to 10/84 teeth in order to gain more torque. Are these parts worth the coin. Seems like cheap insurance of turning over a higher compression motor. Cheaper than a high torque starter.
Ride safe,
Harold

 

I wouldn't bother at 9.5:1 myself, just put some fat-*** battery and starter leads on it, I generally use welder lead, its really fat and has multiple cores....makes a big difference for not very many dollars.

 

Spanners,
Thanks for taking the time posting the drive belt changeout tech! I need to do this on my 97 RK, before next riding season.

 

...........

 

I used to use the carbon fibre falcon ones, (at the time I did this but there have been some delamination issues (not with any I have fitted) so I use stock now.

 

The belt on touring bikes is trapped by the frame, which is why the swingarm has to come out. The executive summary is: support the trans (in addition to lifting the bike), remove rear wheel, then passenger footboard supports and rear rubber mounts, withdraw swingarm axle from trans, remove swingarm.

 

Nice job Spanner . When will we see the series of instructional videos ?

 

Good tutorial, Spanner. On the Softail, the rear wheel and swingarm have to come off too.