FITTING THE EXHAUST

Now the exhaust wrap has dried up, it has became tighter round the pipes. I had already made it tight on installation but now it's very tight. A good thing to remember if I ever do it again.

To reinstall the down pipes I loosely attached the rear down pipe mount so I didn't need to support the full weight at the top end.

I took the exhaust gaskets and put them in place however they fall out instantly. I therefore applied a small amount of grease since it was within arms reach to the gasket, then put them back in place. The grease make them sticky so they held in place easily.

I them offered up the down pipes to the engine block making sure to line them up correctly. One they were in place I slid on the exhaust brackets and loosely tightened the nuts and bolts to hold the pipes in place. 

I sprayed the threads with some 3in1 oil to lubricate the threads for an easier installation and if nessesary an easier removal. 

I tightened up the bits and bolts until they felt tight in hand. I checked the worship manual but couldn't find any torque value for the bolts.

After this I slid on the silencer and bolted up the rear hanger to take the weight. I then tightens up the silencer clamp on the down piles and finally the rear bolt on the down pipes. 

That should be the exhaust finished. Once the bike is running again, I'll test for leaks. 

EXHAUST WRAP

Sorry for not making any posts the past few weeks. I have been abroad and only just returned.

Today's update is a new one for me. I have wrapped the exhaust and have never carried this out before. I bought titanium coloured exhaust wrap from eBay. I cannot find the link for the wrap I purchased. It is 2 inches wide and I cannot remember how long. I think it was 30 meters.

I have no experience of wrapped exhausts or wrapping them. I watched a few YouTube videos on how to wrap the exhaust. 

With the exhaust already off I taped up the ends, where the brackets or silencer go. This was basically a visual guide so I didn't wrap to far. 

I also painted the ends of the exhaust with high heat black paint as the metal was looking pretty poor and I couldn't be bothered polishing them up.

With that complete I soaked the exhaust wrap in a bucket of cold water. There seems to be some debate with this online. Is there a benefit or not for wetting the wrap? I believe so as it is easier to wrap, although heavier. When it dries it should tighten up. 

I wrapped the first header from the mid section to the top with around a 1 inch overlap. Wrapping this way makes the overlaps face down the way and doesn't collect dirt and water off the road. 

Once completed i used the supplied metal ties to clap the wrap on.

I then wrapped the second header. I started from the rear and worked my way forward again. 

I'm not keen on these metal clamps. They are tricky to get tight. I may replace them with stainless steel jubilees.

FITTING THE REAR WHEEL AND CHAIN

Today consisted of fitting the rear wheel. First of all I painted the swingarm end caps and the chain adjuster plates. Whilst they were drying, I have the rear wheel a quick wash. The wheel is in a right state and needs painted or powder coated. I'll get that done when I replace the tyres. As you can see on the picture, plenty of oil and brake dust has baked into the wheel.

After the paint had dried, I went onto intaglio g the rear wheel ensuring to line everything up correctly and apply plenty of grease to the axle. Even with that, it required a light dunt with the hammer to slide in correctly. The chain slid over the sprocket easily as it was loose anyway. When the axel was installed I made sure the chain wa sitting correctly then I adjusted the slack checking that the free play was between 35mm and 40mm. After that I tightened up the nut on the axle to 98Nm of torque then tightened up the chain adjuster bolts at the rear. Once completed I reinstalled the pin and bent it into place. 

I then checked the free play of the chain again to make sure that it remained within tollerence and measured the distance of the axle to the rear of the swingarm to ensure that the wheel is running straight. 

After that I cleaned up the chain guard as best as possible and applied some "back to black" to give it a fresher and cleaner look. 

PAINTING AND INSTALLING REAR SHOCKS

As you seen from previous posts, the rear shocks are in a right state appearance wise. They are in full working order but horrible to look at with all the corrosion and the rubbers being perished.

I ordered new rubbers from Kawasaki Original Parts and they turned up after a couple of days so I removed the old rubber bushes. They just popped right out. 

In the mean time, I sanded down the shocks to remove the loose corrosion on the springs and gave the whole set up a few coats of satin black Hammerite spray paint. They look pretty awesome. 

When the paint dried I inserted the new bushes. They are very tight compared to the old worn out ones, so I applied a little grease to the outside of the bushes and little bit if grease to the inside appetite of the shocks. The bushes slid right in after that without using any tools. Push fit. 

I attached the shocks back into the bike. The near side shock went on with no bother at all, but the offside was a real pain In the ass. It requires a lot of persuasion to get onto the bolt, but got there in the end. After that it is just a case of applying and tightening the nut. 

The lower mounts slid in really easily. You have to remember that there are little sleeves that go in the bushes so the threaded bolt doesn't tear up the bushes. I salvage the sleeves from my old rubbers as I didn't want to spend another £10 on tiny plastic sleeves. When they are in place, life the bolt through and tighten them up against the nut.

REFITTING THE SWINGARM

I have now refitted the swingarm after painting. I have to admit. The black swingarm totally changes the look of the bike. Should have came from factory like that.

Refitting the swing arm is an easy job. All that is required is to grease up the pivot ends and slide the swingarm back into position. When there slide a long screwdriver into the pivot bolt hole and you can leave it there while you find the nut and bolt. 

Once you have the bolt in place, slide the bolt in while removing the screwdriver and screw on the nut. Tighten everything g into 88Nm of torque and your done. One of the easy jobs on the bike. Wish the Himda was this simple.

Make sure you pull the chain through when putting the swingarm in place. 

PART DIAGRAMS WITH NUMBERS

Today I ordered the suspension rubbers from Kawasaki Original Parts. Whilst there I found their part diagrams really helpful. Not only do they show the part numbers, they also show how all the parts go together. Really helpful.

I have created a link here, where you can get a copy of all the diagrams for your own use.

This will take you to another web page where you can view all the diagrams and print them off.

KAWASAKI ER5 WORKSHOP MUNUAL

For anyone wondering where I am getting the technical information when working on this bike, I am using the Kawasaki ER5 Workshop Manual.

Click on the link and a new tab will open up with the manual in a PDF format. It contains useful information with regards to service schedules and what is required as well as, torque tightness for all the nuts and bolts.

You can save the PDF to your computer for offline viewing. I have this stored on an Ipad that I take out to the garage with me.

I have also added a link onto the suggested sites to the right.

ANOTHER DAY PAINTING

Another quick update today.

That's one coat of Hammerite satin black on the swingarm, radiator covers and the foot peg holders. It's still damp but I won't be applying another via until new paint brushes are bought. Hammerite is an awesome paint but nearly impossible to clean your brushes afterwards. It's cheaper to throw them away than buy the correct solvent to wash the paint off. 

As you can see from the pictures, the paint is streaky in places where the surface is pretty smooth. Should be fine after a second coat. 

SWINGARM REPAIRED AND SUSPENSION REMOVAL

I'm I'm I'm Today I completed the repairs on the swingarm. Managed to remove 2 of the bolts but the last one was a pain in the ass. Had to grind of the nut to access the remainder of the bolt. Welded in a new but to the bracket so it is now the same as before. Also have 3 shiny new bolts to use, but the will be treated to a nice coat of satin black.

Cleaned up the surfaces of the surfaces of the swingarm and smoothed the sides down to help with the final look of it. Finally a coat of primer to help with painting and rust prevention. The swingarm seems to have taken a beating in its life. Worst part of the bike easily. 

Had a quick look at the read suspension also. It is in and looks a poor state. As you can see in the pictures, the rubber bushes are perished and split. A new set will be getting ordered. As for the look of the suspension, it's all corroded. I can't afford new springs and shocks so they will be getting a coat of paint in the future. They are in good working order. Just ugly to look at. 

OIL FILTER AND SPARK PLUGS

Only had a wee bit of free time today so I changed out the old oil filter for a new HiFlow filter and replaced the spark plugs. 

The old oil filter was on tight and gummed up with thick oil. The spark plugs were similar on te threads however looking at the sparky end, they looked pretty healthy. 

I don't like the look of the caps though. They have seen better days. Might look into replacing them. I'll have to see what the cost is first.