I picked up my new rear suspension preload spanner tool from the Honda dealer tonight ($14.25 + sales tax and no shipping). The tool has an offset on the business end that I was sure could be used to my advantage.
Like everything else in the service manual, there is often an easier way to do things than how they say. This adjustment is no different. It seems to me that Honda engineers have attempted to document things to make them seem much more difficult than they really are just to persuade people to let the Honda service department do the work... and get the money.
I like to keep my money when I can, thank you very much.
Here's the tools you might need to do this the first time:
>good flashlight
>small inspection mirror
>spanner tool... of course
And here's the kicker... YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REMOVE THE SADDLEBAGS TO ADJUST THE PRELOAD ON THE SHOCKS!!!
And here's the tools you will need to do this every other time after that:
>spanner tool... that's it, just the spanner tool and nothing else.
I looked at the situation with the shock preload adjustment and perused the service manual and discovered that the sticker with the arrow is on the forward part of the bottom shock mounting. It is simply centered on that mounting so even if it peels off and gets lost (I noticed one of mine was starting to peel off) it's no big deal as long as you are familiar where it points. The setting sticker is also on the front of the shock body and is really just a rough reference. The real alignment happens with the firm detents as you turn the shock body and the number on the sticker that points straight forward is the setting. You really cannot miss where the setting is that you choose. I could see all this without taking off the saddlebags in that space in front of the bags and above the passenger pegs. I also noticed that the holes the spanner pin fixes into to turn the shock body is just below the edge of the frame part that the front mounting of the saddlebag fits on. This ring of holes is not so much below the edge of the frame part that the offset of the spanner tool will have any problem fitting to them around the frame. Looks like you have to fit the tool that way anyway even if you do remove the saddlebags (thus the reason for the offset in the first place). I think the only reason to remove the bags is to make it a lot easier to see the stickers (and maybe so you can turn the spanner more than one number at a time, but not by much)! You do not have to remove the bags to actually do the adjustment. I set mine to 3 for now and will see how that is for a few weeks. Of course the factory setting is at 1. I did this adjustment without removing my saddlebags. I turned the shock one number, from 1 to 2, and then repositioned the spanner and turned it again from 2 to 3. The shock body seems to plunk right into the increment for each setting.
I consider this to be very important... that it is possible to adjust the preload (with the spanner or equivalent tool) without removing anything and without any additional tools, just put the spanner on the shock in the right place and turn it. And it's extremely easy to do. :smiley-happy0034::smileygarden_de_ban
And just to show it, here's a photo:
Like everything else in the service manual, there is often an easier way to do things than how they say. This adjustment is no different. It seems to me that Honda engineers have attempted to document things to make them seem much more difficult than they really are just to persuade people to let the Honda service department do the work... and get the money.
I like to keep my money when I can, thank you very much.
Here's the tools you might need to do this the first time:
>good flashlight
>small inspection mirror
>spanner tool... of course
And here's the kicker... YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REMOVE THE SADDLEBAGS TO ADJUST THE PRELOAD ON THE SHOCKS!!!
And here's the tools you will need to do this every other time after that:
>spanner tool... that's it, just the spanner tool and nothing else.
I looked at the situation with the shock preload adjustment and perused the service manual and discovered that the sticker with the arrow is on the forward part of the bottom shock mounting. It is simply centered on that mounting so even if it peels off and gets lost (I noticed one of mine was starting to peel off) it's no big deal as long as you are familiar where it points. The setting sticker is also on the front of the shock body and is really just a rough reference. The real alignment happens with the firm detents as you turn the shock body and the number on the sticker that points straight forward is the setting. You really cannot miss where the setting is that you choose. I could see all this without taking off the saddlebags in that space in front of the bags and above the passenger pegs. I also noticed that the holes the spanner pin fixes into to turn the shock body is just below the edge of the frame part that the front mounting of the saddlebag fits on. This ring of holes is not so much below the edge of the frame part that the offset of the spanner tool will have any problem fitting to them around the frame. Looks like you have to fit the tool that way anyway even if you do remove the saddlebags (thus the reason for the offset in the first place). I think the only reason to remove the bags is to make it a lot easier to see the stickers (and maybe so you can turn the spanner more than one number at a time, but not by much)! You do not have to remove the bags to actually do the adjustment. I set mine to 3 for now and will see how that is for a few weeks. Of course the factory setting is at 1. I did this adjustment without removing my saddlebags. I turned the shock one number, from 1 to 2, and then repositioned the spanner and turned it again from 2 to 3. The shock body seems to plunk right into the increment for each setting.
I consider this to be very important... that it is possible to adjust the preload (with the spanner or equivalent tool) without removing anything and without any additional tools, just put the spanner on the shock in the right place and turn it. And it's extremely easy to do. :smiley-happy0034:
:smileygarden_de_banAnd just to show it, here's a photo:
