Hello there, need to swap out my coolant reservoir and the service manual states that removing the rear shock absorber is a requisite service. This is my first bike so I'm a little unsure on how to actually proceed since pretty much everything I've seen or read about removing these types of moto shocks involves either lifting the bike from the ceiling, jacking it up, or putting it on stands. the manual doesn't state anything about needing to do that but something tells me I should consult some more knowledgeable folks first lol. I was also wondering if anyone here knows the damn bolt size on the lowermost shock mount, its stamped with a 12 (which I learned refers to grade) so I believe it to be the OEM bolt. Everything on the bike (I think) should be metric, but a 14mm has an amount of play that doesn't feel right while 13mm is too small. Any tips are appreciate, thanks!

 

Yup, it specifically mentions doing that. Are you sure you're reading the service manual?

 

Goddamnit you're absolutely right. I am reading this manual, somehow my brain just missed this, even though I've looked at that page for at least 45 minutes at this point. I think I read "support" the first time and just assumed it meant keep it stable, rather than lift it up lol. Would you recommend the kind of lift that raises it from the center or the kind that that supports from the front and rear?

 

You need to lift the back wheel off the ground so the shock is fully extended, so hanging the back from a strap is ideal

 

Will lifting the back be enough to do this? Or do I need to lift the front as well?

 

My experience is just the back, it only needs to be a few inches.

 

When i did this on my f3, like @rockpool said, it was just a few inches. I have the harbor freight version of the little giant ladder and used that to hold the rear end off the ground.

 

Did anyone come up with an efficient solution for washing and cleaning the inside of the coolant reservoir if there is gunk and dried green ethylene glycol coolant on the inside?

 

No, there really is no “efficient” way to do it. When I cleaned mine, it was removed from the bike. I let it soak with a mixture, alternating from Dawn dishwasher detergent and then simple Green. I bought an assortment of bottle brushes off of Amazon. That allowed me to get in there and scrub everything. I don’t believe you’ll ever get it looking brand new as that residue, kissing the pores of the reservoir. But I did get it looking the next best thing.