Inspection

4. Inspect the damper rod for signs of wear, corrosion or pitting. Damage to the surface of the rod will wear the oil seal and lead to oil loss and lack of suspension damping.

5. Dismantling of the shock absorbers requires the use of a spring compressor. It is advised that this task is entrusted to a Honda dealer or suspension specialist. Note that apart from the mounting bolts, bushes and spacers, individual components are not available for the shock absorbers.

A Warning: The spring is under considerable pressure. It is advisable to wear some form of eye and face protection when carrying out this operation. Note that the shocks must be set to their minimum preload setting before dismantling.

6. Check the action of the damper rod. Compress the rod into the damper body, then pull it out of the body; movement should be slow and progressive. If the rod binds in the body it is likely to be bent. If there is no damping to the rod movement, the damping oil has leaked out of the shock. In either case the shock in unserviceable. Individual component parts are not available and worn or damaged shock absorbers should always be renewed as a pair.

7. Check the spring for cracks and other damage. If the shock has been dismantled, measure the spring free length and compare it to the specifications at the beginning of this Chapter. If it is defective or has sagged below the service limit, the shocks should be renewed as a pair - the springs are not available separately.

8. If the shock absorber mounting bushes are a loose fit or show signs of deterioration, renew them. The bushes are a press fit in the ends of the shocks. Use a suitable lubricant when fitting new bushes and always renew bushes as a set. If necessary, withdraw the inner sleeves from the lower mounting bushes to aid removal of the bushes and renew the sleeves if worn.

10.3B ... Then pull the shock off the upper bracket

Installation

9 Installation is the reverse of removal, noting the following.

1. Apply molybdenum disulphide or copper-based grease to the spring pre-load adjusters.

2. Ensure the spring pre-load adjusters are adjusted equally (see Section 11).

3. Tighten the mounting bolts to the torque settings specified at the beginning of this Chapter.

11 Suspension - adjustments

Front forks

1 The front forks are not adjustable. If the suspension action is poor, check the forks thoroughly (see Chapter 1). After a high mileage it may be necessary to change the fork oil (see Chapter 1) or renew the fork springs (see Section 7).

Rear shock absorbers

12.2 Chain tensioner assembly

2 The rear shock absorbers are adjustable for spring pre-load. Adjustment is made using a suitable C-spanner (one is provided in the toolkit) to turn the spring seat on the bottom of the shock absorber (see illustration). There are five positions. Position 1 is the softest setting, position 5 is the hardest. The standard setting is position 2. Align the setting required with the adjustment stopper.