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Swingarm spacer 'misplaced' - boy, do I feel an idiot...
Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 9:26 pm
by mangocrazy
Quite a few months ago I dismantled my spare Falco swingarm (only done about 600 miles from new) and removed all the bearings etc. prior to sending it off for powder coating in satin black. The swingarm that's on at present (originally ex Nooj) has been scraped by the hugger (now removed) and I wanted to repair the damage.
It took me quite few months to get round to sending the swingarm off to the powder coaters, but at last it's been done, and it's ready for me to put the bearings back in. I've got all the bearings in a plastic container, so no problems there, but can I find the damn spacer that sits in between the bearings?
No, I cannot.
I've turned the place over, all the while cursing my stupidity, but still can't find it. It's Aprilia part number AP8121202 according to the fiche and retails at a rather spendy £16.27 + VAT and postage. Always assuming it's in stock, of course. As it's hardly an item that ever needs replacement this is unlikely, I feel.
Would anyone, by any remote chance, have such an item lying around spare? I realise the likelihood is pretty remote, but feel I have to ask...
Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 5:54 am
by blinkey501
I will look later Graham.

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 12:13 pm
by mangocrazy
Cheers Jay, much appreciated.
To be honest, as it's only a piece of ali tube, if anyone knows the dimensions I could probably buy a piece of tube of the correct internal diameter and chop a piece off...
Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 7:53 pm
by fatboy
Well, if you feel like an idiot, I work for loads of them so I can happily post some to to you
Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 8:06 pm
by mangocrazy
Ha. I don't think I could afford the postage, but thanks for the thought...
Having thought a little more on this, can anyone recall whether the spacer tube can be removed with the the drive-side needle roller bearing in place? My measurements would indicate it can. It looks like it's held in place by the sleeve that the needle roller bearing rotates around.
Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 8:12 pm
by Shetland Woody
Been out a measured mine, my swing arm is off as I have the rsv on.
Outside diameter 25mm
Inside diameter 20mm
Length 195mm
Hope that helps
Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 8:15 pm
by Shetland Woody
The outside diameter is actually a smidge under 26mm, my battery is flat on the digital caliper but having a near as damm it guess it looks like 25.8mm
Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 8:16 pm
by Shetland Woody
Oh yeah, and it is ally and you can remove it without removing the roller bearing, because I just did lol
Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 9:23 pm
by mangocrazy
Cheers Shetland Woody - top information, and just what I was hoping to hear! That's cheered me up immensely - thank you very much for checking that out for me.
It means that, if all else fails, I can use the spacer from the swingarm I'm taking off, and my foolishness in 'misplacing' the original won't have the dire consequences I feared.
What's the temperature 'out' in the Shetlands, by the way? Here it's a comparatively balmy 7 degrees C. We've had a pretty mild (if blustery) winter so far.
A bunch of mates and myself are heading to the Highlands at the end of June for a hoon about. We're planning on visiting John O'Groats (mainly because it's there, I think). Do you get across to the mainland very often? I appreciate it's a bloody long way - in fact you're almost as close to Norway as you are to Scotland.
Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 11:31 pm
by Shetland Woody
No problem, happy to help

yeah it's been similar temps here. But really windy :( gale force 7-8 ATM. I try and get down to the mainland at least once a year on the bike, I attend a honda hornet rally in sterling or Edinburgh and although I have a hornet...I take the falco lol unfortunately it's a small fortune on the ferry and is 14hrs long, and with this new job funds will be short, although more time off so hoping once I'm a fully qualified firefighter and back to normal money I can indulge in more trips away with the bike :).
Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:24 am
by mangocrazy
Blimey - 14 hours???? Do you all have to take turns rowing?

Living on the mainland, it would never have occurred to me that a trip from the Shetlands to Scotland could take so long. In fact, until I checked on the map I didn't realise how remote (and how far North) the Shetland Isles were. I imagine everyone there is pretty self-sufficient, and also I guess everyone helps each other out a lot more than they would do in mainland UK.
Anyway, good news on the fireman front. Hope to see you some time in the future (on the Falco, of course)...
