CPlus' - Installing a 2002 Mille R swingarm and Ohlins shock
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2010 12:44 am
GOOD NEWS - C-Plus' website is back up so you can read all about this on there - complete with the pictures that have vanished below.
Here's the link: http://apriliafalco.hadeler.net/index.p ... ins_shock/
Replacing the stock Falco swingarm, shock and shock linkages with the curved “banana-style” swingarm and Ohlins shock from a Mille R.
Installing a Mille swingarm and Ohlins shock
The first step was to get the back of the Falco up off the ground using a rear wheel lift. This allowed me to remove the rear wheel. This is also when I unbolted the brake calliper. (I didn’t do anything else with the brakes other than unbolt the calliper then move it out of the way, so I wouldn’t have to bleed the rear brake later.) Obviously, the exhaust canisters were also removed.
Shortly after Aprilia first started importing bikes into the US, they had a display of their different models set up at the Pocono Raceway. This was back in 1998 or 1999, so there were no Falcos on display, just Milles and scooters. The one thing that really attracted me to the Mille was the swingarm. I thought the rest of the bike was okay—some details were nice, while others left me cold—but the swingarm really captured my interest.
Fast forward to 2001. While looking for a bike to replace my Yamaha R1 in 2001, I stopped in on the now-defunct Rt. 23 Cycle Center in New Jersey to take a look at Aprilias. The Mille was just a little too hard edged, while the Falco seemed like just what I was looking for. The only hitch was that the Falco didn’t have that great, curved and braced swingarm like the Mille. I spent some time researching the Falco on different lists and found out that they were well liked by almost everyone that owned them. I also found out that I could swap the stock Falco swingarm for the Mille unit and that was really the deciding factor. I purchased the Falco, knowing that sooner or later I would have a Mille swingarm fitted.
Finding a Mille swingarm in good condition turned out to be more difficult that I had expected. With new ones listing for over US$900, I knew that I would have to look around for a used on. I called breakers and motorcycle salvage yards, all without luck. I watched eBay and saw a few come up for sale, but most of them were dented or really banged up and I didn’t want to put a banged up swingarm on my new Falco. I almost bid on one that showed up on eBay in excellent condition, but just didn’t have the money at the time. Finally, in in the summer of 2002, I asked a dealer to order a new one for me. I gave them the part numbers and thought I was all set. Ultimately, due to a mix-up, they never ordered the swingarm so I was back to where I started. About the same time, a friend told me that he might have a swingarm and Ohlins shock from a Mille R—both in excellent condition and with only about a thousand miles—for sale.
Now, instead of having just the Mille swingarm, I also have a much-needed Ohlins shock to replace the stock unit which is often considered one of the Falco’s weakest points. Click on the link to the next page for details on installation.
The actual conversion from the stock swingarm to the Mille unit was fairly straightforward. Basically, it was an extensive bolt-on swap with no machining or fabrication required. There were a few places where paying attention to the order parts came off was very handy in installing the new parts and a few special tools were required. I’ll point these out in the pictures. Although I think this was a straightforward swap, I would warn anyone interested in doing a similar conversion to be realistic about their mechanical skills. If you not a competent mechanic, or feel uncertain that you can undertake this kind of project, you should have a qualified mechanic do the work. The life you save may be your own.
Starting Out - Removing the Stock Swingarm, Shock and Chain
The first step was to get the back of the Falco up off the ground using a rear wheel lift. This allowed me to remove the rear wheel. This is also when I unbolted the brake calliper. (I didn’t do anything else with the brakes other than unbolt the calliper then move it out of the way, so I wouldn’t have to bleed the rear brake later.) Obviously, the exhaust canisters were also removed.
Once the rear wheel was off, I next removed the lower exhaust header. The header must be removed in order to remove the swingarm, and is only re-installed after the new swingarm is mounted. Also, I wanted to support some of the motorcycle’s weight using an automotive hydraulic jack under centre section of the frame. The header was actually a very tight fit and was a little difficult to remove. After removing the springs that hold it in place, I loosened the nuts on the header coming off the rear cylinder to have a little extra ‘wiggle room.’ A little tapping with a rubber mallet helped get the header out without additional drama.
After the lower exhaust header was removed, I secured the bike on an automotive hydrolic jack and jackstands. The hydraulic jack was located on the section of the frame that run beneath the motor. This would support much of the bike’s weight, but didn’t provide any side-to-side stability. For additional support, and stability, I placed an automotive jackstand on either side of the bike and ran a piece of 1/2” water pipe through the frame opening just above the swingarm pivots. This worked out well, and kept the bike stable throughout the swap.
Once I felt that the bike wouldn’t tip over, I removed the stock shock. There’s really no trick to removing the shock—just loosen the lower mounting bolt, and the swingarm will fall down (make sure it doesn’t crash to the ground!). You can then remove the upper mounting bolt and remove the shock. At this point, I also removed the Falco’s shock linkage since I planned on replacing it with the linkage from the RSV-R.
The final step was to remove the original swingarm. This requires a special tool to remove the recessed castle nut on the right side of the frame. Aprilia sells this tool as a part (Aprilia part no. 8140203, ‘complete tool kit for frame parts. I simply borrowed this tool from an Aprilia dealer the weekend when I was doing the work. If you can’t borrow this special tool, one could probably be made from an old socket or even a piece of water pipe. After this large castle nut is removed, the pivot swingarm pivot can be unscrewed from the adjustment bushing and removed. At this point, the swingarm will come out.
At this point, the swingarm was removed, but the stock chain and sprockets were still in place. While it probably isn’t strictly necessary to replace the chain when replacing the swingarm, you would need to break the chain then re-install it. I planned on replacing the stock pieces with sprockets from Sprocket Specialists and a DID x-ring chain..
The last step in disassembly was to remove the the plastic cover that covers the front sprocket, then the large nut holding the sprocket in place and remove the sprocket and chain.
On to re-assembly...
To begin re-assembly, I put the new swingarm in place and test fit all the parts. I should point out that when I purchased this swingarm, it came with all the bearings already installed. It it hadn’t come with these, I would have had to either purchase new ones or try to press them out of my old swingarm. (They’re the same size and are interchangable.) The swingarm also came with the chain guide that wraps around the front of the swingarm, which you can see, and the chain guard that prevents things from getting sucked up between the chain an the rear sprocket. This picture also show the rear axle and brake control arm; these are also interchangeable with the stock Falco pieces.
Another shot of the swingarm, from the right. Again, this was mostly to test fit the parts and make sure everything lined up correctly. The shock isn’t installed, so the swingarm should be resting on the ground, but it’s propped up with a rod under the axle. This picture also shows the rear brake calliper and speedometer cable that will eventually run along the bottom of the swingarm. The brake control arm is visible near the right chain adjuster. You may notice that the stock mud flap is not in this picture, I removed it since it doesn’t fit with the new swingarm.
Although the main purpose of this conversion of was to get the Mille swingarm, I was very luck to get the Ohlins shock from a Mille R in the deal. This is a great shock and features adjustments for preload, compression damping and ride height. Although the swingarm really looks great, the Ohlins shock probably deserves nearly all the credit for any improved handling gained through the all this work. Some people have commented that raising the rear is a great way to quicken steering and improve the Falco’s handling. For anyone who’s interested, the Ohlins was about 2mm longer than the stock unit (~321mm vs. ~319mm). I’m going to ride it for a while before raising it any more to get a better idea of how the Ohlins is working.
In addition to getting the Ohlins shock with the swingarm, I also received the RSV-R shock linkages. There is a significant difference between the two sets of linksages, as you may notice in this picture. The Falco linkage is more of an equilateral triangle, with a shorter ‘dogbone,’ while the Mille R linkage is more scalene, but with a longer dogbone. What does all this mean? Obviously, the shock linkages play a significant role in a bike’s handling, but I’m not exactly sure what this difference translates to in the real world. However, I do know that Aprilia made a few significant changes to the Mille suspension geometry when they were redesigned for 2001. They raised the pivot point by a few mm for 2001, and they also changed the rear spring to a shorter, lighter, spring. Since I was using the RSV-R shock, I decided to use the RSV-R linkage instead of sending the shock to Ohlins for re-springing and re-valving.
A lovely shot of the bottom of an Ohlins shock and Mille R shock linkages fitted on the Falco.
Yet another great shot of the bottom of the Ohlins shock and linkages, along with the re-installed exhaust header. I should mention that installing the header was actually somewhat time consuming. It took the better part of an hour to get everything lined up and fit correctly.
Note: There has been a lot of interest in using Mille shocks on the Falco, and a number of questions regarding what will and won’t work. I have requested information from several leading shock manufacturers and will write up an article when I have all the information. Judging from other Falco owners posts to various forums, it appears that you can use the shock from a 1998-2000 Mille without changing the linkages or get the shock re-sprung and re-valved. If you want to use the shock from a 2001 or later Mille, however, you will need to either use the Mille linkages as I have done, or have the shock re-sprung and possibly re-valved. If you try to use a 2001 or later Mille shock without any other changes you may notice the spring feels too soft and the preload can not be set correctly. There also may be problems with rebound and compression adjustments as a result of having the wrong spring and linkage. If in doubt, I suggest you contact the shock manufacturer to determine if you have the correct shock and spring for your application.
As I mentioned, I replaced the original chain and sprockets with replacements from Sprocket Specialists and DID. For anyone who’s interested, the sprockets were the Titan Tough series and the chain is DID’s ERV gold series. Most people probably won’t even notice, but I think the lightening holes in the alloy sprocket look great, and the gold wash on the chain really makes it stand out.
Here’s the new sprocket fitted to the rear wheel. I changed rear sprocket size from stock (41t) to 43t. This pushes the final ration from 16/41 (2.5625) to 16/43 (2.6875) While this might not be a huge change, I though it would help low speed ridability in first and second gears, and also make sixth gear more usable at ‘typical’ US highway cruising speed of 70 to 80 mph.
From here on, re-assembly was straight forward. After I test fit the new swingarm to make sure all the part worked together, I tightened the swingarm pivot the specified torque. Then, I installed the new Ohlins shock, paying special attention to how the bolts went in and the order of bushings, washers and nuts. (I know it would seem obvious, but paying attention to this kind of detail is critical. Throughout the whole process the Falco parts catalogue, Mille parts catalogue and Mille torque specifications were a great help.) After the swingarm and shock were in and torqued to specifications, I re-installed the lower exhaust header. As I mentioned above, this took a fair amount of time and coaxing to get just right but it did go in. Next came the rear wheel and brake calliper and speedometer sensor. This is no different than mounting the rear wheel on a stock Falco since the adjusters are the same. Finally, it came time to install the new chain.
One thing about having a braced swingarm is that you have to either cut the stock chain to route through the bracing, then re-rivet it, or buy an aftermarket chain. I chose the use an aftermarket DID ERV x-ring chain. I thought the stock chain looked a little grubby, and since I was replacing the sprockets I knew it would be best to replace the chain at the same time.
There’s been some debate regarding the merits of a riveted chain vs. one with a clipped master link. Since the DID chain came with a riveted master link, that’s what I installed. I used a Pro Motive chain tool to cut the new chain down to size (since I use a 43t rear sprocket, the chain needed to be one link longer than stock) then rivet the chain in place. I made sure to use the supplied lithium grease and rubber x-rings before riveting everything together. The results came out pretty good for an amateur.
On to the finished product...
Personally, I think the bike flows much better now. The line formed by the frame spars flows into the swingarm and it looks better.
The left side, too, is improved. The bracing looks great, and the gold DID chain and aftermarket sprockets are custom touches that really set the bike off.
So, was the eight hours work worth it? Absolutely. The changes make a great bike even better. The lines of the bike seem to flow better down along the frame and into the swingarm. The gull-arm on the right really makes the bike look just a little more aggressive. The bracing on the left, while partly hidden by by the exhaust canister, still makes the Falco look like more of a sportsbike. Sorry, but the stock swingarm just looked spindly and out of place on a bike this nice.
In terms of real world performance, the Ohlins shock really makes the most improvement in handling, though. Between raising the rear ride height a few mm, and superior construction and adjustability, the Ohlins is light years ahead of the stocker. It’s been said before, but a good replacement shock should be on every Falco owner’s short list.
Disclaimer:
The above is NOT an instruction manual of how to change parts on a motorcycle - merely a report on how CPlus has done so - with some additional comments that add information that has been picked up from other people's experience.
If the reader decides to attempt a similar modification, they should ensure that they are competent to do so and assess risks and methods for themselves before undertaking such an endeavour.
If you do embark on such a modification you do so at your own risk.
No responsibility is accepted for factual inaccuracies or omissions that may exist within the above.
Here's the link: http://apriliafalco.hadeler.net/index.p ... ins_shock/
D-Rider wrote:One of the best Falco resources on the internet was CPlus' website.
Sadly it no longer exists but I did manage to grab most of it the night before the site went offline.
This is CPlus' description of how to fit a Mille Swinger and Ohlins Shock.
Of course, fitting a (pre '04) Mille Yellow-spring Sachs shock is just the same
To gain a more complete understanding, also refer to the Aprilia Falco workshop manual which can be downloaded from here: http://www.martinpoll.dk/div_april.htm
N.B. Apologies for the quality of the pictures - I only managed to grab small images - I've blown them back up as far as I dare but quality has suffered a bit
D-Rider wrote:Tools to remove the swingarm pivot (that you may not have in your toolkit):
- * FR6 Shimano BMX Freewheel Remover (to remove the castle nut)
* 14mm Allen key
* 26mm socket
Replacing the stock Falco swingarm, shock and shock linkages with the curved “banana-style” swingarm and Ohlins shock from a Mille R.
Installing a Mille swingarm and Ohlins shock
The first step was to get the back of the Falco up off the ground using a rear wheel lift. This allowed me to remove the rear wheel. This is also when I unbolted the brake calliper. (I didn’t do anything else with the brakes other than unbolt the calliper then move it out of the way, so I wouldn’t have to bleed the rear brake later.) Obviously, the exhaust canisters were also removed.
Shortly after Aprilia first started importing bikes into the US, they had a display of their different models set up at the Pocono Raceway. This was back in 1998 or 1999, so there were no Falcos on display, just Milles and scooters. The one thing that really attracted me to the Mille was the swingarm. I thought the rest of the bike was okay—some details were nice, while others left me cold—but the swingarm really captured my interest.
Fast forward to 2001. While looking for a bike to replace my Yamaha R1 in 2001, I stopped in on the now-defunct Rt. 23 Cycle Center in New Jersey to take a look at Aprilias. The Mille was just a little too hard edged, while the Falco seemed like just what I was looking for. The only hitch was that the Falco didn’t have that great, curved and braced swingarm like the Mille. I spent some time researching the Falco on different lists and found out that they were well liked by almost everyone that owned them. I also found out that I could swap the stock Falco swingarm for the Mille unit and that was really the deciding factor. I purchased the Falco, knowing that sooner or later I would have a Mille swingarm fitted.
Finding a Mille swingarm in good condition turned out to be more difficult that I had expected. With new ones listing for over US$900, I knew that I would have to look around for a used on. I called breakers and motorcycle salvage yards, all without luck. I watched eBay and saw a few come up for sale, but most of them were dented or really banged up and I didn’t want to put a banged up swingarm on my new Falco. I almost bid on one that showed up on eBay in excellent condition, but just didn’t have the money at the time. Finally, in in the summer of 2002, I asked a dealer to order a new one for me. I gave them the part numbers and thought I was all set. Ultimately, due to a mix-up, they never ordered the swingarm so I was back to where I started. About the same time, a friend told me that he might have a swingarm and Ohlins shock from a Mille R—both in excellent condition and with only about a thousand miles—for sale.
Now, instead of having just the Mille swingarm, I also have a much-needed Ohlins shock to replace the stock unit which is often considered one of the Falco’s weakest points. Click on the link to the next page for details on installation.
The actual conversion from the stock swingarm to the Mille unit was fairly straightforward. Basically, it was an extensive bolt-on swap with no machining or fabrication required. There were a few places where paying attention to the order parts came off was very handy in installing the new parts and a few special tools were required. I’ll point these out in the pictures. Although I think this was a straightforward swap, I would warn anyone interested in doing a similar conversion to be realistic about their mechanical skills. If you not a competent mechanic, or feel uncertain that you can undertake this kind of project, you should have a qualified mechanic do the work. The life you save may be your own.
Starting Out - Removing the Stock Swingarm, Shock and Chain
The first, and most important, step in swapping swingarms is to make sure the Falco is secure on jackstands. If your Falco falls over while working on it, you could be seriously injured or your motorcycle could be damaged. Take the extra time to make sure the bike is secure.D-Rider wrote:The easiest way to support your Falco for this swap is to use an Abba stand with the special adapters that allow you to lift from the footrest bracket attachment point rather than the swingarm pivot (that you have to remove).
If you don't have access to one of these you will have to improvise. Some have suspended the rear of the bike from their garage roof beams ... but make sure that the roof and straps are up to the job.
The method CPlus describes below is an alternative
The first step was to get the back of the Falco up off the ground using a rear wheel lift. This allowed me to remove the rear wheel. This is also when I unbolted the brake calliper. (I didn’t do anything else with the brakes other than unbolt the calliper then move it out of the way, so I wouldn’t have to bleed the rear brake later.) Obviously, the exhaust canisters were also removed.
Once the rear wheel was off, I next removed the lower exhaust header. The header must be removed in order to remove the swingarm, and is only re-installed after the new swingarm is mounted. Also, I wanted to support some of the motorcycle’s weight using an automotive hydraulic jack under centre section of the frame. The header was actually a very tight fit and was a little difficult to remove. After removing the springs that hold it in place, I loosened the nuts on the header coming off the rear cylinder to have a little extra ‘wiggle room.’ A little tapping with a rubber mallet helped get the header out without additional drama.
After the lower exhaust header was removed, I secured the bike on an automotive hydrolic jack and jackstands. The hydraulic jack was located on the section of the frame that run beneath the motor. This would support much of the bike’s weight, but didn’t provide any side-to-side stability. For additional support, and stability, I placed an automotive jackstand on either side of the bike and ran a piece of 1/2” water pipe through the frame opening just above the swingarm pivots. This worked out well, and kept the bike stable throughout the swap.
Once I felt that the bike wouldn’t tip over, I removed the stock shock. There’s really no trick to removing the shock—just loosen the lower mounting bolt, and the swingarm will fall down (make sure it doesn’t crash to the ground!). You can then remove the upper mounting bolt and remove the shock. At this point, I also removed the Falco’s shock linkage since I planned on replacing it with the linkage from the RSV-R.
The final step was to remove the original swingarm. This requires a special tool to remove the recessed castle nut on the right side of the frame. Aprilia sells this tool as a part (Aprilia part no. 8140203, ‘complete tool kit for frame parts. I simply borrowed this tool from an Aprilia dealer the weekend when I was doing the work. If you can’t borrow this special tool, one could probably be made from an old socket or even a piece of water pipe. After this large castle nut is removed, the pivot swingarm pivot can be unscrewed from the adjustment bushing and removed. At this point, the swingarm will come out.
D-Rider wrote:You don't need Aprilia's expensive tool and you don't need to make your own.
Shimano has the perfect tool for the job the:
FR6 Shimano BMX Freewheel Remover
and you can get it from any good cycle shop for about £5 - £10 - mine came from Halfords
At this point, the swingarm was removed, but the stock chain and sprockets were still in place. While it probably isn’t strictly necessary to replace the chain when replacing the swingarm, you would need to break the chain then re-install it. I planned on replacing the stock pieces with sprockets from Sprocket Specialists and a DID x-ring chain..
The last step in disassembly was to remove the the plastic cover that covers the front sprocket, then the large nut holding the sprocket in place and remove the sprocket and chain.
On to re-assembly...
To begin re-assembly, I put the new swingarm in place and test fit all the parts. I should point out that when I purchased this swingarm, it came with all the bearings already installed. It it hadn’t come with these, I would have had to either purchase new ones or try to press them out of my old swingarm. (They’re the same size and are interchangable.) The swingarm also came with the chain guide that wraps around the front of the swingarm, which you can see, and the chain guard that prevents things from getting sucked up between the chain an the rear sprocket. This picture also show the rear axle and brake control arm; these are also interchangeable with the stock Falco pieces.
Another shot of the swingarm, from the right. Again, this was mostly to test fit the parts and make sure everything lined up correctly. The shock isn’t installed, so the swingarm should be resting on the ground, but it’s propped up with a rod under the axle. This picture also shows the rear brake calliper and speedometer cable that will eventually run along the bottom of the swingarm. The brake control arm is visible near the right chain adjuster. You may notice that the stock mud flap is not in this picture, I removed it since it doesn’t fit with the new swingarm.
Although the main purpose of this conversion of was to get the Mille swingarm, I was very luck to get the Ohlins shock from a Mille R in the deal. This is a great shock and features adjustments for preload, compression damping and ride height. Although the swingarm really looks great, the Ohlins shock probably deserves nearly all the credit for any improved handling gained through the all this work. Some people have commented that raising the rear is a great way to quicken steering and improve the Falco’s handling. For anyone who’s interested, the Ohlins was about 2mm longer than the stock unit (~321mm vs. ~319mm). I’m going to ride it for a while before raising it any more to get a better idea of how the Ohlins is working.
In addition to getting the Ohlins shock with the swingarm, I also received the RSV-R shock linkages. There is a significant difference between the two sets of linksages, as you may notice in this picture. The Falco linkage is more of an equilateral triangle, with a shorter ‘dogbone,’ while the Mille R linkage is more scalene, but with a longer dogbone. What does all this mean? Obviously, the shock linkages play a significant role in a bike’s handling, but I’m not exactly sure what this difference translates to in the real world. However, I do know that Aprilia made a few significant changes to the Mille suspension geometry when they were redesigned for 2001. They raised the pivot point by a few mm for 2001, and they also changed the rear spring to a shorter, lighter, spring. Since I was using the RSV-R shock, I decided to use the RSV-R linkage instead of sending the shock to Ohlins for re-springing and re-valving.
A lovely shot of the bottom of an Ohlins shock and Mille R shock linkages fitted on the Falco.
Yet another great shot of the bottom of the Ohlins shock and linkages, along with the re-installed exhaust header. I should mention that installing the header was actually somewhat time consuming. It took the better part of an hour to get everything lined up and fit correctly.
Note: There has been a lot of interest in using Mille shocks on the Falco, and a number of questions regarding what will and won’t work. I have requested information from several leading shock manufacturers and will write up an article when I have all the information. Judging from other Falco owners posts to various forums, it appears that you can use the shock from a 1998-2000 Mille without changing the linkages or get the shock re-sprung and re-valved. If you want to use the shock from a 2001 or later Mille, however, you will need to either use the Mille linkages as I have done, or have the shock re-sprung and possibly re-valved. If you try to use a 2001 or later Mille shock without any other changes you may notice the spring feels too soft and the preload can not be set correctly. There also may be problems with rebound and compression adjustments as a result of having the wrong spring and linkage. If in doubt, I suggest you contact the shock manufacturer to determine if you have the correct shock and spring for your application.
As I mentioned, I replaced the original chain and sprockets with replacements from Sprocket Specialists and DID. For anyone who’s interested, the sprockets were the Titan Tough series and the chain is DID’s ERV gold series. Most people probably won’t even notice, but I think the lightening holes in the alloy sprocket look great, and the gold wash on the chain really makes it stand out.
Here’s the new sprocket fitted to the rear wheel. I changed rear sprocket size from stock (41t) to 43t. This pushes the final ration from 16/41 (2.5625) to 16/43 (2.6875) While this might not be a huge change, I though it would help low speed ridability in first and second gears, and also make sixth gear more usable at ‘typical’ US highway cruising speed of 70 to 80 mph.
From here on, re-assembly was straight forward. After I test fit the new swingarm to make sure all the part worked together, I tightened the swingarm pivot the specified torque. Then, I installed the new Ohlins shock, paying special attention to how the bolts went in and the order of bushings, washers and nuts. (I know it would seem obvious, but paying attention to this kind of detail is critical. Throughout the whole process the Falco parts catalogue, Mille parts catalogue and Mille torque specifications were a great help.) After the swingarm and shock were in and torqued to specifications, I re-installed the lower exhaust header. As I mentioned above, this took a fair amount of time and coaxing to get just right but it did go in. Next came the rear wheel and brake calliper and speedometer sensor. This is no different than mounting the rear wheel on a stock Falco since the adjusters are the same. Finally, it came time to install the new chain.
One thing about having a braced swingarm is that you have to either cut the stock chain to route through the bracing, then re-rivet it, or buy an aftermarket chain. I chose the use an aftermarket DID ERV x-ring chain. I thought the stock chain looked a little grubby, and since I was replacing the sprockets I knew it would be best to replace the chain at the same time.
There’s been some debate regarding the merits of a riveted chain vs. one with a clipped master link. Since the DID chain came with a riveted master link, that’s what I installed. I used a Pro Motive chain tool to cut the new chain down to size (since I use a 43t rear sprocket, the chain needed to be one link longer than stock) then rivet the chain in place. I made sure to use the supplied lithium grease and rubber x-rings before riveting everything together. The results came out pretty good for an amateur.
On to the finished product...
Personally, I think the bike flows much better now. The line formed by the frame spars flows into the swingarm and it looks better.
The left side, too, is improved. The bracing looks great, and the gold DID chain and aftermarket sprockets are custom touches that really set the bike off.
So, was the eight hours work worth it? Absolutely. The changes make a great bike even better. The lines of the bike seem to flow better down along the frame and into the swingarm. The gull-arm on the right really makes the bike look just a little more aggressive. The bracing on the left, while partly hidden by by the exhaust canister, still makes the Falco look like more of a sportsbike. Sorry, but the stock swingarm just looked spindly and out of place on a bike this nice.
In terms of real world performance, the Ohlins shock really makes the most improvement in handling, though. Between raising the rear ride height a few mm, and superior construction and adjustability, the Ohlins is light years ahead of the stocker. It’s been said before, but a good replacement shock should be on every Falco owner’s short list.
Disclaimer:
The above is NOT an instruction manual of how to change parts on a motorcycle - merely a report on how CPlus has done so - with some additional comments that add information that has been picked up from other people's experience.
If the reader decides to attempt a similar modification, they should ensure that they are competent to do so and assess risks and methods for themselves before undertaking such an endeavour.
If you do embark on such a modification you do so at your own risk.
No responsibility is accepted for factual inaccuracies or omissions that may exist within the above.