First a little history. Last weekend I decided check out the 'play' in my rear suspension linkage which my local dealer pointed out to me during the MOT. Not a failure, but worth looking into was their diagnosis. So I removed the back wheel and whilst doing so noticed that the chain adjuster bolts were rather stiff. I decided to remove them and give them a good greasing. Left hand adjuster no problem, right hand one really stiff, so stiff I think I'll... too late, release oil won't help now it sheared off!
After much consideration of the options, the swinger has to come out. I was very surprised at how reasonably a replacement swinger could be found, so rather than hurry trying to sort the damaged one, I bought a replacement. Came to dismantle the shock linkage only to discover that the front bolt on the dogbone is too tight to undo. Access being limited by the exhaust collector. Next (and current) issue is how to remove the collector, it looks like the headers need to be loosened? Which needs at the minimum various body panels coming off! Surely there is an easier way? It has been suggested elsewhere on this forum that the collector will come off with 'a bit' of jiggling. I have applied some serious downward pressure and managed to get the rear header pipe out of the collector, but now there is so much leverage on it that I can't pull the system away from the front header. Pulled the damned thing off its axle stands trying tonight.
Can anybody offer me some words of wisdom about the best way to get the collector pipes off?
Also how have you guys supported your bike whilst dismantling the back end? For replacing the shock I used 2 axle stands and a bar through the swingarm pivot. Now the swingarm has to come off I put the bar under the back of the engine block (just to the front of where the dogbone attaches to the engine block), but whilst wrestling with the exhaust, the bar bent and almost tipped the whole shebang on the floor. I managed to rescue it, thankfully, but is there a better way to support it, whilst leaving access to bits that must come off?
Sorry this is such a long tome, I hope you stuck it out (
) and can help me out. As a younger man I stripped a Z1000J down completely (so I'm not a complete numpty) to have the frame stove enamelled, I don't remember it being half as much of a trial as this. 
