Next up - removing the shock. To do this, the exhaust needs to be taken off to get at the top shock bolt - no other way to do it. Thankfully, with most of the back of the bike in bits it's not that hard to remove.

After removing the rear clamp, the plastic panel and metal shroud come off next
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4482/...1e6212cb_c.jpg

Undo this hidden bolt that holds the exhaust to the frame
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Some WD50 on the front clamps and a bit of wiggling and off she came
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Shock top bolt was rather tight. WD40 and a big bar sorted it out.
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Here it is - looks like the OEM Sachs unit with a replacement spring
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4473/...3a82a559_c.jpg

Cleaned up. I always like to get everything clean as soon as I take it off so I can work out what I'm dealing with.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4490/...6b71552d_c.jpg

This is the bit that has ground out the alloy of the linkage arm in the previous post
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4495/...6dbcf2e0_c.jpg

See...
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4455/...0a407261_c.jpg

This is the play resulting from the wear on the arm.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4453/...883b96ab_o.gif

So, what to do with the arm. Replacement is obvious, but I might just make a shim to take up the play to get the bike through it's MoT. There don't seem to be any used arms around anywhere (part number 11D-F217A-00 - let me know if you have a spare!!).

I'll ponder it while I wait for the swingarm to come back.

Amazingly, my swingarm is already fixed. I went over to Leedsheath in Guildford to pick it up and leave them with �200 of my hard earned pounds.

Before:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4490/...2618edf5_c.jpg

Here it is - they cut out the hole and welded in a new piece, then ground it into shape.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4513/...f8511597_c.jpg

Close up - the edges are a bit "sharp" and the grinder marks need buffing out, and the heat bubbles from the welding need smoothing.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4507/...9fd53634_c.jpg

After some wet & dry sanding to smooth things over and make it match the original.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4478/...91a98862_c.jpg

Filling some of the small hollows left from the repair.
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Primer and satin black
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After some shabby-chic "distressing" to avoid it looking repaired.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4507/...0fb4ec69_c.jpg

Most excellent. Just waiting for my new bearings and seals to arrive and I can reassemble the rear end of the bike and start working on the oily bit in the middle.

Great work, good to see such a detailed rebuid! keep it on! :popcorn2: :)

Nice going there. Looking forward to the end result.
It looks like you're enjoying it as much as us following it :icon_wink:

Today's update is relatively brief, but incredibly successful.

You remember the wear in the elbow joint pivot in the linkage. The price of a new elbow is about �145. Stuff that for a game of soldiers. I ventured out to the amazing Margnor, a small shop on a housing estate near Guildford that only sells nuts and bolts. It is amazing. You can wander in there with any random rusty fastener from some old bike or car, show it to a chap, who will pop into the back and bring out a brand new one that is identical. Like I said, amazing.

So I wandered in this morning with my suspension linkage, and a couple of measurements later I had a metal washer that was EXACTLY the right size to replace the work area on the linkage, and for the spindle to fit through. I mean EXACTLY, so the fork of the shock mounting now fits snugly, but with fluid movement when tight and no free play. The pivot spindle sticks out just far enough to ensure the elbow doesn't bind with the shock fork. How spooky.

So rather than spending �145, I spent �0.08 and I now have a play-free linkage again. Just waiting for bearings and seals now and I can then put it all back together at the back.

I'm sure the washer will wear out at some point, when I'll then replace the whole elbow joint. But for now the task is to get it MoT'd and then registered so I can actually ride the bloody thing.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4464/...1e553b98_c.jpg

Look!!! Exact fit!!! I am very excited by this.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4510/...b4284e6e_c.jpg

Installed
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4450/...3d638fbb_c.jpg

Next...rear rack removal (I keep banging my head on it when under the back of the bike), bearing & seal fitting, and reassembly.

Today I've mainly been smashing the Barkbuster handguards back into shape with a mallet. This does not make for good pictures as I don't have spare hands when doing the smashing. Blimey they are robust. More smashing still to do while I wait for my bearings & seals.

Great results. ...looking good! . Did you add the grease nipple. ...or was it there. ..? Steve

Already done thankfully! One grease nipple on each of the elbow joint pivots.

Next is the challenge to convert a pile of broken pieces of plastic and bent metal into a viable tail piece. The bike was hit from behind my another bike, smashing the tail end, so that needed sorting out before any MoT could be done. I had a random pile of bits after I threw away everything that was too smashed up.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4446/...d87c7b98_z.jpg

The light and indicator still worked so I elected to construct a "Tobers Tail Tidy" from the pieces.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4480/...fee4d487_c.jpg

Some Dremelling required
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This piece weighs loads. I really wanted to get rid of it. It's some sort of welded and cast pig iron as far as I can see - really unnecessary. Unfortunately I had to use it. I may substitute it for a proper tail tidy in the future, but the whole approach here is to minimise spend.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4503/...1bbc5157_c.jpg

A hot glue gun and some cunningly positioned bolts got me this far

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4465/...dca3d0bc_c.jpg

I needed somewhere for the indicators to go, so fashioned an indicator bracket from some ally strip I had lying around.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4494/...3b329b3a_c.jpg

A bit of jiggery-pokery later, and we have this, which looks rather smart. Note the swingarm and rear end is all back on too - more of that shortly.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4507/...e75295de_c.jpg

I removed everything that is unnecessary from the back end for the time being, including the other plastics, grab rails, cowlings, rear footpegs, and Roman's customised pannier racks. This saves considerable weight, and also looks quite slick I think. Just needs a number plate now...

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4457/...6ea9cc33_c.jpg

Now some details on the rear suspension/linkage rebuild. I finally received a little bag of bearings and bits from Woking Yamaha, so I could get to work. Having cleaned out the linkage elbow joint already, it was all set to get the new bearings and seals in.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4504/...1556481a_c.jpg

Thankfully it wasn't overly tricky

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4454/...063acbdb_c.jpg

And was all ready to reassemble along with the repaired swingarm. Everything greased up, using grease that didn't stink unlike the stuff that was in there which was the most foul smelling grease I've ever encountered - it stank the whole house out.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4466/...17fdc96f_z.jpg

Just for the record, a Snap-on electric torque wrench is a wonderful thing. I don't have many Snap-on tools, but the ones I have are lovely.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4508/...95a0096b_c.jpg

Swingarm back on - remembered to put the left side through the chain when reassembling!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4480/...aeab5776_c.jpg

Reconnecting the custom-made Akrapovic exhaust. Note to self - don't install the wheel then try and install the exhaust! Do it the other way around! At least I've had some wheel changing practice.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4478/...646010e0_c.jpg

All back together and torqued up. I took the opportunity to service the rear brake as well - not much needed doing bar a quick clean. The pads are good, fluid looks fine. Happy days.

Then it wouldn't start. It cranked, but didn't fire. Crank crank crank crank. Nothing doing. WFT? Had I inadvertantly unplugged something? Unlikely but possible. I checked all connections and fuses - all looked OK. I put the battery on to charge while I checked some other stuff. Tried again - crank crank crank crank, but it still wouldn't fire. I was about to pull the plug out and check for a spark when I remembered that my old XT1200Z Super Tenere would do this from time to time, after being left static for a bit. The solution was to fully open the throttle and crank it until it fired ("WOT" or "wide open throttle" starting). I did this and it coughed into life and was then perfect again as though nothing had happened. I had a quick ride up and down my road to bounce the suspension and check everything was ship shape, which it was.

Now the back of the bike is back together, next job is an oil, filter and spark plug change, before moving onto the front and then an MoT. I have new brake and clutch levers coming as well (the existing ones are now "shorties" after crashing and snapping). I suspect I'll need new throttle and clutch cables too as the existing ones are rather grungy.