swing arm maintenance?

[ballyhoo]

I really question how critical it is to do the routine maintenance on the swingarm and rear suspension at the intervals suggested in the manuals.

I rode a gs400 for 26 years and I NEVER removed the swingarm! It had a grease fitting in the swingarm that allowed pumping grease into the bearings, which I did at least once a year. After 26,000 miles I never had any play in the rear suspension.

It seems like a big waste of time to dismantle that thing every year or 4000 miles. What's the deal? Does somebody have a better idea?

Also, replacing the brake hoses?? My bike is a used 2001 that looks like new, and has about 7500 on it now. The rubber on all the hoses looks perfect. Why replace the brake hoses???

Thanks for the forum, really dig the bike.

Mike

[scratch]

If you ride in the rain alot then you might want to regrease the bearings in the swingarm every year.

They suggest replacing brake hoses because they break down internally. But, if I don't see any black things (the rubber) floating in my brake fluid when I bleed the brakes, I'm okay. I've gone 14 years without replacing the original brake lines on a bike that is always garaged (always had a garage).

[werase643]

you never had to take it apart because it had a grease fitting!

you should strip it every other year and regrease the bearings

every year if you ride alot in the rain

if you ever taken a beat on rear suspension apart....you will not mind doing it.