125-200cc Rear Suspension Binding

I mentioned a problem regarding my rear suspension in another thread so here are the details. When I picked this bike (99 WR 125) up the rear was like a pogo stick so I knew I'd be rebuilding or swapping the shock. So I scored a '99 CR 250 shock that I was told came off a bike without issues for the spring rate that would be better for me. The previous owner of the 125 told me he had recently replaced the swingarm bearings. Now, the swingarm was very difficult to remove from the frame. I had to pry it out using more force that what I thought necessary. The bearings didn't seem too bad on the linkage or swingarm. Months passed before I got back to the project but I put the swingarm back in this week and it was real PITA. I had to use a big hammer to get it back in then when I went to torque the pin it looked like it was pulling the frame in. I don't recall that happening on my KTM...bent frame?? The swingarm didn't move nearly as smooth as what it should either but I was in a hurry to get the bike done so I kept going. Now the rear is so stiff it's hard to ride. I have very little sag. I'm afraid I may have a some combination of a stiff spring, bent frame, bad linkage and swingarm bearings. I have the old shock to swap back in to rule that out. The difficulty of removal/installation of the swingarm REALLY worries me but then again there did not seem to be any of this problem when I got this ragged out bike. I can tell this bike will handle well riding it the way it is so if I have to replace the frame and swingarm I will. It's definitely going to be nice when done!

I take the swingarm off my bike on a regular basis to clean and repack the bearings and it comes out and goes in pretty easy. A few taps with a plastic mallet is all that's needed at most.

I'd take your rear wheel and shock off and move the swingarm up and down. If it doesn't move smoothly trough the whole range of travel, something is definitely up. If it does your shock is probably hosed.

That's what I thought I remembered from my other bikes. I reviewed the parts fiche last night and it appears the prior owner put the spacers in the wrong side. The fiche shows them in the inside of the swingarm and they are installed in the outside. I'm perplexed that the swingarm seemed to be go through it's range of motion fine prior to the teardown. I'll still swap shocks just to be sure. Thanks!

Yes, the flanged bushings are supposed to have the flanged side on the inside facing the engine. Perhaps the outside of the bearing race on the swingarm is rubbing on the engine case?

How tight was the swingarm pivot bolt when you tore it down the first time? Maybe the PO left it loose so it wasn't binding?

If you can't get it sorted you could always give it to me, i'll even come down and pick it up

The KTM in my avatar was a $700 beater that I rebuilt/upgraded. This Husky was $400 and I've been slowly rebuilding/upgrading over the last year. Many probably would have parted it out or scrapped it but I found this forum and decided to make it right. Yesterday was the first time I ever started and rode the bike. This is little stuff at this point and I'm sure I'll get it figured out. I thought this bike would be too slow for my taste and wondered if I would do all this work to turn around and sell it but I was pleasantly surprised. The ergos are a little tight for me and I'll miss some of the big bike torque but the light weight makes the braking and turning awesome so it's a keeper! I don't recall the pin being loose but the wishbone part didn't even have a nut on the bolt! I don't know about any bike giveaways in my future but we have some nice riding here if you ever want to come down.

I was just kidding, i need another bike like i need an extra nipple.

If you've rebuilt a ragged out bike before i'm sure you'll get it all figured out.

What part of WV are you in? The only place I've ridden down there is the Hatfield McCoy trails at Buffalo Mountain. We are planning a trip there Nov 8th-10th.

HAHA yeah I hear that I had 4 dirtbikes and 3 streetbikes in the garage for a little while. I'm located in northern WV about an hour south of Wheeling. We have some nice riding here. One of my riding buds is the current points leader in the Vet C class this year in GNCC. He has a nice camp with a good mix of riding and I've got some property with a loop or two. I haven't been to the HM trails but plan to go sometime.

A little update: I loosened some of the bolts in the suspension and that helped a fair amount. It's still too stiff but I think that's just the 250 shock. I'm somewhat surprised that was the problem though because I torqued everything to the factory spec. Unfortunately the slop that was in the suspension when I got the bike is still there. The idiot didn't even have a bolt through the linkage bolt that attaches to the frame and the mount became oval. I tried to repair it but it didn't work. Looks like I'll be hunting down a frame!