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To install rear wheel, carefully spread brake pads and insert disc. Place wheel
spacers on either side of wheel (wider spacer on sprocket side) and line up wheel
with swingarm slots and brake mount hole. Make sure caliper bracket slot is over
pin on inside of swing arm. Making sure the right axle spacer in on axle, insert axle
from right side of bike through the swingarm, brake bracket, right spacer, wheel, left
spacer and swingarm. Either loosen axle adjusting bolts to install chain on sprocket,
or, push axle slightly to right so axle adjusting bolts miss axle spacers. Push wheel
to front and install chain on sprocket starting at the bottom and working to the top.
Install axle spacer and axle nut. Check chain tension and adjust as required. Make
sure axle is firmly against adjusting bolts on both side, then tighten axle nut to 50
Nm. Check to see that rear wheel spins freely and brake operates correctly.
Wheel bearing replacement -
If bearings do not rotate smoothly or appear damaged
they should be replaced. Begin by removing wheel from motorcycle. Locate the hole
inside the spacer tube. Insert a thin punch or rod into the hole in the spacer tube and
hit the tool with a hammer to push the tube downwards. It only needs to move a little
bit. Once the tube has loosened slightly, it can be pushed off to the side enough to
catch the bearing on the other side with a rod or screwdriver. Use a hammer to drive
out the bearing, see photo III-51. Once the first bearing comes out, remove the spacer
tube. The other bearing will be easy to remove at this time.
To install bearings, lightly lubricate the bearing recesses in the hub with grease.
Start the first bearing by hand, then use a large socket to drive wheel bearing evenly
into place. Turn the wheel over and insert the spacer tube with its rubber spacer ring into the hub. See photo III-52. Start the other bear-
ing by hand, then use the socket again to seat the second bearing. See photo III-53. Make sure spacer tube is centered before tapping the
second bearing completely in. Check bearings to make sure they are flush, operate smoothly, and that the spacer tube is not loose or
cocked inside hub.
Front suspension
The Polini uses a conventional hydraulic fork for the front suspension. It can be adjusted by changing the oil volume, oil weight, fork
height and spring preload. The standard setting is 160cc of 10wt fork oil for the X1 model, and 180cc for the X3 & X5 models. Lighter
riders can try a 7wt oil or mix a 5 and 10wt oil to reduce dampening force. Different brands of oil also have slightly different weights
for the same specification. Oil weight affects both compression and rebound circuits. Adding more oil will increase bottoming resistance
of the final portion of the forks stroke. Do not exceed a total
XXXcc
fork oil. Shim washers can be inserted beneath the upper fork caps
to preload the fork springs more for heavier or more aggressive riders. Optional fork springs are also available from Action Racing. The
fork tubes can be raised slightly in the clamps to improve cornering. However, the bike will be less stable at speed. Do not raise the fork
tubes above the top fork clamp more than .100” (2.5mm) or lower them more than flush with the top of the fork cap (not including the
hex portion, which should be above the top of the upper clamp)
Fork oil should be changed after first 20 hours of operation to remove the
break in debris from the fork oil to help insure long life. Fork oil life will vary
depending on the skill level of the rider, but it should be changed at least once a
year even with a beginning rider. An expert rider will want to change the fork oil
after every 6 races or so.
To change fork oil, loosen upper caps, then remove forks from motorcycle.
Remove upper caps and remove fork springs. Invert forks and allow to drain. If
you have extra fluid available, pour in some fresh fluid, work the forks a few
times, and drain again. When forks are completely drained, turn them right side
up and pour in 160cc of fork oil. Clean and insert the fork springs. Push the fork
cap into the fork tubes and snug cap. Install fork tubes into upper and lower fork
clamps, tighten fork clamps to
15 Nm
. Tighten the fork caps to
5 Nm.
Install
front wheel and axle, but do not tighten axle pinch bolt yet. Holding the motor-
cycle upright, apply the front brake and push down on the front suspension sev-
eral times to allow the forks to adjust themselves parallel to each other. Still
holding the motorcycle upright, tighten the axle pinch bolt to
25 Nm
. Inspect the
fork seals frequently for oil leakage and have forks serviced as needed.
Front suspension adjusting & tuning
- Fork sag should be between 1-1
1
⁄
2
˝.
To measure fork sag, measure between the top of the fork seal and the bottom
of the lower fork clamp with the front wheel off the ground. Have the fully
geared rider sit on the bike and bounce the suspension a few times. Take the
Use large socket to drive bearing in squarely.
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Use impact driver to remove lower fork bolt.
Fork slider
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