Viva swing arm

msRandi · 05-23-2007, 12:03 AM

Up again down again, Rach tor the link mount off the botom of the swing arm today. Hear's the thing this bike has never sean air. no jumps. Anyway it gives me somthing do in my old age.

red2003 · 05-23-2007, 07:51 AM

I'm surprised it has taken this long to see a failure like this. I am sure it happened because the linkage has been tearing itself apart ever since new. Like I have stated and shown in earlier posts, after just a few inches of suspension travel, the linkage is bound solid and ripping itself apart with every bump in the road. I noticed the flaw soon after I bought my Roketa and I am VERY glad I modded the rear suspension. It's a ticking time bomb, and I can't believe more haven't failed, especially if the bike was jumped much.

ob1 · 05-23-2007, 08:08 AM

I'm tellin' ya Red, if you made a linkage kit using the stock shock and stock mounting points that eliminated the binding situation...

frostbite · 05-23-2007, 08:19 AM

Quote:

I'm tellin' ya Red, if you made a linkage kit using the stock shock and stock mounting points that eliminated the binding situation...

I'd buy it.

msRandi · 05-23-2007, 08:25 AM

Red if you made it so the bike sat lower for old fat people I would buy it too.

red2003 · 05-23-2007, 08:46 AM

Yeah, I probably should do just that. I thought some about fabbing up a few kits for the members here, but besides the fact that I don't know WHEN I would do it, it would be quite expensive to do. The bushings in the linkage are all metric (18 mm ID), which don't exist in this state, so a great deal of the work would need to be done by a machine shop to make a bolt on kit. I was originally going to make a completely new linkage and have my local machine shop make bronze inserts for the bushings until I got a quote :o . So when I did the mod, I just chopped apart my stock linkage and fabbed all the new stuff around the stock bushing assemblies. Realistically a bolt on kit would cost $250.00 which kinda defeats the low budget idea these bikes are based on. Also, it is appearing the Viva, Roketa, Tank, etc bikes all have different length shocks from the factory, so there would be fitment issues anyway :( . Anyone with moderate to advanced metal fabbing skills can do what I did, and if you could ride my Roketa, you'd do it in a heart beat. Those nice soft inverted front forks POUND over bumps compared to the rear suspension now. And VT roads absolutely SUCK so it's a good testing ground. Got 500 miles on the mod and all good so far! BTW, adding grease zerks to the linkage was also a good idea!

fatboy250 · 05-23-2007, 08:53 AM

Hey Red,
I added about 4oz of Type F Trans fluid to each fork leg this past weekend. This can be done without removing the forks from the bike. This may help improve your ride quality in the front. Just a thought.

Jason

shammash55 · 05-23-2007, 10:31 AM

hey fb how do you put oil in the forks without taking them off?

fatboy250 · 05-23-2007, 10:45 AM

Use a 22mm socket and loosen the top slowly since there is spring pressure. Once you have the top loose pull it out just enough to pour past the internals that will still be together sticking out the top of your fork tube. Dad's came out further than mine. We surmized that it was because his springs had more tension and had not had quite the workout as mine as mine are probably really worn in.

We had to use a funnel, but I guess you could pour it with a steady hand. When you look into the fork tube you'll see about 6 in. of empty space, then just under that more internals. I just filled it up to the bottom of that empty space which ended up being about 4 oz. I didn't want to overfill them and blow the seals. Then push the top back down and screw it back in.

Jason

red2003 · 05-23-2007, 12:36 PM

I wouldn't want the forks any stiffer. They are fine actually, just not as plush as the rear now. I will probably pull them and change out the oil this Summer though. No idea what came in there stock, and it's cheap insurance against seal leaks, bushing wear, etc.

fatboy250 · 05-23-2007, 03:20 PM

The way it appears not much of any came in ours. I guess just enough to keep the seals from drying out. Ours were actually starting to drag and hold in places because they were getting dry for lubrication. Much better now.

Jason

ob1 · 05-23-2007, 04:57 PM

Link to metric bronze bushings

http://www.lm-tarbell.com/new_page_2.htm

msRandi · 05-23-2007, 08:42 PM

two things one why not build the swing arm in sae sizes and just drill out fram to the new bolt size?
the other, is it's up and going again. good thing I can do my own welding. and I'm not to good at welding, so it's a good thing it's Rach's bike not mine. :?

shammash55 · 05-23-2007, 08:49 PM

thanks fb, if yall make kits that would work on a jialing i would buy it.

red2003 · 05-24-2007, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ob1

Link to metric bronze bushings

http://www.lm-tarbell.com/new_page_2.htm

Nice! Now your gonna go and make me a Millionaire selling suspension kits

.

05-23-2007, 12:03 AM	#1
msRandi Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Douglas, AZ Posts: 220	Viva swing arm Up again down again, Rach tor the link mount off the botom of the swing arm today. Hear's the thing this bike has never sean air. no jumps. Anyway it gives me somthing do in my old age. __________________ Love from the Arizona High Desert
	0

05-23-2007, 07:51 AM	#2
red2003 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Northern Vermont, USA Posts: 1,271	I'm surprised it has taken this long to see a failure like this. I am sure it happened because the linkage has been tearing itself apart ever since new. Like I have stated and shown in earlier posts, after just a few inches of suspension travel, the linkage is bound solid and ripping itself apart with every bump in the road. I noticed the flaw soon after I bought my Roketa and I am VERY glad I modded the rear suspension. It's a ticking time bomb, and I can't believe more haven't failed, especially if the bike was jumped much. __________________ First Chinabike: 2006 Roketa RSX200E Current Chinabikes: 2023 Titan DLX & 2022 Lifan KP Mini w/ 210cc BRT kit, 22 RWHP!
	0

05-23-2007, 08:25 AM	#5
msRandi Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Douglas, AZ Posts: 220	Red if you made it so the bike sat lower for old fat people I would buy it too. __________________ Love from the Arizona High Desert
	0

05-23-2007, 08:46 AM	#6
red2003 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Northern Vermont, USA Posts: 1,271	Yeah, I probably should do just that. I thought some about fabbing up a few kits for the members here, but besides the fact that I don't know WHEN I would do it, it would be quite expensive to do. The bushings in the linkage are all metric (18 mm ID), which don't exist in this state, so a great deal of the work would need to be done by a machine shop to make a bolt on kit. I was originally going to make a completely new linkage and have my local machine shop make bronze inserts for the bushings until I got a quote :o . So when I did the mod, I just chopped apart my stock linkage and fabbed all the new stuff around the stock bushing assemblies. Realistically a bolt on kit would cost $250.00 which kinda defeats the low budget idea these bikes are based on. Also, it is appearing the Viva, Roketa, Tank, etc bikes all have different length shocks from the factory, so there would be fitment issues anyway :( . Anyone with moderate to advanced metal fabbing skills can do what I did, and if you could ride my Roketa, you'd do it in a heart beat. Those nice soft inverted front forks POUND over bumps compared to the rear suspension now. And VT roads absolutely SUCK so it's a good testing ground. Got 500 miles on the mod and all good so far! BTW, adding grease zerks to the linkage was also a good idea! __________________ First Chinabike: 2006 Roketa RSX200E Current Chinabikes: 2023 Titan DLX & 2022 Lifan KP Mini w/ 210cc BRT kit, 22 RWHP!
	0

05-23-2007, 08:53 AM	#7
fatboy250 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: COLUMBIA, SC Posts: 973	Hey Red, I added about 4oz of Type F Trans fluid to each fork leg this past weekend. This can be done without removing the forks from the bike. This may help improve your ride quality in the front. Just a thought. Jason __________________ 2008 Jonway MC-70-150 2007 Roketa DB-07B (RSM-200E) 2006 Roketa DB-07A (RSX-200E) 1995 Kawasaki Concours (ZG1000)
	0

05-23-2007, 08:08 AM	#3
ob1 Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 499	I'm tellin' ya Red, if you made a linkage kit using the stock shock and stock mounting points that eliminated the binding situation...
	0

05-23-2007, 10:31 AM	#8
shammash55 Join Date: May 2007 Location: d'iberville,mississippi Posts: 74	hey fb how do you put oil in the forks without taking them off? __________________ it takes the insane to keep the world sane Future 2015 csc rx3
	0

05-23-2007, 10:45 AM	#9
fatboy250 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: COLUMBIA, SC Posts: 973	Use a 22mm socket and loosen the top slowly since there is spring pressure. Once you have the top loose pull it out just enough to pour past the internals that will still be together sticking out the top of your fork tube. Dad's came out further than mine. We surmized that it was because his springs had more tension and had not had quite the workout as mine as mine are probably really worn in. We had to use a funnel, but I guess you could pour it with a steady hand. When you look into the fork tube you'll see about 6 in. of empty space, then just under that more internals. I just filled it up to the bottom of that empty space which ended up being about 4 oz. I didn't want to overfill them and blow the seals. Then push the top back down and screw it back in. Jason __________________ 2008 Jonway MC-70-150 2007 Roketa DB-07B (RSM-200E) 2006 Roketa DB-07A (RSX-200E) 1995 Kawasaki Concours (ZG1000)
	0

05-23-2007, 12:36 PM	#10
red2003 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Northern Vermont, USA Posts: 1,271	I wouldn't want the forks any stiffer. They are fine actually, just not as plush as the rear now. I will probably pull them and change out the oil this Summer though. No idea what came in there stock, and it's cheap insurance against seal leaks, bushing wear, etc. __________________ First Chinabike: 2006 Roketa RSX200E Current Chinabikes: 2023 Titan DLX & 2022 Lifan KP Mini w/ 210cc BRT kit, 22 RWHP!
	0

05-23-2007, 03:20 PM	#11
fatboy250 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: COLUMBIA, SC Posts: 973	The way it appears not much of any came in ours. I guess just enough to keep the seals from drying out. Ours were actually starting to drag and hold in places because they were getting dry for lubrication. Much better now. Jason __________________ 2008 Jonway MC-70-150 2007 Roketa DB-07B (RSM-200E) 2006 Roketa DB-07A (RSX-200E) 1995 Kawasaki Concours (ZG1000)
	0

05-23-2007, 04:57 PM	#12
ob1 Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 499	Link to metric bronze bushings http://www.lm-tarbell.com/new_page_2.htm
	0

05-23-2007, 08:42 PM	#13
msRandi Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Douglas, AZ Posts: 220	two things one why not build the swing arm in sae sizes and just drill out fram to the new bolt size? the other, is it's up and going again. good thing I can do my own welding. and I'm not to good at welding, so it's a good thing it's Rach's bike not mine. :? __________________ Love from the Arizona High Desert
	0

05-23-2007, 08:49 PM	#14
shammash55 Join Date: May 2007 Location: d'iberville,mississippi Posts: 74	thanks fb, if yall make kits that would work on a jialing i would buy it. __________________ it takes the insane to keep the world sane Future 2015 csc rx3
	0