BannedCR500Riders.com

Now I am tearing down my 89 and have run into a problem.
I havent had the 89 very long and it seems in very good shape....that is everything but the swingarm bolt.
I spent six hrs getting the swingarm bolt out, now I need a new bushing?(I geuss its called)....it is the peice (there are two) that slides into the cases and the swingarm bolt goes through it. One was damaged....
Im guessing its gonna be a Honda parts run...
If it aint somethin its somethin else.
This got me thinking....zerks sure would be nice on the swing arm needle bearnings...
What do you all do to keep your swingarms lubed and operating properly?

atleast once a year I tear down and re-grease everything. ofcoarse every few months it seems like I come up with some reason to tear the thing apart.

I take mine apart every 4 or 5 rides, and grease the ever lovin hell out of it with Bell Ray water proof grease. I had a 1987 CR 500 that the guy never serviced, I bought it in 1988 and tore into it, and wound up having to replace all of the bearings and races, wound up being about a $300 bill back then. There was a company that supplied bolts for these swingarms that had grease zerks but I have not seen them for a long time. Personally, I don't mind pulling my bike down like that, it gives a chance to go over evrything with a torque wrench and lock tight. Jason.

JBaze wrote:I take mine apart every 4 or 5 rides, and grease the ever lovin hell out of it with Bell Ray water proof grease. I had a 1987 CR 500 that the guy never serviced, I bought it in 1988 and tore into it, and wound up having to replace all of the bearings and races, wound up being about a $300 bill back then. There was a company that supplied bolts for these swingarms that had grease zerks but I have not seen them for a long time. Personally, I don't mind pulling my bike down like that, it gives a chance to go over evrything with a torque wrench and lock tight. Jason.

I like the idea of some zerks if for no other reason than some fresh grease between tear downs...what I wouldnt have given for zerks today just to get some disassembly grease in there....what a bitch!

dannygraves wrote:atleast once a year I tear down and re-grease everything. ofcoarse every few months it seems like I come up with some reason to tear the thing apart.

How do you like your Gen 1 ?
Just wondering, the 89 was hammering me and I am hopeful the Gen1 will be all I think it will.
Also do you find once a year often enough to catch potential problems??
The reason I ask is I dont ever want to cause the damage I saw today to my new bike...if I need to take it down more often to prevent it I will.
I swear the last time this swingarm was lubed was when Honda assembled it in 89....

I freaken love my gen-1! It instantly made me a way better rider than I was on my '86 steelie. As far as AFs go its a tank, a super rigid frame and a fork angle that makes it a little better at high speed, and not so much at low speed. I like my gen-1 in the dunes better than even newer af bikes I've ridden in the dunes, the super rigid frame and forgiving steering make it just handle very well in the sand.
I can be haulin ass up a sand hill, then just clock the bars and gas it and turn around real quick. I've never been able to do that on any other bike. Last time I did that I blasted a bunch of sand in Justins face while he was 4th gear pined up banshee hill in dumont.
I love my gen-1 on the trails too, but its not very comfy and really needs to be setup properly.
My Gen-1 is now my dunes only bike only because my motor is too built up to be safe on the trails (I still have scars from my last trail ride on it which also required a trip to the urgent care)

Sounds like its a blast.
I wonder how mine will be on the trails and open desert....
I will be riding around the bend Oregon area and some coastal mountain range riding as well.
I think Dipindet had it set up for a 190 lb trail rider if I remember right...
My 89 is bone stock as far as I know ....pulls like a mother though!
I will probably have it completely gone through this winter but right now I want to get it assembled and RIDE.
Oh ya, what makes your a tank?
is it a 450 frame or a 250 frame ?

my tank is a clark, its a '97 cr250 frame.

I screwed that up, you said your AF is a tank,
I was wondering what made it a tank...
is it just the older frame?
sorry for the confusion

I had gen 1 250 and 500. Raced both up here in the NW regularly 97-99. What worked for me was DEVOL pull-rods. They had an adjustable offset that if I remeber correctly allowed a 1.5mm shorter position, 1.5 longer position and stock. DEVOL recommened the 1.5 shorter for MX. This caused the steering head angle to be steeper for quicker steering and improved the rising rate in the rear linkage. I used Race tech valving front and rear too. Those bikes REALLY worked good.

With the stiff frame the Gen 1s work better with the 500 engine. They perform better the harder you ride them. They also like a rider over 220.

mega491 wrote: With the stiff frame the Gen 1s work better with the 500 engine. They perform better the harder you ride them. They also like a rider over 220.

I agree
The stiff frame is harsh at low speeds, but holds everything together well at high speeds. I found as soon as I got on my gen-1 I was hitting sandy trails at twice the speed I used to and aoccasionally losing the guys I was riding with when I got in front.
Calling it a tank, I was refering to the over built frame, its VERY strong and rigid, almost too much so, if are hitting corners and whoops in some clay like stuff (where chassis flex would be an advantage) the thing is a bit hard to control, it wants to go EXACTLY where to point it, not really with the terrain. Its not uncommon for me to simply end up going through some bushes on my way out of a corner, ask justin (MFDB) he loves telling people about me losing it!

If you don't look at the bushes you won't go there in most cases.

mega491 wrote:If you don't look at the bushes you won't go there in most cases.

haha, I think my uncontrollable '86 motor has something to do with that too

Curious where the title of this thread came from? I had a Gen 2 at one time, but never a Gen 1.

DPinDet

its the one you sold Glen, am I mistaken? is it a gen 2?

I gues I dont know what I bought

but I do know its got an AF.