Kawasaki Versys Aluminum Swing Arm Upgrade On Er6N

[BigBikeBKK]

FINALLY got around to installing the Versys Swing Arm on my ER6n-

Was a bit more work than I expected on account of the terrible condition of the ER6n's swing arm shaft, sleeve and bearings. More on that later.

First thing to do was cut the old chain-

Remove rear wheel and rear brake line and caliper and detach shock from swingarm-

Next step is to remove the Swing arm shaft and swing arm. Bolt came off no problem but the dam_n shaft wouldn't budge. Finally managed to hammer it loose and this is what I saw:

Quite badly corroded... The shaft and sleeve had rusted together.

This is a 2009 model ER6n! It only had about 9000km on the clock when I bought it. The service manual does not call for inspection or lubrication of these parts.

In fact the service manual says:

"Swing arm Bearing Lubrication

NOTE ○Since the bearings are packed with grease and sealed, lubrication is not required."...

I wonder if it was just a bad seal on my bike or if this is something that everyone should check...

The swing arm shaft:

The swing arm sleeve and seal-

On the right side the collar and bearing were corroded:

Removed the RH seal-

to reveal the circlip and bearing under the collar:

A bit of a mess. The swing arm was starting to rust and the ball bearing and needle bearing were contaminated-

So, off to Kawasaki to get all new parts for the Versys swing arm:

swing arm shaft and 20mm nut

swing arm sleeve

42 mm circlip

1 ball bearing

3 needle bearings

2 oil seals

collar

Cost about 1800 Baht. The swing arm cost 7200 Baht. So you're looking at about 9000 Baht total if you'd like to install a Versys swing arm on your ER6n or Ninja 650R. Oh, I forgot- there are a few other parts as well- Versys rear axle is longer and you the nuts and bolts and plates for the chain adjusters. Also need a chain guard and a brake line bracket. I don't remember any more what I paid for those parts.

I needed to visit Kawasaki as a special tool is required to install the needle bearings-

They are super busy these days and told me the earliest they could install the bearings would be in a week. I said to hell with that- just give me the special tool and I'll do it myself

Guess the sharing of tools is against policy so they were kind enough to install the bearings for me after all. Labor cost 160 Baht + tip!

I discovered when I went to install the Versys swingarm that it's wider than the ER6n swingarm and does not clear the right rearset on my bike, so I'll need to install some spacers.

Can't wait to try it out and will certainly let you know how it goes.

Let the Good Times ROLL!

Tony

[Familyonthemove]

Looks great .... but not a simple job!

[husskydog]

Good Work T, you`re starting to get down and dirty with that upgrade.............

As for the swinging arm bolt rusting/sticking onto the sleeve,,This is not an isolated issue, i did a bearing change on swinging arm on my OLD kawasaki zr750 And had the exact same issues as you, even the 750 has a grease nipple on the underside of the arm but is of no use as it only feeds grease to the bearings along the outer side of the sleeve...the inner sleeve and bolt get nothing A BIG DESIGN Fault...and gues what the old zr750 is a 2002 and the needle bearings and roller bearings and end seals are the exact same parts as on the 650r/er6 So much for them claiming they were a new design from the ground up, many many parts are common between the kwakers 600cc up....

If you go to rider forums you`ll see my comments under "removing that big bolt" on the zr750 section....i had to take the frame down to the local exhaust shop and use the OA set to heat that baby out..

So therefore any riders out there with the 650r/er6n or similar, i urge you to get that bolt out now and grease it up, regularly.....if you are keeping your ride for long..

Lets us know how she handles T....HD

[JonnyF]

It looks to me like the Versys swingarm is designed that way for increased clearance while off-road.

What are the benefits on a track bike? Seems like a lot of expense and hassle for limited improvement. I assume it's lighter than the er6n swingarm, and it looks better for sure - but are there any other benefits?

[Garry]

Tony, has the geometry changed any: wheel base, ride height?

[BigBikeBKK]

It looks to me like the Versys swingarm is designed that way for increased clearance while off-road.

What are the benefits on a track bike? Seems like a lot of expense and hassle for limited improvement. I assume it's lighter than the er6n swingarm, and it looks better for sure - but are there any other benefits?

The stock steel swing arm on the ER6n / Ninja 650R flexes under heavy acceleration and hard cornering. You can feel and hear the chain trying to run off the rear sprocket with this happens.

The Aluminum Versys swing arm is lighter, stronger and more rigid than the ER6n steel swing arm so should eliminate that problem. It should also be more corrosion resistant than the steel swing arm on the ER6n (not that I expect to be racing much in the rain).

I'll need to measure but I believe the Versys swing arm coupled with ER6n shock raises the rear of the bike which will make it turn in quicker.

I don't consider it much hassle or expense - I love to tinker and mod almost as much as I like to ride.

I'm glad I did it or I'd have never discovered the corrosion in the bearings, shaft, sleeve and collar. Over time the bearings would fail and that could get downright dangerous!

The ER6n/Ninja 650r steel swing arm weighs about 6.1Kg

The Versys aluminum swingarm weighs in at about 4.9Kg

Let the Good Times ROLL!

Tony

Edited April 20, 2011 by BigBikeBKK

[JonnyF]

Fair enough, I didn't realize the stock swingarm had issues with (lack of) rigidity. Be interesting to hear how it handles with the new one.

[nikster]

One thing's for sure: It looks HAWT!!

[BigBikeBKK]

Fair enough, I didn't realize the stock swingarm had issues with (lack of) rigidity. Be interesting to hear how it handles with the new one.

Yeah, there's a pretty big 650 club racing scene in Europe and most of the guys racing ER6's over there reinforce or replace the stock swing arm.

Finally got my leathers back from the repair shop, still need to space out the right rearset and re-install and bleed the back brake, then she should be ready to roll!

Anyone want to hit the BRC on Friday morning?

Ride On!

Tony

[NormanW]

Fair enough, I didn't realize the stock swingarm had issues with (lack of) rigidity. Be interesting to hear how it handles with the new one.

Yeah, there's a pretty big 650 club racing scene in Europe and most of the guys racing ER6's over there reinforce or replace the stock swing arm.

Finally got my leathers back from the repair shop, still need to space out the right rearset and re-install and bleed the back brake, then she should be ready to roll!

Anyone want to hit the BRC on Friday morning?

Ride On!

Tony

This is a mod me and my mate Tony will do on mine - right Tony?

I am of similar thinking to you, if I didn't live in a condo I would be tinkering with lots of things (budget allowing).

Glad you got your leathers back.

Kawasaki GP next Saturday or Sunday?????????????

At Bira.

Can't wait to get that on film hehe.

Keep those good times rolling.

NormanW

[BigBikeBKK]

This is a mod me and my mate Tony will do on mine - right Tony?

I am of similar thinking to you, if I didn't live in a condo I would be tinkering with lots of things (budget allowing).

Glad you got your leathers back.

Kawasaki GP next Saturday or Sunday?????????????

At Bira.

Can't wait to get that on film hehe.

Keep those good times rolling.

NormanW

Cheers Norman!

For sure if you want to upgrade your swing arm come on over and lets do it!

Got the bike all back together but don't have the tool to rivet the new chain so will have to find one tomorrow and then she'll be ready to roll!

AFAIK the new Kawasaki MiniGP is scheduled to take place at the BRC track in Bangkok on Saturday April 30th. Would be awesome to see you there!

Let the Good Times ROLL!

Tony