Some Daytonic needed ... seized swing arm bearing

I've been enjoying the opportunity to take my 1200 Trophy out and about in sunny Somerset of late. So there are no new spannering tales to tell there and the trips have been too short to warrant a write up.  However, for the last few weeks, I have turned my attention towards Streaky - my dear old Daytona 900. And my goodness, some attention was needed.

With 70,000 miles under her wheels in all weathers and the passage of 19 years, despite bouts of intensive TLC on my part, time eventually catches up. I started out thinking I give her a bit of a spruce up before winter - cleaning, greasing etc. Well when I started pulling bits of bodywork off and undoing nuts and bolts, it became clear that plenty of attention was needed. And now she looks kind of similar to when I started doing all the work on the 1200. Rather worryingly.

By some strangeness of my imagination, I always think of this bike as new. Well, she is not. I've owned the bike since 1995, when she was just 18 months old and the idea of newness from back then has never really left me. Inexplicable after all the water that has flowed under the bridge since back then.

What, no wheels??

 The general finish has held up amazingly well given the fact that I really have used the bike right through many winters. The powdercoat on the engine covers failed and I had them redone two years ago. The front of the engine has suffered so touching that up is on the agenda. I've already done several jobs I'd planned in advance - fixing a broken alternator bolt and stripping, cleaning and rebuilding the starter motor.

Ruby watches on

I've been fighting with the rear suspension and subframe area most recently. The swingarm spindle was seized in place.

I finally managed to release it last night after five days of dosing with WD40 and whacking with a lump hammer. The key thing was to alternate blows from one side to another with a good solid drift, as it began to move fractionally, and to be patient. It had rusted to the inside of the right-hand bearing sleeve - it looks as though water got around the end of the arm and was drawn along the spindle by capillary action. The left-hand side is in great condition, I imagine because I have always been generous with chain lube (courtesy of a Scott oiler) and the resultant splash coating has kept water at bay.

Mercifully, the needle-roller swingarm bearings are mint though - plenty of grease on them and clean as a whistle. The bearing sleeve was rusted on its inside surface, against the spindle, but is perfect on the outer surface where it supports the needles. That's a relief. I'll need to replace the sleeve and the spindle because the spindle is badly pitted and I can assume the same is true of the inside of the sleeve.