'Race bike' blah blah, but if you need to service ANYTHING besides the clutch-pack on the right side of the motor, you WILL be splitting the bike in 2 for an engine 'rotate'.

Cylinder timing chain, guides, clutch basket (or anything behind it), balancer, water pump, anything. You can't even drain the coolant properly. Why? Because the monster of the rear head pipe covers most of the engine and it's impossible to remove or even get to the header flange nuts without getting the frame out of the way by dropping the engine.

My particular 2014 #000024 has had a series of unfortunate events that made that specific surgery necessary way too many times in a row.

I have had to replace the clutch basket for rattly damping springs, I have had one of the clutch basket to gear bolts shear off at Chuckwalla and leave a hole from it's 11 billionty MPH exit in the inner clutch housing, the 'new' housing had a leak in the rotational seal in water pump, and the .03¢ washer that drains the coolant also has leaked. ALL of which require the bike to be split. Do you know how frustrating a .03¢ washer replacement is, when you have to sacrifice a WHOLE sunny Saturday to do it?! It's a six pack. Thats how frustrating it is, and whats this damn extra bolt go to?!?! I digress.

Ya, I'm pretty fast at it now. But thats not the point.

Front and rear stands on, left side controls off, muffler off, right side fairing off (SX), the ENTIRE intake system out, lower shock bolt off, a-frame ladder and straps to support the tail, scissor jack under the front of the engine, 6 engine mounts, and lower the jack/raise the tail.

And when your table is occupied because you got suckered into another project bike, your knees are gonna hurt. Both of them.


#Buellife