22-JUN-2012
Remove the left side fairing
Remove the left side fairing to make room to remove the front sprocket cover.
22-JUN-2012
Front sprocket cover
There are only 4 bolts. The bolt #1 is shorter than the bolt #2. Do not remove the 3rd bolt on the clutch slave cylinder as it holds the slave cylinder to the cover. Otherwise, the clutch fluid will spill all over the place and the clutch will have to be bled.
22-JUN-2012
Front sprocket cover
This is how it looks like...
22-JUN-2012
Lots of gunks...
There are lots of gunks accumulated inside the cover due to chain lube and road dirt. Time to clean it up real good. I don't remember who said this: "A job worth doing is worth doing right". So I cleaned it all up with kerosene and WD40. That is the difference between a home mechanic and a professional mechanic. The pro doesn't clean it. I am better.
It's also time to pull out that clutch rod, clean it and put a light coat of synthetic grease on it. Just don't squeeze the clutch at this time while the cover is off, or you can pop out the clutch piston.
22-JUN-2012
Grind the pins
I used an air grinder to grind off the heads of the pins, before I use a chain breaker to push out the pins. If not, the tool will break when trying to push the pins out.
22-JUN-2012
Front sprocket removed
It took a lot of effort to remove the nut that holds the front sprocket. This bolt was tightened with 40 ft-lb of torque, but over time, the bolt got tighter and tighter. It took my 250 ft-lb air impact wrench a while to loosen it, while keeping the rear brake pedal down to hold it in place! Again, lots of gunk in there so I cleaned it up as well.
22-JUN-2012
Sprockets
I ordered a front chromoly steel 18-tooth front sprocket (+ a 45-tooth Drive Systems rear steel sprocket) from sprocketcenter.com. After tax and shipping, they came out to US$88. The OEM front sprocket was 17-tooth but I changed it to 18-tooth. The chain is still 110-link. I use DID ZVM2 110-link chain. The set that I just replaced lasted 30000 miles. I bought the chain from a vendor on cbrxx.com forum for US$130.
22-JUN-2012
Front sprocket installed
After cleaning up all the gunk in there, installed the front sprocket with a torque wrench set to 40 ft-lb.
22-JUN-2012
DID ZVM2 chain - 110 links
22-JUN-2012
Motion Pro chain tool
This is the Motion Pro chain tool that I use. This is the 3rd chain I'm using this tool. It works great and the customer service and technical support are top notch. Last time I had some questions, I emailed them and they replied immediately. Highly recommended. The after sales support and the quality of the tools are truly first class.
22-JUN-2012
Electronic digital caliper
The electronic digital caliper is our friend here! Don't even attempt this without a caliper.
