Bandit suspenders

I want to firm up the Bandit's suspension a tad, as I'm not the lightest of
chaps and I'm doing a lot more with pillion and/or luggage than before.
Front preload is easy-peasy, but the rear shock has got me stumped. The
handbook says "move the ring thing with the tool supplied" but I can't get a
swing on the damn thing. There's no access from the RHS or above, and from
the left there isn't room to move the C-spanner enough to click it round.
Also, it's too stiff to move by hand from that position - I need to get a
pipe on the spanner, and there ain't room for that either. The only way I
can see to get enough room would be to remove the LHS footrest and heel
plate. Obviously, I am a terminal retard and missing something important
and obvious, but what? Also, WTF would they tell me to do this with the
bike on the *side* stand?

(2006 Bandit, <4k miles, so not likely to be seized.)

 

Dunna about yer problem matey, but I looked at a 2006 Suzuki SV650
yesterday with 3k on the clock & it was fucked beyond belief, rust,
dropping to bits & generally shit. The owner told me it had only been
out in the salt once & he didnt hose it off. I believed him too.

Anyway, it could be seized easily.

WEhere did you get the C spanner from mate?


--
'Chill Winston.......'

Nige

Subaru WRX (54)
Land Rover Discovery II (2001)
BMW GS1200 (2007)
Honda CBR900RR Fireblade (1997)

 

No - I can get a small amount of movement before I run out of swinging room,
so it's likely not seized. Apart from the usual stuff from 4k miles of UK
roads, it all looks pretty new in there.

The bike's toolkit. I know "giveaway" toolkits aren't the best quality, but
until someone wot knows tells me otherwise, I will believe that it is
capable of doing the job it was designed for. I'm sure I am approaching the
job wrong, I just can't see how it's done the right way. Someone on here
will know.

 

Bad form, ect ect. LHS footrest and heel plate off, plenty of room, job
done in 30 sec. I still wonder how they expect any mortal to get any
purchase on a C-spanner in the restricted space around the shock without
doing this.

And the owner's manual and the Haynes BOL both suggest doing this with the
bike on the side stand. Why, FFS? It makes access more awkward, as the
bike is leaning where you want to be, and it preloads the shock with the
weight of the bike when it would be easier with no load at all.

Never mind - all sorted, and the Bandit is that liitle bit more composed
two-up. Nice ride this afternoon. Good to be alive.