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Front Wheel Removal - F800S/ST

19536 Views 11 Replies 9 Participants Last post by  Biler Bill, 
olive
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Tools Required
To remove the front wheel on a F800S/ST, you will require the following tools.

Torx Screwdrivers: T30, T45
22mm Axle Tool
(Any hexagonal bar that measures 22mm across the flats will work - I used a 22mm bolt. I screwed a larger nut onto it to provide a "stop" so that it did not slide all the way into the axle, and used a pair of locking vice grips on the threads to provide a handle. Worked very well and is portable.)
Tieback for Brake Calipers (i.e. Bunji Cord)

Lifting the bike
There are a number of options for lifting the bike. The centerstand will work, but you will want to have some weight on the rear to keep the weight of of the front tire. Alternatively you can use paddock stands or a jack. You need to have the front wheel clear of the ground, and the bike securely balanced.

I opted to use a motorcycle jack, and secured the bike to the sides of the garage using tiedowns just to avoid extra excitement.


Removal of Disk Calipers
The disk calipers are attached to the forks of the bike using two T45 torx screws


Remove the two T45 torx screws securing the disk calipers to the forks of the bike.

If you have ABS you will need to remove the ABS sensor (the cable is tied to the brake hose - sorry, my bike is NON abs, so photos are not available).


Gently rock the calipers side to side to push back the pads a bit. Ease the caliper off of the brake rotors - they are a snug fit and may take a bit of rocking to remove.


Secure the calipers out of the way. I used a bunji cord.


Repeat the same steps for the other side of the bike.

IMPORTANT NOTE: NEVER touch the front brake lever if you have removed the calipers from the bike. After reinstalling calipers give the front brake lever six full squeezes to reseat calipers on the rotors.

Removal of Wheel Axle


On the right hand fork right beside the axle, there are two T45 screws that clamp the axle. Loosen these off. (It is not necessary to remove them).

Put something under the front wheel to support the weight - I used a pair of gloves. You do not want the front wheel to suddenly drop when you release the axle.


Once you have loosened the axle clamp screws, you can begin to unscrew the axle. It should not give you a lot of difficulty - a little snug at the start, but unscrews with ease. Be patient, it will take a while to remove the entire axle.



You can see the axle unscrewing from the opposite side as it is removed.


You will feel it when the axle clears the left hand clamp - the wheel will drop slightly (this is why you have something supporting the weight of the wheel).

Continue to unscrew the axle until you are able to remove it by pulling it directly out. Support the wheel with one hand while removing the axle. Put it aside where it will not be damaged. (The silvery paste is axle grease).



If you have a high enough stand, your wheel will roll right out. If you are using a centre stand that does not afford as much ground clearance, you will need to remove the front fender to free up the wheel. It is secured by four T30 screws - two on either side. They are very easy to remove.

Be careful with the wheel once removed - the brake rotors can be damaged easily (and are expensive to replace). If you put it down on the ground, put a towel down first to protect them.


Notes: Not a lot of force is required to remove the fasteners. The most difficult to remove were the T45s securing the brake calipers to the axle.
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olive
Notes on reinstallation:

Make sure to use some axle grease when reinstalling the axle. If you get the axle dirty when it is off of the bike, make sure that you clean it well before relubricating.

Reinstalling the brakes on the wheel will require the use of a flat head screwdriver. Insert it between the two brake pads and gently twist to force the calipers apart. This will enable you to slide the brakes back onto the rotor without a lot of force.

Once the brakes have been installed, pump the brake lever five or six times until it re-pressurizes the system. (You will feel that the lever has zero resistance to begin with, and the brakes will feel "right" once they are repressurized.

Spin the wheel on the axle to ensure that it is spinning freely. If it is not spinning freely, back out the axle bolt slightly until it is (mine needed to be backed out 1/4 turn, very slight). Make sure that you tighten down the clamping bolts when you are done so that the axle can not work loose.

After you have reassembled the bike and ridden a few miles, double check that all of your fasteners remain tight. (It's good practice with the 800 regardless as the vibration of the twin has a tendency to vibrate fasteners loose).
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Eddy G
First and most important, thanks so much for this post. Very nice and clear job.

One quibble though, you say a 22 mm bolt, but really it seems to be a 14 mm bolt that has a head that is 22 mm across the flats.

take care,


Ed
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Dunny
Post removed, Dunny don't be a dick

<3 avboden
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N4HHE
If you spread the pads of one caliper with a screwdriver there is a chance the displaced brake fluid will push the pads of the other caliper closer together.

Axle grease on the axle? There are two schools of thought here. One is that it helps to have something to prevent corrosion and rust. The other says that sticky grease on the axle will bind to dirt and eventually harden, making removal even more difficult in the future. As for me, I usually wipe with a dirty rag which leaves a fine film of grease.

Tie the bike to the garage wall? Look closer on the bike lift and you will find loops intended for bike ties.

On reassembly the T45 brake caliper bolts probably should have blue Locktite applied.
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Eddy G
Another side note, removal of the ABS sensor isn't required. Just unclip the ABS sensor cable from the brake line and then clip them back together when you are done.

Loctite is a good idea.
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Haith
Just changed out my front tire. This post was very helpful. Thanks!
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G
Do you happen to know the torque figure for the 45 bolt when fastening it back?
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B
Hi thanks for an excellent article. Can you clarify one thing please. When unscrewing the axle from the forks do you need to find a 12mm hex tool to hold the left side of the axle while you unscrew it from the right hand side?
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D
Biler Bill said:
Hi thanks for an excellent article. Can you clarify one thing please. When unscrewing the axle from the forks do you need to find a 12mm hex tool to hold the left side of the axle while you unscrew it from the right hand side?
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do you already have the tool to remove the axle? one of these
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ccramerusc
You just need one hex tool. Think of the axle as a large bolt with a strange head. The head end is where you use the hex tool which has no threads as it passes through the fork and wheel. The other end is threaded which threads into the fork after the shaft passes through the first fork and wheel. It'll make sence when you take it out and see it. Just unscrew it from that one side and it will come out like a big bolt. Just make note of the spacers that will fall out. They are different on each side.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk
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B
Thanks for the reply. Just wondered why there is another hex socket on the other side.
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