Suzuki VX800 - The Ongoing Repair Saga

Those of you who've been following my blog for a while know that the VX800 has been down for a long, long time. It isn't that it's horribly out of order (that I know of), it's just that I keep getting distracted by other shiny things and forget to work on it for months at a time.

Anyway, a buddy of mine from Denver came down in December and helped me a bunch with trying to fix a nasty coolant leak. The leak, for those of you who want to know, comes from the plate on the left side of the image. You can see the coolant leavin's if you look closely. What made the work so difficult was that one of the bolts we needed to get to was nigh-impossible to reach. Getting the thing out wasn't too bad because loosening a bolt gets easier as you go. So, he left, with the bolt still sticking out a bit.

That was totally OK, by the way, because this guy proved he's way, way more hardcore when it comes to all things motorcycle than I am by sitting out in my garage next to a ratty old Suzuki only a few days after having surgery on his knee.

I just remembered to go out in the garage tonight and work on it some more. So, I sat down and took a good hard look at the bolt. It isn't visible in the picture, but it's on the right side, behind the coolant hose. I could get my 8mm wrench on it, but I couldn't actually turn the wrench due to other motor components rudely obstructing its movement.

So, mildly defeated, I sat back and took a good look at the area. And I noticed that if I took the plate on the left off and removed the hose, I'd have easy access to that bolt. Assembly order can kick you in the pants if you aren't careful.

I grabbed my trusty 8mm wrench and went after the top bolt on the left. Almost immediately, the darn bolt head started to round off. Remembering the nightmare of rounded bolt removal I had previously encountered, I just stopped for the evening, and resolved to attack again later with an 8mm socket and a universal joint.

So, my efforts have been delayed again, but I have new hope of getting the VX on the road again. I know Lady Luck is dying to find out what it's like to ride a big motorcycle, and I kind of miss it's torque-laden V-twin charm.