From Spring, 2005. This installation was for a Wilbers shock, but the procedure is pretty much the same for any aftermarket shock.
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After you place the bike on the centerstand, you'll want to use a block of wood and a scissors-jack to lift the swingarm just enough to relieve the tension on the upper shock bolt:


sissorsjack.jpg


With the fuel tank removed, now you can remove that nasty old factory shock. The locknut (far side wrench) is 17mm, the bolt head (near side wrench) is a 14mm:


OutWithOld.jpg


It seems to take forever to unthread the top-bolt, it goes on and on and on....


longtopbolt.jpg


Here's the crusty old Showa next to the shiny new Wilbers. The Wilbers is 5mm longer, eyelet-to-eyelet:


FinalReservoir.jpg


Here is the initial test-fit of the new Wilbers . I ended up rotating the shock 180-degrees so that the remote reservoir and remote pre-load are affixed to the right-hand-side of the bike:


TestFit.jpg


Here's the remote reservoir installed:


FinalReservoir.jpg


Job complete! Here's the Remote Preload Adjustment Knob in its final orientation:

1Preload1.jpg


Now to set static sag, and dial in the rear shock. Pretty tasty hardware, is it not?

The 4th pic is of the R Res location not the shock comparison

If I may throw a couple more shots on there from the Ohlins aftermarket replacement. It's been on for a few years but I resprung the front and the rear needed the same so I switched out springs to a big heavy so da wife and I can two up double knee drag.

A fewe more shots of cleaning it up a bit. Any time I take this apart I clean and lube the heck out of the linkages. Less stiction in the suspension.

Cool mod!