Has anyone had or have this problem? The standard exhaust on my 1999 bike is rubbing the label off the swing arm and scratching it on the LHS as you sit on the bike. I've had a look at a 2001 used model our local dealer has in stock and that one is just the same. Does anyone have any ideas? It's driving me nuts!

My 2000 rides 1 inch away from swing arm in LHS.

You might try loosening the end can bracket bolts and exhaust pipe bolts and twisting the assembly away from the swing arm.

Retighten and see where you are.

Also check and see if you have the correct washer/spacers on the muffler bracket.

Or has the bike been bumped? dropped on that side and bent the bracket?

If that all appears correct, suspect movement in the swing arm.

Why I don't know, but this seems to be a complaint more consistant among the UK XX'ers than any other group. Several reasons have been explored. Often if you have a passenger who mounts by the left rear peg, the bracket and/or the subframe can take a slight bend. I believe the general consensus was that you should first loosen and adjust the muffler itself, and then if that doesn't work, attempt to bend the bracket out and up just a tiny bit.

I thought it could be swingarm but did't know of a way to check if any,I also had the same idea as iXXion but could't think that the hanger or frame could move ,having said that the exhaust is a lot closer on the left than the right .Thanks for the interest guys,any more opinions would be gratefully recieved, Thanks again Mike

Mine is like this also. Over the winter I'm taking off the mufflers and rear fairing and trying to tweak the subframe.

Can you post a pic??

I purchased my bike 2'nd hand but have noticed that the label on the swingarm on the LHS of the bike appears as if the exhaust has been rubbing against it. However, my bike came with a set of Yoshi RS3 pipes that are definately well clear of the swingarm now, so perhaps this occured from the original can?

Hi there n51jr, here are the pics you requested,since reading your replies I've come up with an addition to the theory of it occuring more on U.K.bikes ,is it possible that you guys mount/dismount on the other side of the bike to us in the U.K.(driving on the right not the left),so you would use the other footpeg on the R.H.S where there is more clearance so you would never end up in this situation. Any more ideas?

Originally Posted by mjellis

Hi there n51jr, here are the pics you requested,since reading your replies I've come up with an addition to the theory of it occuring more on U.K.bikes ,is it possible that you guys mount/dismount on the other side of the bike to us in the U.K.(driving on the right not the left),so you would use the other footpeg on the R.H.S where there is more clearance so you would never end up in this situation. Any more ideas?

Pretty sure that is NOT the case for us here, as both pilot and pillion almost always mount/dismount on the left hand side.

Still think the best course of action is to try loosen and rotate the exhaust assembly as much as possible. And while it's all loosened, look at adding a washer to the inside of each the two hanger bracket bolts to "step off" the entire assembly the width of the washers.

Originally Posted by Pete-in-PA

Mine is like this also. Over the winter I'm taking off the mufflers and rear fairing and trying to tweak the subframe.

Pete,

I would only recommend tweaking the subframe as a last resort - if you're sure it's bent.....

Just my .02

look at adding a washer to the inside of each the two hanger bracket bolts to "step off" the entire assembly the width of the washers

+1 on this technique.

I did this to my '03 with a couple of thick exhaust washers that fit inside the machining and around the bolts attaching the aluminum hanger to the subframe, at about mile 400. It took about 15 minutes and no contact since (~18,000 miles).

Just come in from the shed,after ages looking where the problem lies & the left hanger as FiXXation says seems to have enlarged mounting holes in it,so do I understand right, you made a sleeve to go in the fixing holes ? so as to take up the slop

It has been three years, but as I recall, there were shallow, circular machined surfaces on the inside of the aluminum hanger where it mated to the steel bosses on the subframe. I used thick washers (old auto exhaust header washers, I believe, about 4 mm total in thickness) that fit within the machined radius and over the mounting bolt's shaft, to move the hanger away from the subframe bosses (the washers were about the same outer diameter as the subframe bosses). I did not have to loosen the mid-pipe connection or rotate the muffler to clear the swing arm using by the washers as spacers.

Originally Posted by tripledigits

Pete,

I would only recommend tweaking the subframe as a last resort - if you're sure it's bent.....

Just my .02

I've eyeballed it from the rear and it's not just the left exhaust can. The whole rear end is biased to the right.

Anyone Else's do this?

Unfortunately all my "oopses" have been on the left side, (dropped and hit a deer) so maybe mine is tweaked.

Here's an update to the exhaust problem,I think I've cured it.I took the subframe off over last weekend & the spar fillet which carries the regulator on the L.H.S. had a crease in it , which without stripdown could not be seen.Looked into buying a new frame but was slightly put off by the cost of £200 GB,so managed to source a used one on Ebay at a cost of £24 GB

Something really interesting,if you buy a carb model frame,you have to do a bit of modification to carry new style reg,but the spar fillet is slightly larger covering more area hence adding a bit more stength where in is needed on the L.H.S. everything else fits o.k. I know cos I've just finished.

As for why it happens on U.K. bikes,it's possible our road surfaces are so bad it would only take one "hole" to completely wreck your bike

Thanks to everyone that bothered to reply with help