Rear tire removal

Feel free to laugh at this rookie question. I can take it.
Finally finding my dream bike to restore (1990 kz1000p) I now realize that I don't know JACK about working on motorcycles. After spending too much money on others doing work that I could have done with some quidence, I’m forced to finally be humble ask questions and get dirty.

Ok here's the dumb question of this site for the week. How do I safely remove the chain and rear wheel? Do I need to move the brake assembly or will the rotor slide in and out without touching the brake? I'm guessing I slack of the chain with the chain tighter bolt, then what?

I appreciate the feedback just keep in mind you all had to start somewhere and I can't hear you laughing!!

first off, buy a shop manual, its money well spent, second, check if your chain has a uni link, is so remove it, if not you need a chain breaker, or you can do what i do and grind off the pins and put a uni link in it, the rotor should slide out, if you have to remove the caliper, leave the brakeline on, good luck

First,put the bike on the centerstand to get the weight off the rear wheel

You might luck out and have a bike with a master link in the chain, if not, usually loosening the axle and then the tensioning adjusters on either side of the axle will give you enough room to lift the chain and rest it on the axle.

Don't forget to remove the rear torque link going to the rear brake caliper. The rear disc caliper can hang on the hose, just don't push on the brake lever or the piston will pop out requiring a brake bleed/fluid flush.

The axle might need persuasion to come out of the swing arm, I use a 1/2" diameter brass drift & big hammer to get it to move & come out. When re-installing it, a light coat of the silver anti-seize makes it easier to pull next time.

Don't misplace the spacers on the axle, if possible, take a picture/make a drawing of how it's put together.

Man, you're not the only total rook here! Good to read your post because I'm hoping to put in new brake shoes at some point ... but if you look at my recent posts you'll see i'm probably more of a rookie than you are. So, I'm here to say thank you for posting complete newbie questions.

You never said why you wanted to remove this? to replace the chain or the tire or ... ? This may determine the easiest route to take. If replacing the chain only... get a chain breaker tool and have at it if no master link is found... string up the new chain and install the master link (I prefer the press together links.. which needs a special tool).

Also, search the File Base here (see menu above) for manual, and you will find a Z1 manual, which will at least get you in the right direction, although not specific to your bike.

I highly recommend the Kawasaki factory service manual (FSM). They are readily available on eBay. Just be sure to get the one for your exact year/model, and don't bother with Clymers or Haynes. And be sure to buy a couple quality torue wrenches and follow the torque recommendations in the FSM. Otherwise you will become familiar with Timeserts and other thread repair techniques. If you're removing the rear wheel simply to replace the tire (and if your bike is setup like my KZ650) you should be able to loosen the axle nut, loosen the torque link nuts, remove the chain adjusters, slide the wheel forward and slip the chain off the sprocket, then slide the wheel rearwards and drop it out of the swingarm. Do all this with the bike on the centerstand, and if the wheel won't drop out of the swingarm due to hitting fender or other stuff you may want to disconnect the rear shocks so the swingarm will drop down a bit lower. If you need to remove the chain check to see if it has a master link. If so, remove that and separate the chain. If you plan to replace the chain, replace both sprockets at the same time or the new chain will wear out prematurely. Why are you removing the chain? I ask, because if it is a continuous link chain that you plan to reuse or replace with same you will need to remove the swingarm. Ed

Not a dumb question. Put the bike on the center stand and remove the rear axle, probably have to loosen the rear torque link nut. Loosen up the chain adjusters at the axle and slide the wheel all the way forward so you can get the chain off the sprocket.

Here's a couple of tricks I use:

On mine. I let the air out of the front tire to raise the rear and that makes the wheel easier to get out of the rear.

During reassembly, I put the wheel back so the disc is in place between the brake pads the slide cardboard shims under the wheel to raise it up until the axle hole in the wheel aligns with the swing arm slots. makes it easier for an old man like me to get the axle back in.

Thank you all for your responses. I took off the saddle bags (spent good time and money striping and repainting them myself and will be the last thing I'll clean and put back on the bike, chain guard (to give it a good cleaning and polishing, Faring (good cleaning, new dampeners and to clean it and where I could not reach with it on) and the front tire. Not bad for a rookie if it all goes back together right!
I am removing the wheels to have new tires put on and to buff out the rims. However, I PANICED when looking at the back tire. The chain was replaced a few months ago and didn’t have the money for a tire too at the time. Damn Hindsight?
Anyway, I’m still a bit confused on what to do with the rear brake set up because it is attached and supported around the axle with a bracket. I just went out to take a picture of both sides of the wheel and spun the tire. The tire is not rolling freely. Not sure if it’s a warped rotor or if it’s a bad bearing but as soon as I get the front tire taken care of and faring back on, it is going into the shop. I know when I’m beat. The aded pictures are for future use if anyone needs them.
Thanks for all your help. I’ll get a service manual before we chat again.

On the picture of the rear brake caloper, remove bolt #1 and the caloper will lift off once the axle comes out. How old's the brake fluid? If Dot 5 silicone fluid was used, the piston may be sticking due to fluid incompatabilty:

Brake Fluid Problems

"More than you ever wanted to know about brake fluid....

Brake fluid facts

By Steve Wall
As a former materials engineering supervisor at a major automotive brake system supplier, I feel both qualified and obligated to inject some material science facts into the murky debate about DOT 5 verses DOT 3-4 brake fluids. The important technical issues governing the use of a particular specification brake fluid are as follows:

Fluid compatibility with the brake system rubber, plastic and metal components.

Water absorption and corrosion.
* Fluid boiling point and other physical.
* Brake system contamination and sludging.

Additionally, some technical comments will be made about the new brake fluid formulations appearing on the scene.

First of all, it's important to understand the chemical nature of brake fluid. DOT 3 brake fluids are mixtures of glycols and glycol ethers. DOT4 contains borate esters in addition to what is contained in DOT 3. These brake fluids are somewhat similar to automotive anti-freeze (ethylene glycol) and are not, as Dr. Curve implies, a petroleum fluid. DOT 5 is silicone chemistry .

Fluid Compatibility
Brake system materials must be compatible with the system fluid. Compatibility is determined by chemistry, and no amount of advertising, wishful thinking or rationalizing can change the science of chemical compatibility. Both DOT 3-4 and DOT 5 fluids are compatible with most brake system materials except in the case some silicone rubber external components, such as caliper piston boots, which are attacked by silicon fluids and greases.

Water absorption and corrosion
The big bugaboo with DOT 3-4 fluids always cited by silicone fluid advocates is water absorption. DOT 3-4 glycol based fluids, just like ethylene glycol antifreezes, are readily miscible with water. Long term brake system water content tends to reach a maximum of about 3%, which is readily handled by the corrosion inhibitors in the brake fluid formulation. Since the inhibitors are gradually depleted as. Since the inhibitors are gradually depleted as they do their job, glycol brake fluid, just like anti-freeze, needs to be changed periodically. DOT 5 fluids, not being water miscible, must rely on the silicone (with some corrosion inhibitors) as a barrier film to control corrosion. Water is not absorbed by silicone as in the case of DOT 3-4 fluids, and will remain as a separate globule sinking to the lowest point in the brake system, since it is more dense.

Fluid boiling point
DOT 4 glycol based fluid has a higher boiling point ( 446°F) than DOT 3 ( 446 ºF), and both fluids will exhibit a reduced boiling point as water content increases. DOT 5 in its pure state offers a higher boiling point (500°F) however if water got into the system, and a big globule found its way into a caliper, the water would side at temperatures very much below freezing, let alone at 40° below zero, silicone's low temperature advantage won't be apparent. Neither fluids will reduce stopping distances.

With the advent of ABS systems, the limitations of existing brake fluids have been recognized and the brake fluid manufacturers have been working on formulations with enhanced properties. However, the chosen direction has not been silicone. The only major user of silicone is the US Army. It has recently asked the SAE about a procedure for converting from silicon back to DOT 3-4. If they ever decide to switch, silicone brake fluid will go the way of leaded gas.

Brake system contamination
The single most common brake system failure caused by a contaminant is swelling of the rubber components (piston seals etc.) due to the introduction of petroleum based products (motor oil, power steering fluid, mineral oil etc.) A small amount is enough to do major damage. Flushing with mineral spirits is enough to cause a complete system failure in a short time. I suspect this is what has happened when some car owners changed to DOT 5 (and then assumed that silicone caused the problem). Flushing with alcohol also causes problems. Older brake systems should be flushed only with DOT 3 or 4.

If silicone is introduced into an older brake system, the silicone will latch unto the sludge generated by gradual component deterioration and create a gelatin like goop which will attract more crud and eventually plug up metering orifices or cause pistons to stick. If you have already changed to DOT 5, don't compound your initial mistake and change back. Silicone is very tenacious stuff and you will never get it all out of your system. Just change the fluid regularly. For those who race using silicone fluid, I recommend that you crack the bleed screws before each racing session to insure that there is no water in the calipers.

New developments
Since DOT 4 fluids were developed, it was recognized that borate ester based fluids offered the potential for boiling points beyond the 446°F requirement, thus came the Super DOT 4 fluids - some covered by the DOT 5.1 designation -which exhibit a minimum dry boiling point of 500°F (same as silicone, but different chemistry).

Additionally, a new fluid type based on silicon ester chemistry (not the same as silicon) has been developed that exhibits a minimum dry boiling point of 590°F. It is miscible with DOT 3-4 fluds but has yet to see commercial usage."

I learned in the past thru others mistakes not to switch to DOT 5 in systems designed for DOT 3 or 4.