Or is it common for a garage to over tighten the rear axle nut. I got a new tyre a few weeks back, finally looking to get back on the bike now after the snow and the chain needs adjusting but I can’t get the nut to budge. I’m using maybe a 1.5ft spanner - don’t have a socket that fits. Is it just a case of needing an airgun? What d’ya reckon, I need to get it sorted asap and don’t wanna head to the garage to make an arse of myself if it can be avoided!
Thoughts? 
Oh and bike is a Bandit 650 '05
Sorry, I can’t answer to the over-tightening question, however it’s always best to use the right tool for the job wherever possible.
You might find it easier that way 
Pity the garage didn’t adjust it for you seeing as it’s/ was Christmas an’ all.
Arh so the answer is, Yes Guy you are just beeing a noob… 
Didn’t imagine that I would get a whole lot more leverage with a socket that with the long spanner.
So you reckon first thing to do is pop out to get a socket?
Sounds overtightened to me, I was massively surprised how tight ‘tight’ is when following the haynes spec with a torque wrench.
Course, it helps to have a nut that can’t come undone like on the ninja, I always overtightened on other bikes because the other option wasn’t that appealing…
You won’t shift it with a spanner if it has been torqued on properly - get a socket and ratchet set (half inch drive with a socket big enough to remove your axle nut) + a breaker bar (halfords sell em) or stick a section of sturdy hollow metal tubing over the end of the ratchet - this will give you the leverage you need.In terms of doing it back up again moist experienced (moist? I mean most) people go on ‘feel’ when tightening - but if you want to be absolutely spot on get a properly calibrated torque wrench and torque it up to the nm (newton metres) specified in your manual.
Arh so a trip to Halfords is in order. My set only goes to 20mm, wouldn’t of killed 'em to chuck in a 22mm :crazy:
Yeah, the bastards! ;)
You can buy sockets individually at the larger Halfords I think.
22mm is pretty small?
Sure you’re not undoing your trousers?
So long as the spanner is a good fit for the nut it’ll undo.
Place bike on centre/paddock stand if available.
Apply spanner to axle nut so it’s sticking out at a 9 o’clock position.
Stand by bike holding bars & pillion grab rail or pillion footrest hanger.
Lift right foot & apply to free end of spanner.
Press smoothly & firmly on end of spanner with afore mentioned foot.
XB axle is 22mm.
Nice bit of scaffolding tube over the end of the spanner.
At least a 22mm socket is an easy buy.
Get an Italian bike and you’re suddenly looking for either a 1+1/16th AF or 27 mm socket. Both as common as income tax rebates.
A socket is much kinder to the bolt than a spanner. You can get a decent torque wrench from Halfords for £50 I think. I think that’s what mine cost. Not that I ever use mine. I kept fouling up the chain tension so now I just use a lot of oil and get it adjusted when it’s serviced.
If you have to buy a socket, get the impact version (they’re matt black) these come in a single hex as opposed to double hex. These will give much greater purchase on the nut.
Oh, and they should be in plentiful supply at your local halfrauds or motor factors.
Failing that, I have used the old spanner at 9 o’clock and hit hard with a bloody big hammer trick. Brute force and ignorance beats technology everytime.
intriguing… I popped along to Halfords earlier and picked up the right socket (turns out is a 24mm) But still no luck. Ratchet was at 9 o’clock position, no luck with hands or feet and even tried giving it a good go with the hammer but still won’t budge. I suppose more leverage is the next best bet. Had some pipe lying about but was too small in width for the ratchet so suppose it’s off to get some wider pipe or a breaker bar.
Thought this was supposed to be one of the easier sides to bike maintenance!
Buell’s a bit like that as well - a mix of both standards. A reason to double the size of your tool kit!
see if you can get hold of some scaffold pole to get more leverage. If you’ve got a ‘Henry’ hoover you can use the silver pipe from that.
I would get the breaker bar - you can improvise with your existing tools, and it’s good to know how to improvise if you are away from your garage or workshop and are relying on the bikes onboard toolkit, but breaker bars are not hugely expensive so just cut to the chase and get the tool for the job. As your condfidence and experience increases so will your tool kit, chain adjustsment can be a fairly regular thing if you are doing high mileages so it makes sense to be equipped to do the job as efficiently as possible. The breaker bar will also come in handy for when you graduate to removing your front sprocket bolt as they are also on very tight.
Yeah that makes alot of sense, back to Halfords it is then.
This is one of the reasons I went for shaft drive on my last bike, which was all well and good till the diff went! :w00t:
