Hi all, ISTR a thread on here somewhere about water collecting in the top of 1200DVT swing arms and I’ve done a search but can’t find it (or maybe I just dreamt it..!) Anyway, I’ve just washed mine and noticed that water is sitting in the top of the swing arm where the shock sits and is not draining. Any tips please chaps? Ta very much...
I use an air line to blow out the trapped water. There is a drain hole that clogs up but I’ve not found a satisfactory was of unclogging it. Andy
There was a previous thread as you say. I think it can be accessed from underneath by the rubber guard from memory...
It can be. But I’ve found it almost impossible. I just use blueroll to soak it out. It’s a flippin pain! Once it’s blocked you might as well give up. Bike drier (or cheap dog drier) off eBay is probably the answer.
Cheers chaps, I've just taken two of the screws that hold the chain runner in place and water pissed out of the swing arm but the water near the shock didn't drain much, if at all. Lacking an air line, I tried blowing the water out and ended up with a face full! I can't see a drain hole so it seems blue roll is the answer, although maybe a new drain hole could be drilled?
You dry your bike with a Dog and then dry the Dog with a Dog dryer why not just use the dog dryer on the bike and thus cut out the middle man (Dog)
I know it's a bit Heath Robinson, but I used to just lay mine over when done, let it run out. Basic, but it worked. (quite heavy though but easily doable). One hand on bars, one on grab rail, on its side it would go
Just had 8000 service done & asked duke Leeds to look at this for me. Answer the only way we can clear the hole is by removing the shock so we have left it alone. Twats. Somewhere on here there was a thread showing how to unblock from underneath. Shit if i can find it.
I think that may have been an earlier single spark model, clearing debris that blocked the drain hole, so different to a DVT. Never had the issue on my pre DVT bike
There is a simple solution for this. The hole usually gets blocked by bits of tar, or rather small stones coated in tar. Get some decent tar remover, spray it in there, and pick out the stones with a hooked pick (search on the bay for draper pick and hook set). Using car paint tar remover from the likes of halfords is useless as it is closer to a polish. You need a decent tar remover. I use Sonax in 300ml aerosol cans. I do this once a year, takes 10 minutes or so. No need to remove the shock or anything else. I use the same sonax stuff to clean the tar off the front cylinder head. I did try dropping a split pin in the hole to keep it clear, but it wasn't very successful, stones just collected around it. Hope that helps (I should add, this is on a 2012 pre-DVT bike, but having looked at my mates DVT its no different, you can still get in there with the pick).
DVT different, hole doesn’t need to be blocked as its position seems to only allow draininage when bike on the move (!)
I appreciate that Bradders, but the bits of tar still build up and make it worse. My point was you can soften the tar with tar remover and then remove them with a pick as I described without needing to remove the shock. It is harder to do on the DVT, but still possible. There are so many nooks and crannies on these bikes. Having removed my engine I couldn't believe the amount of crap lodged in various places. It will be a couple of kilos lighter with all that removed
In my experience the drain hole gets blocked at the bottom not the top, any small stones, grit etc can be blasted out from the top with a water jet but it doesn't clear the hole. The bottom is where it gets chain lube flung up and this then collects grit and dust etc until it builds up enough to block the hole at the bottom. Best way to clear it is with a straightened wire coat hanger (not the plastic coated ones - too thick) This then goes up beside the chain from underneath and then fiddle around until you find the hole which is on the lump of the swing arm that can be almost seen by looking through the small opening behind the frame and along the top of the chain towards the rear wheel. I have done it often enough now to know roughly where it is by feel, very hard to photograph and a small mirror and a bright light is needed but I don't then have another hand to take the photo! Just cleaning that small lump on the swing arm above the chain with a piece of cloth wrapped round a wire can sometimes unblock it as well, hence my idea that it is chain lube and grime that blocks it. Great piece of design work Ducati!!!
