Who do you trust?

Thought I'd take the rear wheel out to give it a good clean. Ready with paddock stand but before I lifted my baby I knew I had to slacken the axel. On goes the super duper Pro socket (so as not to damage my nuts :shock) attached to the 3 foot long socket wrench to the chain side nut and on goes the equally super duper Pro socket (so as not to damage my bolt) attached to a standard ratchet wrench.
OK, to slacken the chain side nut, steady with the right hand and push with the left, and push
and push
and push.
Strong expletive (boy this is tight!!) but it has moved about 90 degrees. Push a bit more but think..... it wasn't this tight last time.
Have a rest and remove sockets from nuts and bolts.
OK, start again, put sockets on nut.... Shriek Oh…... (very very strong expletive issed: ) repeated several times.
Angled chain tension indicator thingy now a very strange twisted shape and turned through 90 degrees with the flat part that normally sits under the swing arm so buckled that is now gouging several circular scores in the face of the swing arm.
Tried every thing to hold this bent bit of metal still to limit the damage while I continued to release the axel nut. Ended up have to allow it to turn the remaining 90 deg then G clamping a piece of wood against the swing arm to prevent it turning even further. Eventually got it all undone and had to beat it back to the original L shape in a vice. Not possible to cover damage to swing arm as it a lacquered finish.

Root cause... Numski at the M/C tyre fitters in Eastleigh Hants (name and address supplied) did not use a torque wrench to tighten the axel when fitting my new tyres. I though at the time "I suppose he's a good judge of the correct torque having done the job so many time" I now reckon he probably put 150 Nm on my axel.

Moral ... If you want it done properly use the right tools or do it your self.

[Sid Squid]

Probably used an air wrench, the nut is supposed to be 47lb-ft, which isn't that much really.
To be fair, if the chain marker plate was twisting with the nut it was probably stuck to it with corrosion, if there had been enough friction between the two, it would most likely have twisted when it was tightened, not a certainty of course.

had problem with mine when I tried to get it off a while back, took me and viney to shift the thing....

I normally use RoadWheel (Was Colins Tyres) in Hilsea portsmouth, Russ is a good bloke and knows his stuff. Never had any problems.

[mattSV]

I use Micheldever Tyres for the bike and cars - always found them very good, and willing to do a deal

I use Barclays in Boscombe.
Never had any problems with them and the cost of a fitted BT020 is about £7 more than you can get the tyre for online.

Btw, I don't recommend Tyreworks in Southampton, more than a few times they've given me pretty silly (well, I'm tight with money and I think they're silly) quotes for tyres.

[BillyC]

For the record, Suzuki Service Manual for the K3 (and K4/5?) indicates that the rear axle should be torqued to 100Nm! Which is pretty tight unless you've got said 3 foot long wrench!

When I'm feeling less poor I'll buy another Torque wrench for my small but growing supply of tools.

Originally Posted by BillyC

When I'm feeling less poor I'll buy another Torque wrench for my small but growing tool.

Whatever turns you on, eh' Bill!!!

Probably used an air wrench, the nut is supposed to be 47lb-ft, which isn't that much really.
To be fair, if the chain marker plate was twisting with the nut it was probably stuck to it with corrosion, if there had been enough friction between the two, it would most likely have twisted when it was tightened, not a certainty of course.

No air wrench, just a long socket wrench. No evidence of corrosion just too much friction. I've reassembled the axel with a smear of copper slip to ensure it doesn't happen again.
Well done for spotting the deliberate mistake, 'tis 100Nm and not 90.