Motorcycle Suspension Components
                              with other products available from Kientech Engineering

 
                     Installation Instructions
                                   Fits:  Honda 96-up XR250/400R 
                       (Lowers rear 1.5" on the XR250 & 1" on the XR400)

                                      XR400R "Installed" Pictures Below.

1)   Raise the motorcycle with a bike stand, milk crate, etc., so the rear wheel is
just slightly off the ground.  Remove the two 17 mm nuts off the bolts that hold the link to the rocker and the engine cradle, push the front bolt out the right side first. The swing arm may need to be raised slightly to allow the bolt to slide out. Next remove the rear mounting bolt out the left side.  The stock link should now drop out the bottom. 

2)   Remove the two inner sleeves out of the stock link and reinstall them in the new link.  **Important: The new KoubaLink comes with new bearings and seals, but does not come with the new inside sleeves.  After installing these sleeves from the stock links inside the ends of the new link it is ready to be installed on the bike.

3)   Install the Koubalink by holding it up inside the front and rear mounting brackets on the bike (grease fittings facing down/engraving readable from the right) and push the rear mounting bolt in from the left side first, then push the front bolt in from the right side after aligning the mounting eye with the front bracket eyes.  You will have to raise the rear wheel to align these eyes.  Install  the two 17 mm mounting bolt nuts, and torque to approx. 25 lb-ft.  (Some years have a flat washer under one or both mounting bolt nuts) You may want to pump a little grease into the two grease fittings at his point. 

4)  For the best performance, set the race sag (amount of vertical movement of the rear axle FROM no weight to bike weight plus rider weight) at 3.50" with rider in full riding gear, standing on the pegs.  If the links are for lowering purposes ONLY, sag can be set at 4.0", and will lower the rear of the bike approx. 1"on the XR400 and 1.5" on the XR250. The easiest way we have found to adjust the rear spring preload is to use a long punch to loosen the top jam nut and grasp the spring at the bottom and turn the spring and the preload nut at the same time.  **You may have to put some lube on the shock threads to allow the nut to turn freely.  Turning the spring/nut "clockwise" increases the preload and decreases the sag.  Do not forget to tighten the jam nut with the punch after setting the sag.

5)   Loosen the eight (four per leg) 12 mm headed pinch bolts on the triple clamps and the two upper fork boot clamps, slide the fork tubes up until the top of the fork cap flange is between .475"(4th index mark) and .750" (depending on where the rear sag is set) above the top of the upper triple clamp. (The newer model 400's come from the factory with the fork tube's set at the 3rd index mark even with the top of the triple clamp which is .375" above the top triple clamp.) Torque the eight triple clamp pinch bolts to 15 lb-ft., tighten the fork boot clamps and you should be done.  Disclaimer:  Lowering the rear more than the front can change the geometry and could affect the handling, also sliding the fork tubes up too far will allow the tire to contact the fender/triple clamp on full compression, so be careful out there. 

If you like what the KoubaLink does for your suspension, please tell everyone, if you do not, please tell us.  We can be contacted at our email address below and are always interested in your questions or comments.
 

Norm Kouba
Email: njkouba@ix.netcom.com

    Ordering info. and pricing can be found on our ORDER FORM.

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Right Side View Stock Link             04 XR400R      Right Side View After Installation

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