Monarch II Auxiliary Shock

[durango9]

I would appreciate your help and any detailed step instructions for the replacement of the Auxiliary shock on my Monarch II straight axle . I am installing the Heavy Duty shock on my 2012 GL1800 and could use some guidance.

I plan on raising the Trike off the floor using jack stands under the differential high enough to remove the rear wheels. This would also give me some working room. From that point, I'm not clear as to where on the frame I need to jack up to take the tension off the existing shock. Also not clear as to what if anything I would need to do with the settings of the GL's shock.

Thanks for your help

[Lee H. Mann]

Place a jack beneath the rear axle housing differential.

Raise the rear axle enough to put jack stands on either side.

I usually remove the wheels and place the stands under the brake rotor. Not on the edge of the rotor but on the flat of the rotor.

Lower the jack until the rotors are just resting on the stands. If your trike has efx boards and they were installed with an additional support bracket, you can place the flat jack beneath that support bracket and raise the motorcycle. If there is no support bracket where the center stand was mounted, you can take a small 2x4 and place it beneath where the old center stand was and raise the motorcycle from that point.

It will be necessary to disconnect dog-bone-link, or as honda refers to it “rod-sub-assembly” at the arm-sub-assembly.

Break loose the bolt and nut and remove the nut.

Using your paddle jack you can now raise the motorcycle slowly until you can rotate the bolt and remove it.

Now you can raise the motorcycle enough to easily remove the aux shock.

On the left side of the motorcycle behind the starter/reverse relays there is a plastic fender that surrounds the upper mount of the aux shock.

I use a 1" hole saw to cut through the plastic fender for access to the upper bolt/sleeve. There is a sleeve that goes through the upper shock eye and through both sides of the mounting bracket. Once the bolt is removed, the sleeve can be pushed or driven out. The shock should then be free at the top.

Disconnect the lower stabilizer link bolt at the lower shock mount and remove the bolt.

There is also a sleeve that goes through the bottom of the aux shock that must be pushed out to remove the shock completely.

If you need more lift, you can adjust it with the paddle jack.

I suggest installing the shock on the lowest preload and adjusting the preload after the shock is installed.

[durango9]

Thanks Jim, for your response. This is exactly what I needed to feel comfortable in doing the job. At 79, I need an extra set of hands as mine are not what they used to be..

With your input to follow the job should be a simple process.

Thanks again as always for your help

Place a jack beneath the rear axle housing differential.

Raise the rear axle enough to put jack stands on either side.

I usually remove the wheels and place the stands under the brake rotor. Not on the edge of the rotor but on the flat of the rotor.

Lower the jack until the rotors are just resting on the stands. If your trike has efx boards and they were installed with an additional support bracket, you can place the flat jack beneath that support bracket and raise the motorcycle. If there is no support bracket where the center stand was mounted, you can take a small 2x4 and place it beneath where the old center stand was and raise the motorcycle from that point.

It will be necessary to disconnect dog-bone-link, or as honda refers to it “rod-sub-assembly” at the arm-sub-assembly.

Break loose the bolt and nut and remove the nut.

Using your paddle jack you can now raise the motorcycle slowly until you can rotate the bolt and remove it.

Now you can raise the motorcycle enough to easily remove the aux shock.

On the left side of the motorcycle behind the starter/reverse relays there is a plastic fender that surrounds the upper mount of the aux shock.

I use a 1" hole saw to cut through the plastic fender for access to the upper bolt/sleeve. There is a sleeve that goes through the upper shock eye and through both sides of the mounting bracket. Once the bolt is removed, the sleeve can be pushed or driven out. The shock should then be free at the top.

Disconnect the lower stabilizer link bolt at the lower shock mount and remove the bolt.

There is also a sleeve that goes through the bottom of the aux shock that must be pushed out to remove the shock completely.

If you need more lift, you can adjust it with the paddle jack.

I suggest installing the shock on the lowest preload and adjusting the preload after the shock is installed.

[Lee H. Mann]

Hope that you are successful in the chore and without to much aggravation.

[durango9]

Is there any advantage to either increasing or decreasing the Std GL Nono shock for an easier replacement.

Hope that you are successful in the chore and without to much aggravation.

[Lee H. Mann]

Is there any advantage to either increasing or decreasing the Std GL Nono shock for an easier replacement.

For replacing the lateral Lehman shock, the answer is NO.

More than likely you have the updated 1100-1200 spring on the OEM shock. If you are not changing out that spring there is no need to move that adjustment but I would suggest adjusting it to ZERO before you start. If you are changing the OEM spring also, then you do need to adjust to ZERO for ease in disassembly.

[durango9]

Yes Jim, I have the updated OEM shock (1100-1200 spring) so no need to adjust it.

I do plan however, on relaxing the existing Lehman aux. to the lowest notch, before installing the heavy duty replacement.

Thanks again for your help.

For replacing the lateral Lehman shock, the answer is NO.

More than likely you have the updated 1100-1200 spring on the OEM shock. If you are not changing out that spring there is no need to move that adjustment but I would suggest adjusting it to ZERO before you start. If you are changing the OEM spring also, then you do need to adjust to ZERO for ease in disassembly.

[Lee H. Mann]

Yes Jim, I have the updated OEM shock (1100-1200 spring) so no need to adjust it.

I do plan however, on relaxing the existing Lehman aux. to the lowest notch, before installing the heavy duty replacement.

Thanks again for your help.

After the install and before you put the wheels back on, from the right side of the trike, crank the shock to the top setting for full preload. Be sure to LUBE the step ramp to make it as easy as possible to turn. Then you can set the OEM on 5 or 6 for a test ride.