Pin wrench anyone ?

Hey all,

Final preparation for the 10K km trip, but I'm still missing one important tool : what seem to be called a pin wrench, see the pic here.

Went to several markets, B&Q, taobao, nobody have this kind of tool.

Why is it so important you may ask ? This tool is to set the rear mono-suspension setting, from "soft" to "hard", which I'll need for sure with 170kg on the bike, human being included of course :icon10: .
No way I'll be doing 10K km with the suspension setting on "soft".... Any advice on how to find one, or to change the setting without it maybe ?

Dear Fred,

My collection of bicycle tools includes something quite similar to that, which could work, depending on the size. You are welcome to give it a shot. Bicycle shops in Shanghai are slowly improving, but I've yet to see one that features a full complement of tools for purchase.

Lemme know if you'd like to give mine a try. I could ping a picture to you, and the dimensions.

cheers!

Chinese calls its as 勾扳手. Plenty in taobao

Before you spend the money, make sure you can actually reach it without disassembling the whole bike. Many of those adjustment rings are almost impossible to get those wrenches on.


Hammer and a long, thin piece of wood work just as well.


Cheers!
ChinaV

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fred

I'm still missing one important tool : what seem to be called a pin wrench, Any advice on how to find one....

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G'Day,

Tool / hardware stores on the lower part of Beijing Road (towards the Bund) for good quality pin wrenches or a scooter / motorbike shop that sells shocks for cheapos....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TB-Racing

G'Day,

Tool / hardware stores on the lower part of Beijing Road (towards the Bund) for good quality pin wrenches or a scooter / motorbike shop that sells shocks for cheapos....

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Yes, you can buy a set of shocks for 150 RMB and the wrench is included.

a rock and a piece of reo bar
if all else fails

G'Day,

If you need one, let me know, checked the tool boxes and found a few......

Guys, sorry not to have replied sooner, so busy with the moving out (and staying in hotel until the start of the trip), the last 2 weeks at work after 8 years in the same company = handover mess, + an unexpected trip to France last week....
Thanks for all the help and the offer, it's really appreciated.

I'll try to taobao it thanks to humanbeing chinese, if that fails, I might take you up on your offer TB-racing !
From what I was able to dig on the mighty net, it's supposed to be a 120mm ring for the rear shock setting on the YBR250, so that'll be what I'll be looking for on taobao.

Will keep you posted, thanks again !

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fred

I might take you up on your offer TB-racing ! Will keep you posted, thanks again !

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G'Day,

Not sure the shock pin wrenches I have will fit, you can have two of them, no worries, only day I am downtown for the next couple of weeks is tomorrow (29/03) very early evening (around 18:00hrs. French Concession).
Shoot me PM if you have time to meet and will handover the pin wrenches, not a problem.

I used this old school bicycle bottom bracket tool to snug up my neck bearings.... might work

http://www.parktool.com/product/cran...t-wrench-hcw-5

In a pinch a carefully placed screw driver tapped by a hammer would also work.

this is actually known as a C spanner.
ask 4 by this name might work

Hey guys, sorry again for the lack of replies.
I went to several garages/shops, and everybody told me that they didn't have the right tools and that it was downright impossible to change the settings on the rear mono-shock of the YBR250, including the Peugeot bikes garage on Yuyao lu.

Then today I went to the one place I should have gone to in the first place, the Yamaha bike shop.... Duh...

There they heard me, told me to go to the back with my bike, took a tool completely different from the ones in this thread, a tool with many "pins" which actually takes half the diameter of the adjustment ring, they put it on the ring of the shock, turned it (2 guys doing that as it was quite hard to move it), then click, it moved !
So now it's all good, the rear shock is stiffer, perfect for the start of the trip, which is... tomorrow !

On the ride home I could definitely feel the stiffer suspension, and I actually liked the feeling of the bike a lot with this setting and solo riding. Something I'll have to remember with all my bikes now...

Thanks for your help and offers guys !

Fred,
I just changed the spring setting to the stiffest setting. Which setting do you use? Me and my girlfriend an all packings weighed up too much for the 4th setting, so we just changed it to the 5th one here in chengdu. we didnt have any troubles changing this at the yamaha dealers after showing them the pictures in the chinese manual. The whole spring had to be dropped though, which I must say is quite easy. The trick with the screwdriver and hammer didnt work, its too stuck.

Bartez88, your post could not come at a better time.
In Shanghai I had the rear mono-shock changed to 4, and they assured me it will be ok for 2 people + luggage.
Now, after all the bad roads we had (dirt and stones for tenths of kms...), it is taking its toll on the drive chain. I had to adjust it in Kunming, but now we are in Liangshan (Xichang), Sichuan, and its already ready for another adjustment.
My theory (maybe I'm wrong...) is that it is because of the spring setting, too "soft" for all the weight on the bike.

So to cut a long story short, could you please tell me where did you have your spring setting changed in Chengdu (we will be there in 4 days) ?
Is it at the JinMo place, on Wuxing lu, the one mentioned by CrazyCarl ?

I also ordered a new chain on Taobao, to have it delivered at the already booked hotel in Chengdu from May 9th.

Thanks in advance for the info !

Cheers,

Fred

Is the drive chain too tight? Everybody has their own theory of checking the tightness of the chain, I always check it with full weight on it as this is the setting for most of the driving time. It always needs a bit of slack. The manual recommends to do it in standing position but I recon this is only when there is hardly any weight on it and when its new. When there is more wheight the shock goes down alot which changes the chain tightness.
I had the spring setting changed in the south west of chengdu. The yamaha dealer, but they are no proffessionals. I had to show them how to change the shock setting. I recommend going to the north parts market, eventhough I have not been there.
We are leaving chengdu this morning to head to xian, see the terracotta warriors :)