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Installing an OUTEX Stem Stabilizer and Vibration Absorbing Lever Guards on the Hunter Cub (Trail125) Part 1

 7 min read

I had the opportunity to test ride OUTEX's Hunter Cub (Trail125) demo bike for a previous article. I liked them so much that I impulsively bought the stem stabilizer and vibration-absorbing lever guards immediately after. The vibration-absorbing lever guard, as the name suggests, reduces vibration. It definitely improves comfort, from city riding to long touring, and the stem stabilizer is an amazing part that dramatically improves the front of the bike. I've already talked about their effectiveness in the previous article, but since I bought them myself, now I can also show you the installation process.

Installing the Stem Stabilizer

First up is the stem stabilizer. Although the installation itself is not difficult, it must be tightened with appropriate torque because it is related to the stem, which is a very important component of the bike.

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As for tools, it can be installed with just a 6mm Allen wrench. However, the bolts are quite stiff, so it is easier if you have a large handle. Also, a torque wrench is necessary to control the amount of torque.

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■6mm Allen wrench and torque wrench

First, let's remove the bolts that fasten the fork to the stem. It is dangerous to remove all the bolts from both the left and right sides at once, so work one side at a time. Remove the upper and lower bolts, and attach the stem stabilizer using the bolts, collars, and washers that come with the product. Then do the same on the other side.

The upper bolt is not stuck that hard, so there should be no particular difficulty getting it off.

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■Upper fork fastening bolt. Use a 6mm Allen wrench to remove.

The lower bolt is quite stiff. At first, I started working with a 1/4 (6.35mm) tool, but I couldn't apply force properly, so I switched to a 3/8 (9.5mm) T-type wrench.

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■The lower bolt also comes off with a 6mm Allen wrench; this part may be quite hard to remove on some bikes.

Here is the removed lower bolt. I thought it was quite hard to get off and it seems to be coated with a thread-locking agent.

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■I thought it was stuck on hard, and sure enough, thread lock has been applied. It's a critical component after all.

We won't be using the stock bolts anymore, so put them away somewhere you won't lose them.

To install the stem stabilizer, we will use the bolts, washers, and collars that come with it. Note that there are long and short bolts and collars.

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■The top is the short bolt and short collar, bottom is the long bolt and long collar.

When putting it together the order should be bolt, washer, stem stabilizer, and then collar.

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■Pay attention to the order and the length of the collar and bolt!

Now it is time to install it on the bike and tighten the bolts temporarily. When temporarily tightening the stem bolts, the direction of entry is different for the upper and lower parts, so tighten carefully.

After tightening temporarily and making sure it is in the correct position, use a torque wrench to fully tighten the bolts. The torque value is 27 Nm as described in the manual.

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■The torque is 27 Nm.

Tighten the upper and lower parts with a torque wrench to the proper torque.

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■After temporarily tightening to check position, tighten fully with a torque wrench.

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■The lower side is also tightened to 27 Nm.

The other side is installed in the same manner, and then you're done. I purchased the black one, but there are quite a few variations in finish and color, such as red that matches the stock body color.

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■I was really torn between red and black, but it looks even better than I imagined!

I will install the vibration-absorbing lever guards in Part 2!

Yo
Yo

editor

Yo

Webike Japan's global merchandiser who is passionate about motorcycles. Born in Japan, and spent his childhood in the US. 25 years of riding experience mainly on the tarmac and motorcycle market. He loves products made in Japan and considers himself a "Japan Parts evangelist".