[spacewrench]

Was there anything tricky in removing the front shock (assuming the bodywork is off)?

It looks like you remove the silver knob (one philips screw) and then ... my shock appears to have a single-flatted nut under that, not a hex nut like the manual shows. Is there any trick to that? Heat it up, hold some other piece somehow, etc?

Will the front end collapse with the shock out? (I guess I could make it rear-heavy by taking off the front wheel.) Or maybe with the shock out, the front end no longer pulls down the headstock, so the bike rocks onto the rear wheel?)