What's Your Secret?

What's the order you guys use to put in a motor? I've seen lots of awesome restoration pictures with the motor alone in the frame, thinking "they must put the motor in first then place the swingarm in, but I can't get past the bottom rear motor mount. The frame gets in the way of sliding the bolt in, so I lift the motor up and forward, swing the rear motor mount up and forward, slide the bottom bolt through, then drop the motor back to finish. Last thing is the front plates. I put the motor in first then place the front plates. What do you guys do?

If you are working on the 1978 OR I am sure you can put the engine in with the swingarm attached with the rear mount brackets on the swingarm pivot. The later models, it is better to have engine in first, then line up swingarm and pivot before tightening any mounts

Not quite following your method.I bolt the rear plates to the motor before putting it into the frame.Never really had any issues with the swing arm.

If you look in the manual for those early years it explains the way to remove/refit a engine.
cheers