Hey,
So the other day i was out riding and I hit a patch of gravel in a turn and lowsided my bike. Luckily, I am basically uninjured. However, the same cannot be said for my bike. Most of the damage appears cosmetic and I am not too worried about replacing fairings and such. I was able to start the bike back up and it ran alright when I rode it home. However, I am pretty certain my forks are bent. I was able to straighten the handlebars enough on the side of the road to get the bike home, but they aren't straight by any means, and the front wheel looks out of alignment. I had to make the front fender very loose to get it to stop rubbing on the tire to get the bike home.
If I were to buy new forks, is this a repair that I can do myself relatively easily? I do not have a lot of experience, but I am not afraid do do a repair as long as there isn't much risk of making anything worse, haha. Also, is it possible that the front axle is bent? I don't know a whole lot about the front end of the bike, so I could be completely wrong about what parts need replaced. Any advice you guys have would be helpful. I can post some pictures when I get home if there's any parts you guys want a look at.
Unless the bike ran into something hard, its unlikely that you bent the forks in a lowside. More often the forks are just rotated in the triple trees.
Put the front tire against something solid, like a brick wall, and loosen all the bolts holding the forks to the triple trees. Most likely everything will slide back into alignment.
Quote from: Bluesmudge on August 22, 2016, 08:19:00 AM
Unless the bike ran into something hard, its unlikely that you bent the forks in a lowside. More often the forks are just rotated in the triple trees.
Put the front tire against something solid, like a brick wall, and loosen all the bolts holding the forks to the triple trees. Most likely everything will slide back into alignment.
Okay, I will loosen everything up and see what happens tonight. Thanks for the advice. If that's all it takes to get the front wheel aligned with the handlebars, I'll be so happy lol. New front end parts look expensive.
Quote from: qcbaker on August 22, 2016, 08:23:36 AM
Quote from: Bluesmudge on August 22, 2016, 08:19:00 AM
Unless the bike ran into something hard, its unlikely that you bent the forks in a lowside. More often the forks are just rotated in the triple trees.
Put the front tire against something solid, like a brick wall, and loosen all the bolts holding the forks to the triple trees. Most likely everything will slide back into alignment.
Okay, I will loosen everything up and see what happens tonight. Thanks for the advice. If that's all it takes to get the front wheel aligned with the handlebars, I'll be so happy lol. New front end parts look expensive.
So I went home over my lunch break and took a closer look at the forks. the left one (the side the bike went down on) is definitely rotated a little bit, so that may explain the front wheel being misaligned. However, I still think the fork may be bent. The front wheel looks a bit closer to the lower part of the fairing than I remember it usually being. I wont know for sure until I get home and pull the front cowling off and get a closer look when I try to straighten everything out. I will post a picture of the forks with everything pulled off.
If it is bent slightly, could i put it in a vice and try to straighten it out manually? Or is that something you guys would advise against?
If your fork is actually bent (which I doubt), then you will not be able to repair it.
GS forks are too cheap. Just find a used set on eBay, craigslist, or GStwins.
Quote from: Bluesmudge on August 22, 2016, 10:49:22 AM
If your fork is actually bent (which I doubt), then you will not be able to repair it.
GS forks are too cheap. Just find a used set on eBay, craigslist, or GStwins.
Okay, good to know. Thanks. The only price i had looked at so far was for new ones from Partzilla. I hadn't priced out used ones yet.
So the forks are DEFINITELY bent:
(http://i64.tinypic.com/epqja1.jpg)
I'm gonna order a replacement set on eBay soon, anything I should know about model/year compatibility?
Hi qcbaker, sorry to hear about your lowside ! Glad you are OK
I'm gonna quote Bluesmudge to answer your question cuz this just came up in a thread last week:
"The forks did change slightly through the years but if you swap out the whole fork leg they are compatible with all years."
I also agree with him saying it's a good idea to put in new seals and fresh oil... especially with a used set of forks.
Good luck !! :cheers:
Yeah, I'd say that's bent! I've got a set, just came off a '97 today. Couldn't tell where you're located, but I can let these go for cheaply ... I'm in Milwaukee WI area, drop me a line. robb.zimdars@gmail.com
Quote from: ShowBizWolf on August 22, 2016, 07:42:08 PM
Hi qcbaker, sorry to hear about your lowside ! Glad you are OK
I'm gonna quote Bluesmudge to answer your question cuz this just came up in a thread last week:
"The forks did change slightly through the years but if you swap out the whole fork leg they are compatible with all years."
I also agree with him saying it's a good idea to put in new seals and fresh oil... especially with a used set of forks.
Good luck !! :cheers:
Yeah, I was planning to put in new seals and oil or at least have the shop do it when i take it for inspection. The bike is due, so i figured once i make all the repairs I'm comfortable doing, i'll take it to the professionals so they can check everything out.
Quote from: windingroads on August 22, 2016, 07:46:39 PM
Yeah, I'd say that's bent! I've got a set, just came off a '97 today. Couldn't tell where you're located, but I can let these go for cheaply ... I'm in Milwaukee WI area, drop me a line. robb.zimdars@gmail.com
I'll send you an email and we'll see if your set will work out for me.
Thanks for all your help, guys!
A couple (hopefully last) questions:
When the bike went down, I lost my left mirror, both left turn signals, and my left bar end.
1. Since I lost the bar end, obviously the left handlebar hit the ground pretty hard. Do you think its likely the handlebars themselves are bent? I haven't really inspected them super closely as they don't look bent upon first glance. If they're bent, I may consider trying out the Suburban Machinery SV650 handlebars, as I really like the look of them. However, I am not sure what effects they have on the handling. Anyone have any other handlebar recommendations?
2. Since I have to replace the mirrors and turn signals anyway, do you guys have any recommendations for aftermarket options for these parts that are as good as stock or better, for less than stock? I am leaning towards aftermarket signals anyway, as I don't like how far the stock ones stick out, but I don't want flush mounts or anything that isn't nice and visible. As for the mirrors, I've read on here that Katana mirrors fit, but I haven't seen any pictures. I didn't hate the stock ones, but if i can find some that are as good or better for cheaper that look decent, I'd probably go for that.
Thanks in advance
Handle bar is just a preference thing. Aluminum vs steel. Sporty vs comfy. Any 7/8" bar should work -- most without any modifications. Just note that non-oem bars will not come with the holes drilled for the little tabs on the bar controls. You either have to drill them yourself or cut the plastic tabs off your controls.
Turn signals are also just personal preference. I recommend sticking with something DOT approved. I actually really like the stock F model signals because they are very visible to other motorists.
I'm not sure who makes them or where they were purchased as the PO of my bike installed them, but I really like the turn signals on my GS. Instead of a hard plastic, they are flexible where they attach to the fairing, so they don't push through the plastic or break if (when) the bike is dropped. Just something to consider...
I'll see if I can find a brand name or something when I get home for anyone that might be interested.
Quote from: Bluesmudge on August 25, 2016, 11:44:15 AM
Handle bar is just a preference thing. Aluminum vs steel. Sporty vs comfy. Any 7/8" bar should work -- most without any modifications. Just note that non-oem bars will not come with the holes drilled for the little tabs on the bar controls. You either have to drill them yourself or cut the plastic tabs off your controls.
Turn signals are also just personal preference. I recommend sticking with something DOT approved. I actually really like the stock F model signals because they are very visible to other motorists.
A buddy of mine has aftermarket handlebars on his bike and what he did for his control switches was to file the plastic tabs down, but then wrap the portion of the bar that the control assembly clamps on in a layer or two of some kind of tape. I think it was electrical tape, but it might've been sports tape that he just colored black or something. cant remember for sure. In any case, that seemed to keep his switches from rotating well enough. If I did non-OEM handlebars, i'd probably do something like that rather than drill the bar, since it seems like less work lol.
Might not even matter though, since I'm not gonna mess with the handlebars if I can determine they aren't bent. Got my new forks today, gonna change out the fork oil and install them, and while I'm doing that, I'll closely inspect the handlebars.
As for turn signals, I've been looking at some from my local cyclegear and I found a couple options I think I like. What I'm going to do is take the right signal with me to the store and compare it to the options they have, and select ones that are similar in size/shape, but have a shorter stalk. Also while I'm there, I'm gonna get some new 7/8" bar ends, whatever is closest to the stock ones and is reasonably priced. May bring the remaining mirror along as well to see if I can find any that will fit as well.
Another thing that occured to me:
Since I have to replace the rear side fairing, and the set I ordered comes with a new seat lock. The old one is gone (probably, maybe its still on the side of the road where I wrecked lol) so I cant just swap the locks. I'll need to rekey the cylinder, right? If so, anyone have any tips on that? As far as I can tell, I'd need to disassemble the lock, then swap the wafers around until its almost flush, then file the wafers down so its completely flush. That sound about right? I have some lockpicking experience (nothing illegal lol) so I'm not afraid to take apart the lock and mess with it, just making sure I have the right idea here.
This keeps getting worse and worse lol. I took the front wheel off in order to install my new forks, and look what i found when I tapped out the front axle:
(http://i63.tinypic.com/3091qgp.jpg)
Guess I'll need a new one of those too...
Ugh that stinks!!! So many things :technical:
When I replaced my turn signals I bought some super cool LED ones off ebay... yeah they lasted a whole two seconds lol. Cheap garbage and I also encountered the whole "not flashing correctly, staying on solid, now what do I do" thing when it comes to swapping in LED's for the signals. Threw those out and kept looking.
I remember searching for OEM signals (again on ebay) from different sport bikes to see what I liked... and I found a great deal on 4 gixxer signals. I liked the shape, they are made well and I didn't have to mess with the LED thing. PLUS I knew that if I ever needed another one, there would always be ones for sale. I'd know exactly what to search for instead of having to scroll through listing after listing for "universal motorcycle turn signals" or whatever :D
When I bought my bike, it was rashed and beat up like crazy on the right side. The forks were bent and so were the handlebars. I couldn't even tell by looking at them unless I crouched down and looked at them from a certain angle... the impact the bike suffered from the right side bent them the tiniest bit... plus they were faded and rusty so they had to go.
I ended up getting a $25 superbike bar. It's the smallest bit lower than the stock bars and they are super super comfortable. I've always wanted to try clipons or clubmans, mainly for looks... but the superbike bars are SO comfortable (I know I just said that) that I just don't wanna mess up how correct my posture feels with my current setup.
I'm trying to remember but I think twocool has the Suburban bars ? You could send a pm to get an opinion on them (although if I am actually remembering correctly, Cookie really likes them).
Hang in there with the repairs!!! :thumb:
Quote from: ShowBizWolf on August 26, 2016, 02:56:47 PM
Ugh that stinks!!! So many things :technical:
When I replaced my turn signals I bought some super cool LED ones off ebay... yeah they lasted a whole two seconds lol. Cheap garbage and I also encountered the whole "not flashing correctly, staying on solid, now what do I do" thing when it comes to swapping in LED's for the signals. Threw those out and kept looking.
I remember searching for OEM signals (again on ebay) from different sport bikes to see what I liked... and I found a great deal on 4 gixxer signals. I liked the shape, they are made well and I didn't have to mess with the LED thing. PLUS I knew that if I ever needed another one, there would always be ones for sale. I'd know exactly what to search for instead of having to scroll through listing after listing for "universal motorcycle turn signals" or whatever :D
When I bought my bike, it was rashed and beat up like crazy on the right side. The forks were bent and so were the handlebars. I couldn't even tell by looking at them unless I crouched down and looked at them from a certain angle... the impact the bike suffered from the right side bent them the tiniest bit... plus they were faded and rusty so they had to go.
I ended up getting a $25 superbike bar. It's the smallest bit lower than the stock bars and they are super super comfortable. I've always wanted to try clipons or clubmans, mainly for looks... but the superbike bars are SO comfortable (I know I just said that) that I just don't wanna mess up how correct my posture feels with my current setup.
I'm trying to remember but I think twocool has the Suburban bars ? You could send a pm to get an opinion on them (although if I am actually remembering correctly, Cookie really likes them).
Hang in there with the repairs!!! :thumb:
I got some new bar ends and some turn signals at the shop. Bar ends are weighted tapered ones, and they're pretty nice looking. No idea how they affect vibrations yet, as I still cant ride the bike lol. The turn signals I got are very similar to stock, but they have a shorter stalk so they sit closer to the bike. I'll know for sure how I like them once I get a new cowling and everything and put them on, but they seem pretty nice just holding them up to the cowling off the bike.
As for the bars, I forgot to inspect them closely because I was too busy messing about with the front end lol. I'll probably end up replacing them eventually anyway, just to get a sportier riding position.
Quote from: qcbaker on August 25, 2016, 07:42:29 PM
This keeps getting worse and worse lol. I took the front wheel off in order to install my new forks, and look what i found when I tapped out the front axle:
I think you should also check the wheel and brake disc for run-out too.
And if its done that to the axle-bolt you should consider replacing the wheel bearings, you may well have cracked a race :dunno_black:
(http://i63.tinypic.com/3091qgp.jpg)
Guess I'll need a new one of those too...
Errrm... simple downside did that to forks and axle?! ... when you and the bike went down... what did the bike hit after that while sliding? ... it takes some force or speed to bend stuff like that!
:thumb:
... downside- lowside. .. stupid auto correct!
Quote from: Janx101 on August 26, 2016, 10:04:16 PM
Errrm... simple downside did that to forks and axle?! ... when you and the bike went down... what did the bike hit after that while sliding? ... it takes some force or speed to bend stuff like that!
:thumb:
Well, when the bike went down, it did slide into a small ditch, and the ditch had some rocks at the bottom, so maybe it hit those weird. I was only going like 30 mph, so I'm as surprised as anyone lol.
Quote from: sledge on August 26, 2016, 09:36:49 PM
I think you should also check the wheel and brake disc for run-out too.
And if its done that to the axle-bolt you should consider replacing the wheel bearings, you may well have cracked a race :dunno_black:
Hadn't considered that, but that makes sense. I'll inspect that once I get the wheel back on.
Also, I'm taking the bike to get inspected once I fix everything that I know needs fixed. So, hopefully any issues that I miss get taken care of at that time.
30mph into a ditch with a sudden stop against hard objects would do it probably... in the world of speed, 30mph admittedly isn't fast. .. but in the world of impacts/force its significant!
Quote from: Janx101 on August 28, 2016, 10:04:47 PM
30mph into a ditch with a sudden stop against hard objects would do it probably... in the world of speed, 30mph admittedly isn't fast. .. but in the world of impacts/force its significant!
Good thing I was wearing all my gear then, I guess. Because all I have in the way of injuries is a slightly sore thumb lol.
Quote from: sledge on August 26, 2016, 09:36:49 PM
I think you should also check the wheel and brake disc for run-out too.
And if its done that to the axle-bolt you should consider replacing the wheel bearings, you may well have cracked a race :dunno_black:
Looked a bit at the wheel bearings, and nothing looks cracked. I think they have shifted slightly where they sit in the wheel, but it looks like I should be able to just push them back down. Not sure about the brake rotor yet as my new axle hasn't arrived for me to put everything back together. Will post an update when I get the axle and get everything put back on.
Lastly, I looked a bit more closely at the front cowling, and while it has a little bit of rash, and some very small cracks, it appears to be in okay shape. So, at least I don't have to replace that lol. New side fairing came, and rear fairings are supposed to be here today, so slowly but surely, I'll get this thing back on the road.
So I got the rear fairing today, and I made a dumb mistake since I was rushing to order all the parts. The one that I ordered was a left, center, and right fairing set with the seat lock assembly included. So, of course, I jumped on that since I needed all of those parts except the right fairing. I didn't notice that, in the pictures 3 of the 4 mounting points for the left fairing are broken. Dummy move on my part, should've looked more closely at what I was buying. So, now I've gotta return the set, order new left and center plastics and a new seat lock/cable/latch set.
Put a new fork in yet? When I crashed my bike the clamps/steering stem unit was bent too. Tried to put in a new fork and couldn't get the bottom and top clamps lined up properly because of this.
Quote from: kapiteinkoek on August 31, 2016, 11:42:21 AM
Put a new fork in yet? When I crashed my bike the clamps/steering stem unit was bent too. Tried to put in a new fork and couldn't get the bottom and top clamps lined up properly because of this.
I haven't put the new fork in yet, because of the axle, but I hadn't considered that the triple clamps may be bent up as well... I guess its just as likely that that bent too, given how fouled up everything else is. I'll check on that tonight, hopefully the forks go in straight. *fingers crossed*
I've got a front axle asm here if you need one. I know it fits the forks, it used to be in them :) Was hoping to find someone to come get ALL the rest of this stuff, but a good amount of it is still here. Wheels, the titled frame assembly, mirrors, wiring harness. Both axles, headlight (slight rash on the rim, but functional and presentable). Good battery, tail light, seat in decent shape. Tank with bedliner on the outside. All four signals, foot controls, the carbs, airbag, front fender, and brakes (front lever bent, but all working fine). Anything else you need?
Robb in Sussex WI
So, update for you guys:
Got the axle today. When I went to install the new set of forks that I bought from Robb, I found that they did not slide in properly, as kapiteinkoek predicted. However, it was only ever so slightly off, just close enough to temp me to try and force everything in, but off enough that it would be an extremely bad idea to do so. However, I believe I now have a proper explanation as to how the front end suffered so much damage in what i thought was a relatively minor crash. As I was working, I noticed a few issues: The 2 parts protruding from the front of the frame do not appear to be centered properly, and the welds on them look thicker than I would expect (I could be wrong though). I am not sure what they're called, but here is a picture of the parts I am referring to (not my bike):
(http://i68.tinypic.com/2qdph7k.png)
My current hypothesis is that one of the previous owner (probably the owner before the girl I bought it from, as she only had it for a few months) wrecked the bike pretty bad, and severely messed up the front end. These parts were "repaired" and new forks were put in. I imagine they ran into a similar issue with the triple clamps not aligning perfectly, but in the name of cost cutting, forced everything together, which created a lot of pressure in the steering assembly. So, when I had my relatively minor crash, the forces exerted on the forks and axle were much greater than they normally would have been, leading to them being bent up so badly. Does this seem like a reasonable assumption to you guys?
In any case, I am going to replace the steering assembly to fix it right this time.
Quote from: windingroads on September 01, 2016, 02:51:37 PM
I've got a front axle asm here if you need one. I know it fits the forks, it used to be in them :) Was hoping to find someone to come get ALL the rest of this stuff, but a good amount of it is still here. Wheels, the titled frame assembly, mirrors, wiring harness. Both axles, headlight (slight rash on the rim, but functional and presentable). Good battery, tail light, seat in decent shape. Tank with bedliner on the outside. All four signals, foot controls, the carbs, airbag, front fender, and brakes (front lever bent, but all working fine). Anything else you need?
Robb in Sussex WI
I already bought a new axle, but do you have the steering stem assembly? And do you know if it will fit an '05 GS500F?
ugh the things people do !!!! >:(
:star: :star: :star: for you for fixing this GS the right way and taking good care of it :cheers:
Thinking more about it now, I guess it is within the realm of possibility that I did just bend the steering stem during my crash, which is why the clamps are misaligned now. No real way to know for sure :dunno_black: It was the issues with those protrusions on the front of the frame that led me to suspect that the lower clamp was bent before my crash, but I have to admit, maybe I'm just reaching for any sort of explanation for the extent of the damage other than "It hit the ditch in a really unfortunate way" lol.
I still have the lower clamp with the steering stem, still in the frame in face. Snapped a pic, but this forum isn't letting me upload regardless of how much I shrink the file ... have a lot of trouble posting here in general, for whatever reason. Anyhow, maybe someone can confirm it'll fit your year, again mine was a '97. Let me know if you need it. Robb Z.
Quote from: windingroads on September 01, 2016, 08:24:37 PM
I still have the lower clamp with the steering stem, still in the frame in face. Snapped a pic, but this forum isn't letting me upload regardless of how much I shrink the file ... have a lot of trouble posting here in general, for whatever reason. Anyhow, maybe someone can confirm it'll fit your year, again mine was a '97. Let me know if you need it. Robb Z.
I definitely need it, and I would imagine that if the forks fit that the lower clamp/steering stem isn't much different. You still have my email, right? Just send me an email with the pics and a price and we can work it out.
Another thing:
I'm not sure I really explained the situation with the frame protrustion things (I'm just gonna call them steering stops from here on out since I dont know the real name but thats what they do) well enough. When I turn the handlebars to the left, they go far enough that my left hand controls basically hit the gas tank (actually made a small dent in my tank during my crash), but when i turn them to the right, the don't go anywhere near as far. This seems to be because the steering stop piece on the frame is cocked a bit to the left. Is this normal? I don't think I've ever seen another bike where this was the case...
I'll post a picture tonight when i get home. Hopefully I can get the new steering stem soon and actually get this thing back on the road.
Got new steering stem/lower triple clamp from Robb today. Installing it after work, hopefully I can get the front of the bike all reassembled and ridable tonight. Will post pics of post-wreck, the degree to which its disassembled now, and what it looks like all reassembled.
Quote from: qcbaker on September 12, 2016, 11:25:27 AM
Got new steering stem/lower triple clamp from Robb today. Installing it after work, hopefully I can get the front of the bike all reassembled and ridable tonight.
Update:
The good: Got the new steering stem installed and it made a world of difference. Forks went in almost effortlessly and I was able to get the front end assembled pretty easily. Basically, the bike is ridable now, I just need to put all the headlight and fairings and such back on. Bike still starts up with no problems, gonna add some oil and take a ride tomorrow if all goes well :woohoo:
The bad: remembered to look closely at the handlebars (finally lol) and they are definitely a little bent. Not bad enough that the bike is hard to steer or anything, but bad enough that I should replace them. Also, I forgot to take any pictures, so I'm an idiot lol.
With all that stuff bent as badly as it is I would be looking at the frame as well and maybe the engine mounts. That has had a BIG hit. more than a reasonable chance the chassis and horror of horrors, maybe even wheel cracks. CHECK EVERYTHING including chassis alignment.
There is more than reasonable chance the bike is not safe. Especially as the frame is a bolt together system and distributes forces asymmetrically along the frame.
Quote from: gregjet on September 13, 2016, 01:09:27 PM
With all that stuff bent as badly as it is I would be looking at the frame as well and maybe the engine mounts. That has had a BIG hit. more than a reasonable chance the chassis and horror of horrors, maybe even wheel cracks. CHECK EVERYTHING including chassis alignment.
There is more than reasonable chance the bike is not safe. Especially as the frame is a bolt together system and distributes forces asymmetrically along the frame.
The tail is slightly askew, so the subframe seems like it is ever so slightly bent. But I inspected the rest of the frame and didn't notice any other alignment issues or issues with the engine mounts or anything like that. And the wheels definitely aren't cracked in any way that I can see. I'm reasonably certain that the bike is safe to ride now that I've replaced the front end. Of course, I could be wrong, but I'm confident enough in my assessment that I feel comfortable riding with the risk for the time being. Thank you for the concern though.
Also, I'm taking the bike for inspection soon and I plan on letting them know about the crash and asking them to be extra thorough to see if they notice anything that I may have missed. The place I'm taking it to has done right by my dad and my friends for years, so hopefully they wont just take that as an excuse to tell me it needs a million things for inspection lol.
Update: Last night, torqued the axle and pinch nuts to spec (I hadn't actually torqued them down when I assembled everything last night), fixed and reinstalled the front brake (i had fully compressed the caliper by accident when I was messing with the steering prior to replacing anything), got the new cowling brace and old front cowl installed, and installed my new turn signals and my new mirrors as well. Ran out of time doing this stuff, so I didn't get to take a ride last night, but tonight I will hopefully.
I REALLY like the turn signal set now that they're on the bike. They're closer to the bike, and a little smaller than stock, so they're less obtrusive, but they're bright as hell and nicely visible.
I posted in another thread regarding my mirror choice, and I'm satisfied with them. For anyone who cares, I bought a set of aftermarket mirrors that were meant for an older GSXR (no integrated turn signals) since they were much cheaper than any GS mirrors I could find. The mounting point was exactly right, but I had been concerned that the angle of the mirrors was going to be a problem. However, once I got the mirrors installed, I found that while they weren't exactly horizontal, they were close enough that I'm happy with them.
Only things I have left to do are get a new handlebars (may go with the superbike bars for now just since they're so cheap and similar to stock and then upgrade to the Suburban Machinery ones later), install a new seat lock assembly (hopefully buying one from Iarn on here soon) and reinstall all the fairings. Until I get the seat lock, I'll just leave the rear fairings off so I can take the seat off if I need to.
Awesome to know about those mirrors! If you haven't already, you should update your mirror thread with the information and pics!!! :D Very glad it worked out for you and I know I've said it before but... +1 for superbike bars :star:
Quote from: ShowBizWolf on September 14, 2016, 01:15:47 PM
Awesome to know about those mirrors! If you haven't already, you should update your mirror thread with the information and pics!!! :D Very glad it worked out for you and I know I've said it before but... +1 for superbike bars :star:
I will try and do that tonight. And yeah, the superbike bars are looking pretty attractive right now because they're pretty similar to stock and I don't want to be spending a whole lot more on this, especially since I'm gonna get it inspected soon.
Possibly final repair update:
Threw the fairings on last night and went for a ride! Bike handled fine, no alignment issues to speak of. Bike reeeeeally needed oil. Maybe I just read it wrong when I got the bike and thought it had more oil than it did, because it doesn't seem to be leaking anywhere but it took 2.5 quarts of oil to get to full. Besides that, haven't had too many problems. There is one issue with shifting from first into neutral when parking, but the bike did that a couple of times before I crashed so I don't think it has entirely to do with my wreck. And I'm gonna make a separate thread about that anyway.
Things left to do: chain needs cleaned/lubed, still need seat lock assembly and need to put the rear left fairing on (I have it, just not on because I need to be able to unlatch the seat), and handlebars need replaced.
Thank you to everyone who helped me along the way to getting my bike back on the road, I really appreciate it!
Don't need to make a new thread about the shifting issue, fairly sure its an oil level issue. Not enough oil before, and I think its slightly overfilled at the moment. If I still have the problem after removing a little oil, then I may make a new thread.
So I have a sort of update:
I got new handlebars, decided to go with the Bikemaster Superbike bars, since they were cheap and similar to stock. I planned to install them yesterday, but when I parked the bike at work, I stupidly left my key in my bike with the ignition in the "on" position. (I was having a pretty crappy day and wasn't thinking right :icon_rolleyes:). So, when I walked out of work to ride home, of course my battery was dead. My dad came and we were able to jump start the bike. I rode it home and decided to go ride around for a little bit to charge the battery. Well, it died again at a stoplight. So we jumped it again, and I rode it home again, at which point I just removed the battery and put it on a tender.
So, I haven't installed the handlebars yet (installed the left hand grip onto the new bar though lol). I just thought you guys might enjoy a take of my idiocy regarding my bike lol.
Related question: As I was riding the bike home with the battery ultra low, intermittently the tach would just rapidly drop to 0 (the bikes actual revs did not change), most commonly when I let off the throttle to shift. Is this because the battery was really low, or is this indicative of a different, possibly related problem?
Ugh, sorry to hear about your crappy day qc :icon_sad:
I could be remembering wrong (something similar that happened on my bike a couple years ago) but it can't hurt to mention this about your tach... make sure the cable is tight/secure at both ends.
And congrats on the superbike bars!! Hope you like them ^_^
Update:
Got my new bars/grips on, and I really like them. The riding position and the soft gel on the grips make everything super comfortable. I finally remembered to take picture lol:
(http://i65.tinypic.com/e6dt37.jpg)
I accidentally scratched the paint on the bar a little when I was installing/adjusting everything, but I don't really care, its not like the rest of the bike isn't scratched up lol.
Superbike bars? I have the same ones, agree they are quite comfortable and better than the stock ones. They are also extremely easily scratched.
Quote from: mr72 on October 04, 2016, 09:19:07 AM
Superbike bars? I have the same ones, agree they are quite comfortable and better than the stock ones. They are also extremely easily scratched.
Glad to hear it wasn't solely me being clumsy while installing the brake, clutch levers lol. To be honest, I would've preferred matte back similar to stock instead of the gloss black, but the Superbike ones were so much cheaper than OEM ones lol. And I do really like the way they feel, combined with the soft gel grips I got. My ride in to work today was the most comfortable I've felt on the bike to date.
:woohoo: !!!
Oh yeah, forgot to add, now that the battery is actually charged, the tachometer works fine. Hasn't acted weird since I charged the battery up. So, I'm just gonna chalk the previous weird behavior up to the battery being basically dead.
So, I got my new seat lock today. My key doesn't open it (as expected) and I can't get it open by raking my key. Looks like the furthest in wafer in the lock needs to go a little higher than the end of my key will push it. I cant seem to figure out how to get the cylinder out of the lock housing, so I don't think I'm going to be able to rekey the lock myself unless someone on here can explain that process in detail. I'll probably fiddle around with it a bit more tonight after work, but I have no expectations of actually getting the cylinder out without destroying the lock. Local locksmith says they can make a key for the lock for $25-$35. I can deal with having a separate key for the seat lock, I guess. Probably will get 2 keys made for the seat lock, and have a copy of my ignition key made as well while I'm there. Can't hurt to have a spare set.
Once I get a key for the seat lock, I can install it onto my bike and finally put my left rear fairing on. Once that's done, the bike will be fully repaired from my lowside.
:woohoo:
It's always nice to be able to say you've finished a project. Happy riding!
Guess I should update here, since I got a new key for the seat lock. Got a key made, had it copied, and had a copy of my ignition key, all for $39 bucks. So, much better option than drilling the lock or anything like that. Put my rear fairing back on, and the bike is basically complete. All it needs now is a good cleaning and I need to replace the stickers on the left front fairing. But that's not really a pressing issue.
Also, I'll restate this here in case anyone has this problem in the future: if your bike wont properly shift into neutral from first at a stop, check and ensure that your oil is not overfilled. (Also check that your cluch cable is properly adjusted, but mine was and the issue was caused by excess oil pressure). I mistakenly added much more oil than I should have when I discovered my oil level was low, and after draining the excess, the problem appears to be resolved.
Last thing I'll be replacing as a result of the crash is the clutch/brake levers. They were scratched up pretty bad (luckily they weren't badly bent or broken), so I wanted to replace them. Ordered a set of blue shorty levers from Hong Kong, and I'll try to post a pic once I get them on the bike. Wont be until November though, as it takes forever for anything to get here from China lol.
PS, since this thread is almost more of a project thread at this point, if a mod feels like this should be in the Projects/Builds section I wouldn't be opposed.
Quote from: qcbaker on October 18, 2016, 09:04:22 AM
Last thing I'll be replacing as a result of the crash is the clutch/brake levers. They were scratched up pretty bad (luckily they weren't badly bent or broken), so I wanted to replace them. Ordered a set of blue shorty levers from Hong Kong, and I'll try to post a pic once I get them on the bike. Wont be until November though, as it takes forever for anything to get here from China lol.
To pick a nit, Hong Kong is not [in] China. :) And it's only two weeks to November :)
Anyway, I ordered levers on Amazon and they came much quicker than that. Only $20 for the pair and they look great and the packaging was even first-rate. I would recommend them for sure, pending verification that they work :) But just based on timeliness of shipment and quality workmanship, packaging, etc., good to go. Going to be a major upgrade for me.
Quote from: mr72 on October 18, 2016, 02:10:52 PM
To pick a nit, Hong Kong is not [in] China. :) And it's only two weeks to November :)
Anyway, I ordered levers on Amazon and they came much quicker than that. Only $20 for the pair and they look great and the packaging was even first-rate. I would recommend them for sure, pending verification that they work :) But just based on timeliness of shipment and quality workmanship, packaging, etc., good to go. Going to be a major upgrade for me.
Yes, technically Hong Kong is not "in" China lol. But actually, the levers arrived yesterday! I was so surprised to find them in my mailbox when I got home. I haven't installed them yet though. Once I do, I'll try to remember to take a pic.
Here are the new levers, in case anyone is interested:
(http://i65.tinypic.com/id6250.jpg)
Lookin' sharp!!! :bstar: