Repair tips and tricks

[anderson750]

We have a few really useful threads on here, particularly the 300 Database. However we dont really have a thread to discuss tips and tricks that can make life easier for working on bikes. Maybe @Greg could pin it.

I'll start the thread with straightening an aluminum subframe.

The wreck that Jack had in St. George that resulted in a broken arm wiped out a set of Flexx Bars and bent his subframe pretty good.

The bars are a total loss.



However I did not want to spend $150 buying a new subframe.

To the thrill of my wife, I put it in the oven at 325* for about 30 minutes to get the aluminum to a more pliable temp. Next I bolted to the bike and proceeded to beat it with a plastic mallet to push it back to the right. In doing this it also raised the right side back up almost to where it needed to be. Wanting to get it back to almost perfect, I heated it again and pounded it a little more then used a 36" pry bar to bring the right side up the last little bit.

Good enough to satisfy me.

 

[2002maniac]

This is timely advice considering I pretzeled my Ktm subframe on 5moh a few weeks ago.

I wonder what alloy the subframe is? Seems like a glycol quench and artificial age would probably be appropriate to restore the proper HT condition.

 

[Tonkaman]

We have a few really useful threads on here, particularly the 300 Database. However we dont really have a thread to discuss tips and tricks that can make life easier for working on bikes. Maybe @Greg could pin it.

I'll start the thread with straightening an aluminum subframe.

The wreck that Jack had in St. George that resulted in a broken arm wiped out a set of Flexx Bars and bent his subframe pretty good.

The bars are a total loss.



However I did not want to spend $150 buying a new subframe.

To the thrill of my wife, I put it in the oven at 325* for about 30 minutes to get the aluminum to a more pliable temp. Next I bolted to the bike and proceeded to beat it with a plastic mallet to push it back to the right. In doing this it also raised the right side back up almost to where it needed to be. Wanting to get it back to almost perfect, I heated it again and pounded it a little more then used a 36" pry bar to bring the right side up the last little bit.

Good enough to satisfy me.

Great idea to put it in the oven! Never thought of that

 

[anderson750]

Draining oil can be messy, especially if you have a skid plate. I came across a thread on KTMTalk about a drain tool that somebody was selling. After looking at it, I decided to make my own out of a threaded barb fitting and some tubing.

Lean the bike over to remove the drain plug and thread the barbed fitting in.

stand it up and let it drain.

It drains a bit slower than just taking out the plug, but worth not having to deal with removing the skid plate. I also created one of these to drain the coolant.

 

[rholbrook]

Thats a great idea. My boat had something similar that I would fish out the drain plug hole in the transom. What thread pattern was it?

 

[anderson750]

I would need to double check but I think M8 x 1.0

 

[Gravy]

Alright this is as good a place as any for this.
Pre 1982 motorcycles have a 9 digit Vin instead not a 17 digit Vin.

Here are all the links I've found for 9 digit Vin decoder situations.

please click on the links below. Good luck.
Identify Your Yamaha Motorcycle Of 1970 1994
Yamaha Vintage Dirt Bike Guide Off Road com
Yamaha Motorcycle VIN Information
OEM parts for Yamaha
http://www.thisoldtractor.com/mg_manuals/book_motorcycle_identification.pdf

 

[Gravy]

I don't know who else this will apply to:

but if you've lost your float pivot pin, TIG rod is the exact size you need to make a new one.

 

[Gravy]

Sometimes steel pegs aren't the worst in the world... With a little massage using the BFH they listen and obey.

 

[Rot Box]

Sometimes steel pegs aren't the worst in the world... With a little massage using the BFH they listen and obey.
View attachment 152178View attachment 152179

Glad I’m not the only one that wears flippy floppy’s when I work on the bikes lol!

 

[Gravy]

When it's 90° at 8pm or I'm (finally) washing bikes from Saturday's race I sure do

 

[jeeper]

I'm more concerned with the weld on the shifter..

 

[Gravy]

I'm more concerned with the weld on the shifter..

Fair point haha. It was like that when I bought it. I've got a new shift selector shaft and shifter, but I've got to pull the motor and split the inner case halves in order to swap it, aaaand she's probably got 20hrs of dropping it lots so far without further failure... so that will likely wait till winter.

 

[Gravy]

Here's a new one for you guys.
Run bibs.
Didn't even know this was an issue until I got back to the truck. (This was on a slower 20+ mile race marking ride).

Likely the nut backed off. Another thing to loctite now...


The rimlock buried itself inside the bib mousse.

 

[Rot Box]

Anyone have tips or tricks on what to do about an ever so slightly damaged fork tube? Mine must have caught a rock at some point and it’s causing my seal to leak a wee bit.

Having a hard time getting a good pic but you can kinda see the scuff here about 3/4” of an inch down.

New tube time or can something like that be repaired? Thanks for any help 😎

 

[mbryson]

emery cloth for the burr, polish it after that?

 

[Rot Box]

emery cloth for the burr, polish it after that?

I forgot to mention I did a light sand on it to remove the burr, but there is a hole or indent there for lack of a better word.

 

[Tebbsjeep]

On mtb stanchions, they use clear nail polish sometimes.

 

[anderson750]

Not a lot you can do that is a permanent repair. If it is not damaging your seal after removing the bur you may have a little bit of oil residue but not a bad leak, so unless that bothers you run it. If it leaks bad, about the only repair is replacing it.

 

[Rot Box]

Thanks guys, I’ll give the nail polish a shot and keep my eye out for another fork tube 😎. It’s not a full blown leak but it is on the brake side so I’ll keep a close eye on it and clean it often