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I have been doing PM on the GW lately, getting ready for rockies gold. I have been noticeing that the right front crash bar seems a little loose.
I have highway pegs mounted there and could feel it move a little when pushing on the pegs.
While changeing spark plugs, I noticed that the right front was even more loose than before. So decided to tighten it up. Have to remove front inner lower fairing and lower front fairing and muffler cover to get to bolts. Here is what I found.
The front inner fairing is broken almost all the way across. Crack runs from one bolt, almost all the way to other bolt. The mounting point on left which connects the lower fairing and inner fairing and color fairing together, is totally broken. Not performing any holding whatsoever.
The reason the crash bar was loose was because the top bolt had backed out about half way. The lower front was totally missing and the lower back was loose as well. The crash bar does not line up where I can get a new lower front in. Tried, but now I will have to drill and heliarc a new hole, stripped out the treads trieing to pull the crash bar into alinement. However, it seems to be nice and solid with just two bolts.
The reason I am dissapointed is this. I tried to think when all of this could have happened. I have never had these items off before. The only time they have been off would have been when it was in for frame weld recall. It is an 03. So my immediate guess is these items were put back on in a hurry and sloppy work was done at the time.
In fairness, I have droped the bike onto the crash bars, very gently mind you, a couple of times.
What do you guys think? would a couple of gentle lay downs cause this much damage? The bolts working out or not replaced would be another issue of course. I am mainly thinking of the damage to the tupperware.
Of course the warrinty is long gone, so replaceing parts will be on my dime. I am thinking that a new inner fairing is in order. I hope to be able to epoxy the bolt tab back onto the color left fairing. I am sure that I can not offord to replace that. Plus a new right front crash bar and heliarc.
May be able to heat and bend old one back into proper shape though.
Dang, Just when you think every thing is good, something jumps up and bites you on the behind.
On the bright side, may be a good excuse to buy that crome lower front fairing I have been thinking about.
I have highway pegs mounted there and could feel it move a little when pushing on the pegs.
While changeing spark plugs, I noticed that the right front was even more loose than before. So decided to tighten it up. Have to remove front inner lower fairing and lower front fairing and muffler cover to get to bolts. Here is what I found.
The front inner fairing is broken almost all the way across. Crack runs from one bolt, almost all the way to other bolt. The mounting point on left which connects the lower fairing and inner fairing and color fairing together, is totally broken. Not performing any holding whatsoever.
The reason the crash bar was loose was because the top bolt had backed out about half way. The lower front was totally missing and the lower back was loose as well. The crash bar does not line up where I can get a new lower front in. Tried, but now I will have to drill and heliarc a new hole, stripped out the treads trieing to pull the crash bar into alinement. However, it seems to be nice and solid with just two bolts.
The reason I am dissapointed is this. I tried to think when all of this could have happened. I have never had these items off before. The only time they have been off would have been when it was in for frame weld recall. It is an 03. So my immediate guess is these items were put back on in a hurry and sloppy work was done at the time.
In fairness, I have droped the bike onto the crash bars, very gently mind you, a couple of times.
What do you guys think? would a couple of gentle lay downs cause this much damage? The bolts working out or not replaced would be another issue of course. I am mainly thinking of the damage to the tupperware.
Of course the warrinty is long gone, so replaceing parts will be on my dime. I am thinking that a new inner fairing is in order. I hope to be able to epoxy the bolt tab back onto the color left fairing. I am sure that I can not offord to replace that. Plus a new right front crash bar and heliarc.
May be able to heat and bend old one back into proper shape though.
Dang, Just when you think every thing is good, something jumps up and bites you on the behind.
On the bright side, may be a good excuse to buy that crome lower front fairing I have been thinking about.