How easy is it to bend the trx frame....

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cobbadiggabuddyblooo
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How easy is it to bend the trx frame....

Post by cobbadiggabuddyblooo » Fri Nov 25, 2016 10:37 am

" How easy do you think it is to bend the trx frame??"
Recieved a phone call just as I was walking into my local Chiropractor to have my own frame straightened.
Got a surprise today with the bike down at Dave Kellett MC engineering to get the steering damper work done and a couple of other odds n sods sorted out.
Seems the last low side at Lakeside did more than just bend bars , snap the peg and a bit of cosmetic damage.
I knew the fairing sub frame mounting point on the head of the bike had cracked on 1 side. Common fault as its an easy 1 to bend just by hand with the fairing sub frame attached. Pretty flimsy..
Was expecting that and noticed it on inspection after the fall.

I also knew where the RH foot peg bolts on, the 2 mounting tabs on the cast alloy sub frame had bent slightly inwards ( coerce peg mount plate was straight).
The rear MC was just clipping the swing arm and just took the top lip off the swing arm .

Well it seems where that big chunky cast alloy sub frame that the pegs bolts to,
from the pressure on the peg mount point when it came down ( about 80-90kph) all that force has traveled all the way to where it is bolted to the frame and has put a slight bend in the frame.
So remove the swing arm , heat the cast sub frame to straighten the peg mounts, re grease and bolt back together and straighten and re align the frame , it turned out to be a little more work than expected.

With my own body plus the bike Wheels and frame true again, new pair of Dunlop D211 GPR 's fitted ( soft front, med rear) I'm looking forward to another track day shortly.
Good thing about the GPR's , the tyre can be reversed on the rim and with Lakeside being predominately a RH track , after 2 or 3 track days I can just spin the tyre around and wear the other side down... 8)
laughter is the best medicine

coxylaad
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Re: How easy is it to bend the trx frame....

Post by coxylaad » Mon Nov 28, 2016 3:47 pm

that's not good news.

did you have a jig made up to straighten the frame?

cobbadiggabuddyblooo
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Re: How easy is it to bend the trx frame....

Post by cobbadiggabuddyblooo » Mon Nov 28, 2016 11:22 pm

Dave Kellett motorcycle engineering has the bike so he has all the bells n whistles to do what needs to be done. That's his forte and re aligns most of the race bikes, wheels and builds side cars in this neck of the woods.
Wasn't bent that far but goes to show the forces involved and just how vulnerable components are.
They may be a triangulated frame for strength and rigidity , but there is a lot of sideways leverage from 2 feet under the frame. Now I understand why Alan Cathcart's TRX has an extra triangulated bar running across the frame , that sits over the top of the sump and right at this point.
But you need to mod the fuel tank as it sits right where the bottom of the petrol tank rides.
laughter is the best medicine

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