Frame snapped

[happyker]

Last night I noticed some major frame damage on my bike (my 2006 FZ6 for those that dont know). Snapped on both sides near the base of the tank. I had a situation recently with a yellow-cab blowing a stopsign that just took off without checking even to see if I was ok not that long ago (I was on the main road and he was coming off a blind side street so I was doing probably around 40MPH). I dont think it broke right away though (maybe hairline or something) and then a few days ago it starts riding really really really low which I guess is when it gave. I thought it was just my rear suspension that went, since it is the stock one with over 60K miles on the bike after all, mixed with a tire that was leaking slowly from the valve (I posted about this somewhere on here).

Anyway as Im freaking out and not sure what to do I thought maybe since I know a few people on here and there are many others that are all super awesome I would post this and see if I can get any advice. I assume the bike is no longer safe to ride in any sense and I need to be thinking about how to sell it or part it out or etc. I officially still have my PA drivers license and on paper live in South Philly but really live in Queens near the Queensboro bridge so I assume that complicates things with selling it (Ive never purchased or sold a vehicle out of state before so I dont know how that works).

Im also looking for a new bike ASAP since I have been doing deliveries on mine as my main source of income. Im in talks with someone with a 2009 FZ6 (I actually started talking to him about it before I knew mine was done for, I just knew mine was on its way out) but if he sold it already or if its not as nice of a bike as it appears online I will be looking for something else. (Im looking in the $2K to $3K range and really that 2009 FZ6 is perfect since its priced low for what it appears to be).

 

[motojoe122]

Do not ride that bike! Glad to hear it didn't cause a crash when it snapped.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Glad your ok, it could have been MUCH worse..

Anyway, if you have insurance or you have his, call them. The bikes totaled...

Member Scooter65 I think was selling a frame. If you pay a shop to swap out, its going to be very expensive (just time consuming)
If you have access to a garage, some tools and knowledge, it'd be a great project..

Or, part it out. Someone was just looking for an engine within the last week on the forum..

 

[major tom]

Sorry to hear that! Yep, that frame is toast. We know no bike has the combination of qualities, specs and features as our FZ's. Buy that '09 as quick as could be. You know you'll love it. Problem solved!

 

[happyker]

Found a 2009 FZ6 that I can get for $2500 after talking down owner a little bit. Its about 3 or 4 hours from me though so I havent actually seen the bike yet. I do have minor concerns about it after looking at the pictures, specifically the rust on the bottom and it stinks the tires have so little life left but for $2500 for an 09 FZ6 with 16,500 miles seems like a pretty good deal to me. Id like to see the other side of the bike and the owner never mentioned how that scratch got on the front right fairing either (Im going to ask). I dont see any other tell tale signs that the bike went down, so maybe it just scraped up against a wall or something?

Anyway being that there are not many FZ6s out there under 3k what do you guys think? Should I buy it quick before someone else does or am I getting too excited too quickly? Ill let my gut lead me once I get to test ride it and hear how it runs/check it out in person but whats the first impression?

Its my second choice after the other FZ6 I was emailing with a different owner about, but I dont even know if that one is still available since he hasn't responded in a few days.

 

[Motogiro]

If it's a bike that's been ridden in the northeast area of the country and not rinsed off you may see rust like that but if it's mechanically sound that shouldn't be a problem a little TLC wont' remedy.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Those scruffs on the right side of the bike indicate its been on its side all the way, (don't ask how I know). Besides needing a RS mole, it also needs an entire nose fairing (if bringing back to new condition).

I would warn you, that impact very likely bent the main stay(Mine fell over without as much scruff damage as that and it bent the main stay).

To verify check it, put it on the CC, sit on the bike and simply look forward. You'll see the nose crooked, RS low AND the gap between the fairing and tank MUCH tighter on the right side.

The fairing stay in the US is over $150, the plastic nose a bit over $400.

To give you an idea on $ amounts to repair(and it'll likely cost more over there), visit this site, with discounted prices:
Yamaha Motorcycle Parts 2009 FZ6 - FZS6YB COWLING 1 Diagram

 

[FinalImpact]

I hate corrosion and rust. I personally would keep looking.
But that's just me....

What do you plan to do w old bike? Feel like swapping parts and keeping the best of both?

 

[FinalImpact]

Can you post some pictures of broken frame?
I'm curious how it and where it really cracked at!

 

[happyker]

Can you post some pictures of broken frame?
I'm curious how it and where it really cracked at!

I have to move it in the morning for street cleaning so Ill see if I can do it then. I need to take pics anyway if Im going to try and sell it. I really wish someone could take the whole bike from me because I dont want to have to deal with parting a bike that is parked on the street (plus having to move it once per week for an hour and a half). Seems like more pain than its worth....

The first bike I was looking at the seller hasnt replied to me in about 4 days so I think that one might be gone. The one I posted above Im not fully set on (plus what Townsends said above adds to my gut not being fully with it). I found another bike I like that seller is asking 2500 for (pics below) I think I really want this one but its all the way in Colorado. If it was here I would take it in a heartbeat (though 2500 for a 2009 with 11K miles actually seems to be too low in price to me so thats suspicious). Im considering taking it anyway (even if flying out to find out when I get there that the bike is no good is a bit risky), plus theres still a chance I might be able to get it for less.

Doing a roadtrip to pickup a new bike seems fitting since my current FZ6's maiden voyage was a cross country and back trip (Hey Cliff!) and I did go through Colorado on the way back which was gorgeous. Ill hit at least a small part of Route 66 too so the new bike can earn my the super special Route 66 sticker from my current ones windshield (or depending on my route home I could even pick up a new one at the same place in Illinois, Henrys Rabbit Ranch). I dont know whether Im getting more excited about the new bike or the roadtrip I would have to take to get it home lol. Still coming up with new ideas on which way to go and where to stop even if its going to have to be somewhat of a quick one because of limited finances.

Anyway, the pics of the one I think I want in CO:

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

That one looks pretty clean (could use a wash).

The ONLY obvious things I see is a missing right side peg feeler and the chain appears to be on the tight side..

Wish you were closer, I'd snag your old bike up in a minute...

 

[FinalImpact]

The Raven looks good. Only concern there is the miles are so low its spent some time sitting which is worse than racking up miles if not prepared for storage.
Example is filling it completely full of fuel to reduce condensation and formation of rust.

Now not to ruin your road trip, but get the seller to look in the tank with a flash light and verify its not rusty, scaley or blackened. This could ruin a roadtrip if the fuel system shuts down from debris plugging it up.

Perhaps ask, what his storage process involved when it was sitting unused!? Let him fill in the blanks. Then ask him to look inside the tank...

 

[MattR302]

Friend of mine is selling his wife's black 2008, only about an hour or so away from you, near New Haven
http://www.600riders.com/forum/sell...56781-2008-yamaha-fz-6-4-300-connecticut.html

 

[happyker]

Friend of mine is selling his wife's black 2008, only about an hour or so away from you, near New Haven
http://www.600riders.com/forum/sell...56781-2008-yamaha-fz-6-4-300-connecticut.html

Im sorry but the asking price of $4300 is way too much for me to pull off. 3K is my absolute max right now (this just happens to be pretty bad timing for me to need to buy a new bike asap). I also know there are more FZ6s out there in the 2500 - 3k range. Thank you for letting me know about it though.

 

[happyker]

Flying out probably on Aug 10th to Colorado to buy the bike I mentioned above. If all goes well I'll be riding home from there. Super excited both for the new bike and for the roadtrip of which I'm combinding parts of the 2012 trip (specifially the Missouri portion of Route 66 as well as possibly some areas around Boulder and Denver) with some new spots to explore. Anyone have any ideas for riding through Kentucky and West Virginia for fun roads and interesting towns to hit up?

As for the pics of the snapped frame I promised:

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Well, that's a first..

I just posted above loosening and re-torquing those rear 4 sub-frame bolts:
http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-technical/57056-high-frequency-seat-vibrations-eliminated.html

I suspect they loosened up a bit and over time, the frame failed. You can see rust on the left side where the
two were NOT tightly secured..

Its definitely NOT the typical location of frame cracks.

Did you have a bunch of vib's thru the seat?

**BTW, with a bit of dis-assembly, a good TIG welder could repair the main frame and a replacement sub-frame
would fix the bike...

 

[happyker]

Well, that's a first..

I just posted above loosening and re-torquing those rear 4 sub-frame bolts:
http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-technical/57056-high-frequency-seat-vibrations-eliminated.html

I suspect they loosened up a bit and over time, the frame failed. You can see rust on the left side where the
two were NOT tightly secured..

Its definitely NOT the typical location of frame cracks.

Did you have a bunch of vib's thru the seat?

**BTW, with a bit of dis-assembly, a good TIG welder could repair the main frame and a replacement sub-frame
would fix the bike...

So it's not related to the incident with the taxi then? Or maybe that just made it happen sooner?

Any other info on what I would need to take apart exactly to get the frame repaired? I'm definitely getting the new bike but it would be nice to not only be able to sell the bike as a working one (more $) but also to be able to maybe pass it on to another rider that can love riding it as I did (only a little more tlc I suppose) instead of parting it out. That and it would make my life easier with not having anywhere to park it but the street while it's being parted out.

I don't think it vibrated in the seat that much. It did however vibrate as a whole enough that when I did the cross country trip 4 years ago it destroyed the internal workings of a cell phone I had on a ram mount on the handlebars, some of the plastics around the rear taillight (replaced a few years ago since I needed new grab handles but it never did it again) chipped away and the area where the licence plate bulb goes broke at the screws and started hanging by the wires which I would just pop back in on occasion till I ended up gorilla taping it in place. I'm sure that some of my wiring issues could have been related to the vibrations too like my left blinker wire just popped out at the connector piece. Then again the bikes been down twice (with me on it) going 40ish mph both times so who knows what that did to my wiring (the other stuff all started before even the first time it was down).

Oh and for the last year I've been doing deliveries on it in NYC and with the roads here, well.....

I absolutely did oil changes on the regular and some of the other important stuff like tires, brakes and chain I took care of, but I very much got lazy with everything else. I'm pretty good at figuring out stuff when I need to but if it wasn't bothering me I didn't bother with it so maybe I should treat the new bike with a little more love.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

I remember vaguely the thread with the taxi. But yes, an impact from the side would have definitely caused that..

(1) The rear sub-frame needs replacement.

(2)Any plastic, wiring, etc within roughly 4" to the damaged area needs to be removed or at least cleared out of the way.
...This is just to give the welder / aluminum worker some room to repair the broken main frame and weld
...that part back together.. There are NUTs just on the upper mounts so there's no threads to mess with/repair


Most of the frame cracks (just from riding-not crash instigated) are near the swing arm part of the frame where the frame is pretty thin (re-inforced with webbing but thin)

Your broken area's are much stouter than by the swingarm...


I would search around for a good welder / fabricator and get a $ to repair.

You (or someone else) would have to remove the sub-frame anyway. that's not terribly hard to do,
just time consuming, take a bunch of notes, pictures.. A used sub-frame should be easily found here..