Guest DubX11

Damaged Swingarm

37 posts in this topic

Hi Lads,

Well with the good weather we've been having lately i took the bike out for a good spin, mainly down the bumpy back roads. Haven't taken her out since refitting the exhausts and oil/filter change.

Everything went great until i got home and spotted a trench/score mark on the swingarm. Looks like the bolt head on the left exhaust has been rubbing on the arm and worn away the metal. It looks to be about 2-3mm at its deepest but hasn't gone all the way through.

What do you think i should do, ignore it as it'll be fine, get it repaired if possible or start looking for a replacement arm?

Any advice appreciated and needless to say i feel like a bit of a dope for not checking clearances when fitting the cans....

http://www.trappedke...m/x11-arm01.jpg

http://www.trappedkeg.com/x11-arm02.jpg

http://www.trappedkeg.com/x11-arm03.jpg

http://www.trappedkeg.com/x11-arm04.jpg

Edited by DubX11
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Ouch!

If you can't live with it, then I'd probably get it filled up with ally weld. Then shape it back smooth with a file and some emery cloth. Then get it powder coated (satin black?). The finish will be much better than a second hand arm, and the price would be about the same. You'll have to replace the bearings, but you might want to do that with a second hand arm anyway.

Let us know what you decide on.

Cheers

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Doubt its a MOT problem? but you know its there and will annoy you.so I would go same way as Mc fly and if you decide to sell in future I sure it would pay back cost in differnce in price you would get ?

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Cheers for the reply mcfly. Can live with it but just looking to see if its safe in its current state, is it weakened. I know its difficult to tell from a picture. If I was to fill it what would I use?

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cheers Blueboy, I'll keep an eye out for a good second hand one.

Edited by DubX11
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Remove the swing arm, degrease the whole thing, use a hot air gun/hairdryer to get the sticker off. Rub down the damaged area, apply a small bit of car body filler to the damage until it's smooth. Go over the whole swingarm with a scotchpad and give it a key.

Give it a couple of light coats of primer, rub down with some 600 grit wet n' dry. Give it a couple of top coats in silver.... it'll look like new!

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Cheers for the advice Eddy. Have been talking to a co. that are going to fill it with a spot of alu weld and then finish the area back to new. Going to do the prep myself and drop it to them. Will update thread with the results. Cheers, Mark.

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Good glad you are sorted but going back to want eddy said about the sticker it may be worthwhile taking photos and measuring it before taking it off as you may not be able to buy one and will may have do get graphic company print one if you want to keep bike original Bry

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Stick a go faster sticker over it and forget it.

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Have picked up secondhand arm from breaker in doncaster just in case, bloody expensive run yesterday turned out to be.

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the moral being if you change something alway check you bolts and your NUTS are out of the way before having a ride

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My nuts have been known to cause more damage than that... :talker:

Have the exhausts and rear wheel off ready to remove the arm to get welded up. Heres a another pic, damage doesn't look that bad but welder said that the shape of the damage, cone/triangle, could lead to a crack forming and eventually failure. :surprise:

https://www.box.com/s/q41yqblahqipg876hxbg

Hopefully it'll all be fixed up early next week.

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I doubt your arm would fail with that amount of damage

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Too much time spent watching aircrash investigations on discovery has me paranoid about the slightest defect in aluminium...

Its only costing 35 to put right and the secondhand swingarm i ordered on monday turned up yesterday and is in great nick so i should be sorted for the next time i don't keep me nuts outa way.... :talker:

Edited by DubX11
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As my coach told me "ALWAYS KEEP YOUR NUTS IN THE BOX" :niceone:

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Hope your not flying off on yer Holls sometime soon , plane will never get off the ground when you find a rivit missing from the table ...... Lol just kidding , No harm in having it how you want it !

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Aye, I remember being sat at 33,000 ft once, on a 737, looking out of the window, until I saw the line of moss growing on the inside edge of the window glass.

My how I laughed.... laugh? I nearly shat!

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Piccys don't work for me?

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Seem to open as a thumbnail first and then click that to open the full size picture. What's happening when you click them Eddy?

It is a crap service alright, will have to look for another image hosting service.

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Work fine on my old system. XP home and IE8.

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Just spent the afternoon getting the swingarm back on. All went well until I tried to fit the silencers. Can't get enough clearance on the left one, the one that did the damage. Tried fitting a set of original blackbird ones but again the left one has hardly any clearance. Are all X silceners tight on the left? Also the blackbird cans I have have a bolt welded just up from where they join the downpipes. Is this normal or has someone just welded it in place for convenience.

Well thought I'd get a run today but not until I get the cans on.

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I did use macro mode on the camera so it is a real close up. Looks better from a foot away, guess thats what 30 quid buys you these days. As long as it doesnt break I'll be happy.

Cheers for the link. My cans have fixed brackets and fit to the inside of the footrest hanger so can't space it with washers or the like, the blackbird cans are the same. Maybe I need to saw the brackets off and use some bands to hold them.

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Opens OK for me, the repair seems fine to me.

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