RGS Headstock Cracks - an experience to share
- Thread starter Laverdian
- Start date
laverdakeith
Hero member
Bikes got faster, brakes got better and most significantly forks got longer. Something had to give.... not fixed so many Cerriani framed triples.
Keith.
Keith.
3
3patC
Guest
laverdakeith said:
But you will fix mine wont you Keith pretty please and all that
laverdakeith said:
...'cos the stanchions are nice and springy!
Add to that the wear in the sliders and you have a very forgiving front end when it comes to head-on forces.
Marzocchi forks are quite a bit stiffer/stronger, but don't work as nice.
My frame only cracked after I swapped out the totally clapped Ceriani fork. The front wheel was moving almost 4cm to the rear under braking, I could see the stanchions bending!
piet
71Laverda750SF
Hero member
- Location
- The Sunshine State
Great, glad to know the 1200 is safe
Dellortoman
Hero member
- Location
- Tasmania, Australia
nick7 said:
My Kawasaki Z1B cracked almost all the way through both frame down-tubes and gussets just below the headstock. There was only a few mm of metal holding it all together. I was riding it around Australia at the time (clockwise - from Tassie, across the Nullabor to Perth, up through the Pilbara, across the top to Queensland (including a side trip to Darwin) then back down the east coast. Roughly a 15,000km trip). Frame broke in Northern NSW about 1000km from Melbourne, so the bike nearly made it all the way around intact. Had a girlfriend on the back, a 40 litre tank, large panniers and luggage rack with all our stuff and camping gear, so the bike was well over-loaded and we'd travelled some pretty rough roads. I can hardly blame it for breaking under the circumstances. I reckon we were lucky to discover it before the tubes cracked right through. If the tubes had detached completely from the headstock, I'd have expected the frame top tubes to sag, dumping the engine on the road. It would have ended up looking like a low-slung chopper. I only suspected a problem because the handling was feeling distinctly odd. I had to clean the road grime off to find the cracks. A bit of weld and it was all good again.
Saw this thread and so went to check my RGS - this is what I found (see photo). Should I be concerned about the apparent crack (on each down tube) - it does not seem to extend into the gusset plate but.....? I was intending to ride this bike down to Breganze this July - should I be worried? How can I readily check for the depth of the apparent crack?
Any comments (constructive) would be much appreciated.
A somewhat concerned Charles
Any comments (constructive) would be much appreciated.
A somewhat concerned Charles
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Laverdian
Senior member
- Location
- Brigadoon, Scotland
Charles, you won't be able to measure the depth of the crack unless you have access to UT inspection equipment but that's a worthless exercise in my opinion. In all likelihood the propagation of the crack will mean its full thickness. The gusset plate will need cut back and partially removed to ensure you get access to the tube beneath it.
Simply put, it's f@cked mate, I would strongly advise you get someone that knows what they're doing in the welding department and have both the crack repaired and further strengthening gussets added (as per my original post) and then the problem is solved forever. You still have time to get it sorted and have the peace of mind to do the Breganze trip in confidence. In a way I'm pleased the original posting has helped you find this problem before the frame let you down.
ATB
Ian
Simply put, it's f@cked mate, I would strongly advise you get someone that knows what they're doing in the welding department and have both the crack repaired and further strengthening gussets added (as per my original post) and then the problem is solved forever. You still have time to get it sorted and have the peace of mind to do the Breganze trip in confidence. In a way I'm pleased the original posting has helped you find this problem before the frame let you down.
ATB
Ian
Wouldn't say it's forked, fairly standard, now if you hadn't have checked then you wouldn't have been the wiser and just gone on your trip anyways. Judging by the rust around the crack in the photo it has been there for a good while, it just didn't happen.
Think about how many miles have been covered on the bikes with these cracks, the only time they are discovered is when someone goes looking for them. So if left as they are do they really caused any discernible issues.
I mean can't ever recall someone saying the down tubes must be cracked because the bike feels odd!
Seems nearly every time a Lav is stripped down for frame painting etc that the frame has cracked in this area.
Think about how many miles have been covered on the bikes with these cracks, the only time they are discovered is when someone goes looking for them. So if left as they are do they really caused any discernible issues.
I mean can't ever recall someone saying the down tubes must be cracked because the bike feels odd!
Seems nearly every time a Lav is stripped down for frame painting etc that the frame has cracked in this area.
The downtubes will crack all the way through and part from the headstock, ask Levo to post some shots of his headstock, at least a 30mm gap on bothdown tubes and happened while he was riding
They will all crack eventually, whenever we do a frame up rebuild on any triple we reinforce the headstock before painting or powder coating the frame, once done is no more concern
They will all crack eventually, whenever we do a frame up rebuild on any triple we reinforce the headstock before painting or powder coating the frame, once done is no more concern
laverdakeith
Hero member
Brett said:
Got to admire your optimism Brett. The bike does indeed feel odd when the frame cracks, not every rider picks up on it but that does not mean its not happening.
Keith
Hi, Thanks to everyone who has helped on this matter. I will get it fixed and I will clean the coils (Craig) - I have been advised to change them before Breganze but ........
I've only had the bike for c.11 months and this is the first time I have taken fairing, tank etc off - it is all a bit mucky underneath all those parts - I will clean the coils (Craig) although I have been advised to change them before Breganze but .........
Adios,
Charles
I've only had the bike for c.11 months and this is the first time I have taken fairing, tank etc off - it is all a bit mucky underneath all those parts - I will clean the coils (Craig) although I have been advised to change them before Breganze but .........
Adios,
Charles
Then I had better get the mig out and repair them on the RGS I guess, before my luck runs out, they have been cracked for the longest time. Was always just going to wait until it was time for a rebuild. When I bought it back in 2004 the previous owner had the diagrams for the factory fix but I forgot about it.
phil37
Hero member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Hi Clem - that was a frame Cropredy had done for them - made out of lightweight tubing - Not sure if front end fell off or whether the exhaust snapped and was run over - causing headstock to snap - regards - Phil
