Damaged trees
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 208
Likes: 2
From: Navarre, FL
Damaged trees
So I put my bike down the other day (see post in general discussion) and I've been going over it for damages. What I notice now is my bars turn a little more to the left than the right. The stop on the tree is now mashed in and so I dinged my tank (I think I did this after the fact because I checked the tank before and I felt no dents).
My questions to the experts:
What is the fix for this? I assume it is to replace the tree. If that is the case, I will just get a chrome plated one like I wanted in the first place.
Second, where can I get new trees? I would rather stick with OEM so I am assuming the dealer will have to order it.
Third, how hard is it to change? I am pretty mechanically inclined. I was an aircraft mechanic for years and so far I have done all the maintenance on my bike myself (bars, cables, light relocation, tensioner, etc).
My questions to the experts:
What is the fix for this? I assume it is to replace the tree. If that is the case, I will just get a chrome plated one like I wanted in the first place.
Second, where can I get new trees? I would rather stick with OEM so I am assuming the dealer will have to order it.
Third, how hard is it to change? I am pretty mechanically inclined. I was an aircraft mechanic for years and so far I have done all the maintenance on my bike myself (bars, cables, light relocation, tensioner, etc).
Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 542
Likes: 4
From: Louisville, KY
For the trees to take a hit, the energy came through the beefy 49mm fork tubes. Hopefully the energy stopped at the shearing fork lock but I'd be checking the neck. With the tank removed, look carefully at the top and sides of the backbone in the neck area looking for straight, square and level, no deflections in the side gussets and no evidence of any paint crackes. Oh yeah, check your axel too. I'm doing a salvage '07 FXDX now so I can tell you what bad is!
Honestly, even if it isn't perfectly square and at '0', if it rides out ok, just keep on riding.
Honestly, even if it isn't perfectly square and at '0', if it rides out ok, just keep on riding.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 208
Likes: 2
From: Navarre, FL
It looks like the damage to the tree occurred when the bars slapped hard to the right. The stop in the frame mashed in the block on the tree. It rides true it just allows the tree to contact the tank.
wire feed/build up
use a wire feed and build the tab back up to the extent that it will not allow the bars/fork to contact the tank. as stated earlier as long as there are no stress cracks in the frame head to backbone/downtubes than replacing the tree imo isnt necessary. use a dremmel to clean up the weld and it will be good as new. and you wont have to pull it apart. wrap a wet towel/rag around the frame head to shield the splatter and the small amount of heat that may radiate. just do small tacks until you build it back up. are you sure the frame stop isnt tweaked?. the photo dosent look as though the tree is crushed that bad.
Last edited by 1stfxdwg; Sep 1, 2014 at 09:32 PM.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 208
Likes: 2
From: Navarre, FL
The tree rides up onto the stop by about an 1/8". Doesn't look like the frame is tweaked at all (as far as I can tell). I don't have a welder so I may take it to an indy to get that fixed. Thanks for that advice! Wish the tank ding was that easy to fix.
paintless dent repair
go to your local used car lot and ask who they use for their ding repair. they will use a rod and can probably access through the fuel sending unit hole or the filler hole as long as it isnt creased. ill guess $35. ill catch shi* for this advice but jb weld is a life saver, simply epoxy a 1/8 shim on the bad side of the stop it will prevent the tree from banging the tank for now. the stop is only used when parking the bike or crashing it.
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 74
Likes: 4
From: Northern Virginia
I have a set of OEM trees from a 08 Fat Bob that might fit your bike that I need to get rid of. PM me and we can work something out.
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