Do you have to bottom out in a pothole or just bottom out? Because as you know the new rubbermount customs have problems with bottoming out. So if you had a passenger on there and the shocks bottomed out you have a bent frame?

 

So sorry to hear that. Good luck with everything.

 

The newer frames are stronger than the old ones, so it's not an always thing that bottoming out will bend the frame. But anytime the suspension hits its limits, it obviously gets stressed. I guess my point is that just about every frame that has been on the road for awhile is probably tweaked in one place or another. You'll never know it in most cases, and it would probably take the bare frame being set up on a frame jig to even notice it. So unless you hit an exceptionally big pothole, and then notice some weird handling, or uneven tire wear, don't sweat it.

And frame repairs can be done with no worries they'll be the kiss of death (literally) to a bike. After all, a frame started out as pieces of tubing, castings, and forgings. All these pieces are drawn, bent, welded, machined, stressed, etc. If it's done correctly, the frame is good. Same thing with frame repairs.

 

So how do all these potholes, suspensions bottoming out, etc. affect the hardtails?

Thumper26

 

The only straight rigid frame is one that has never been ridden. Actually, the rigid frames probably fare better because of the design. The stress is spread out througout the triangulation design of the frame. With most swingarm frames the initial jolt is transferred up the axis of the shock and concentrated on a much smaller portion of the frame at the top shock mounts.

Years ago we used to put struts on Sporty frames to lower them as far as possible. I made my own struts, as well as buying some. After riding the bike for a year I wanted to tear it down and paint it. I found paint had flaked off around the upper shock mount area. Did a spot check for cracks and found several. Measured the frame and also found it was bent in the same area. Being curious my buds and I started looking at our other Sporties. Every one of them, both strutted and those with shocks, were out of whack at the upper shock mount area. Years later I mentioned it to a guy who straightend bike frames, fork tubes, springers, and girders when I crashed a beautiful Fury girder front end. He gave me two pieces of bad news - my Fury girder couldn't be fixed, and all Sporty frames were bent. He also said that most every motorcycle frame was tweaked somewhere, and that it was usually not noticeable, unless the frame was on the table.

I always look at how a bike tracks by running through water, then onto dry pavement. Doesn't show much unless the frame is seriously tweaked, but makes me feel good. Also look at the bike from low angles, head on and from the rear. Look for wheels that are canted from each other. Some models have the front and rear wheels offset from each other and/or the centerline of the bike, so you need to know what to look for. Obviously, eyeballing a bike ain't an exact science, but you'd be surprised what you can see.

 

Poco,

That is a lot of good information and history.

Thanks,

Ed

 

pococj,

That's what's so great about this Forum! Ask a question, and someone will come back with a reasonable answer. Great explanation - thanks!

Thumper26

 

Poco,

Thanks for all of the great info....

Update on my frame:

I am replacing the frame and the local HDealer is doing the work....

Since I am going to have the frame stand alone I am going to have it powder coated the same color as my tank which is glacier pearl

My plan is to have some flames or some graphics painted onto my tank


Thanks again for everyone's posts!!

 

Thats a ggod choice to go with the dealer to fix that frame for you. Hope you get it back real soon.

 

Did they give you a time on the frame delivery? Just curious.