Australian Motorcycle News — January 03, 2018

Bent as a nine-dollar note

CHECK IF YOUR

FRAME IS STRAIGHT

howto

Do stuff

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WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY MATT O’CONNELL

A crooked motorcycle frame can be very hard

to notice – but very expensive for the owner

T

here are two times you really

want to know whether a

bike’s frame is straight: when

you’re buying, or after you

have crashed. Sometimes the

symptoms can be difficult to pick up, and

finding out too late can be costly.

There are a few ways of testing your

frame, and there are pros and cons to each.

An experienced eye will notice the

telltale signs right away, so we have listed

a few of those here. We’ve also drafted

in AMCN’s workshop muse, my trusty

2011 Ducati Monster 1100, which came

complete with enough visual clues to raise

concerns about its geometry.

The first thing to do is carry out a

detailed visual inspection, then measure

the frame with string or a straight edge,

and for the ultimate in piece of mind, use

a Frame Align tool.

Only after doing all of this did the

moment of truth arrive for the Monster.

So ... did I buy a bent one?

Start here

1

Inspect the steering stops

Some bikes will have one stop located close to the

headstock or, like the Monster here, have one on

either side. Look for any cracks around the paint or

signs that the stop isn’t sitting squarely – any sort of

damage or cracking may indicate the bike has been

for a trip down the road.

2

Handlebars and ’bar ends

Check that your handlebars are straight and

true, and whether the ends have been ground down

in a crash. This will be noticeable, especially on the

throttle side, where you won’t need to remove the

’bar end to notice any damage.

When I purchased this Monster there were

aftermarket levers fitted plus numerous carbon bits

and pieces, all of which can be crash tip-offs.

3

Inspect fork and rims

This is perhaps the most important thing to

check. When a bike hits the ground, the fork is

usually going to get knocked or scraped. Check

whether paint has been resprayed or if the original

items have been replaced. To continue checking

the bike with a string line or straight edge, it is

important to verify the forks and rims are straight

and true.

4

Other visual checks

It doesn’t stop there. Also take a look at the

brake rotors, checking if they are warped or bent.

Pillion ’pegs are another thing to inspect – check

that they are at an even height and symmetrical.

Also check the gear lever and brake lever. Scuffing

on the gear lever is another telltale sign.

5

Set up a string line

One of the easiest ways to check for frame

integrity is by running a string line from the rear

wheel. Place your bike on a paddock stand or

centrestand. With the bike in gear, wrap string

around the rear tyre and tape it in place so it

doesn’t move. You will need two heavy objects like

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98 amcn.com.au