Another Frame Failure - Words of Warning Reminder

[Snax]

I know that this has been discussed many times before, but I feel it is important to remind people of the potential hazzard from this.

My first frame has officially bitten the dust via a fractured down tube (at least until I repair it). There was no catastrophic bending or crashing involved - primarly because I was alert to the possibility there and caught it before it broke completely.

On my frame, the down tube fracture was right at the top edge of the mount and began on the aft/engine side of the tube. It had grown to the point of being roughly 80% fractured before I caught it however. Another mile or two at high speed could easily have had me noticing it another way however!

So simply as a reminder to all of you who think your installations are sound: Check those mounts! If they are not modified or adequately reinforced, they are probably already on their way to breaking your frame whether you can see it or not.

 

[give me vtec]

yeah the 2-stroke chinese engines are excessively hard on the frames. Try out the GEBE kit... guarantee you will never have any problems with it, especially no broken frame.

 

[Snax]

I am most likely just going to weld it back together and sandwich a sleave over it with mounting flanges welded on in an effort to spread the load.

I mostly posted this for the newbs out there that might think they won't have a problem with it. I'd hate to learn of an expensive frame ruined or worse.

 

[Snax]

Good gawd I'm a lazy bum. Nearly two years later, I finally have this frame back on the road.

I was at least motivated enough to winterize the motor and remove it from the frame shortly after I started this thread, and that served me particularly well today as it started up with absolutely no problem.

Anyway, I ended up ditching the original mounting brackets that go around the back side of the tubes and welded square tubular mounting brackets onto the frame. Each bracket tube is about 1/2" thick and welded to each side of the frame tubes with holes through them for the studs on the forward end, and bolts on the aft end. (Studs on each mount would make installing it impossible.)

I'll post pictures eventually, well, within the next two years or so . .

 

[aaronwilde]

I put a peice of strong wood inbetween the frame and the mount and tighten it really well. Works great as wood is softer on the fram from the vibrating then the metal engine itself. do it at your own risk though