SuzukiSavage.com - Print Page

SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl
General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Man I hate rocks!
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1150809084

Message started by GA_Wolf on 06/20/06 at 06:11:24

Title: Man I hate rocks!
Post by GA_Wolf on 06/20/06 at 06:11:24

Well riding the wife's S40 into work this morning...which happens to be past a quarry. Well, riding alond happy as a clam on a warm sunny orning and all of a sudden from the ongoing lane I see a big flattish rock about 6 inches in diameter and about 4 inches thick "frisbee'ing" into my lane. (Must have gotten kicked up fron a truck going the other way. Well before I could say "OH Sh*t" I felt a jar to the bike... slowed down a bit..looking for trailing oil and doing some slight course corrections to make sure everthing appeared to still be working, I continued on to work. Examined the bike to see what got hit and noticed the frame below the "Y" but just above the shifter toe piece was literally crushed half of it's diameter. Thought to myself..if that would have hit my shin it a would have least left me with stitches, but more likely would have broke my leg or ankle. Worse is if it would have hit the front of the engine case, it probably would have cracked it or punched a hole in it. Think the frame will have enough structural strength to be safe, but will have to throw some paint on it to keep it from corroding. Will put a pic on tonight showing the hit...
Man I hate rocks!

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by bikingb on 06/20/06 at 06:15:17

yeowch

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by azjay on 06/20/06 at 09:19:16

as you pointed out, you're very lucky it hit where it did, a few inches either way could have been a much bigger problem. i think i'd go play the lottery if i were you. glad you were'nt hurt.

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by Island_Biker on 06/20/06 at 10:28:08

Perhaps you should take a tip from Brewbrother (http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=cafe;action=display;num=1149548202;start=0#0) and throw your helmet at the truck. ::)

Unlucky to be hit at all, lucky it wasn't serious.

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by steelwolf on 06/20/06 at 14:05:22

I knew from the title this wasn't going to be good. Glad you were not hurt. :)

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by PerrydaSavage on 06/20/06 at 14:33:21

:o You are one lucky mo fo that you weren't hurt (or worse)!
I'd get that frame welded if I were you ... A.S.A.P.! A good welding shop should be able to repair it ... Good Luck dude!

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by Brewbrother on 06/20/06 at 16:03:37

Glad you were not hurt. That could have been a lot worse. I'd see about getting the frame repaired. A frame breaking while riding would be disasterous and potentially deadly.

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by Brewbrother on 06/20/06 at 16:04:46

Island_Biker wrote:

Well It was unintentional. I wonder what the driver thought.

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by GA_Wolf on 06/20/06 at 16:41:27

Here are some pics...

http://w1.bikepics.com/pics/2006/06/20/bikepics-615323-800.jpg

http://w1.bikepics.com/pics/2006/06/20/bikepics-615322-800.jpg

The tubing is crushed but not puntured or cracked. Wonder if there is a need to weld it and if they can even do anything short of cutting the section out...unfortunately it's right on the motor/peg mount.

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by steelwolf on 06/20/06 at 17:04:36

Looks bad. With the bolt running thru the frame there it probably kept it from folding into. A few centimeters either way and who knows? As far as fixing it, Maybe some sort of bandaid welded over and then painted. Either that or that section would have to be cut out and then rebuilt to accomodate the engine mounting bolt. Man you were very fortunate to have not been hurt badly and to have no engine damage. That must have been one helluva rock. I would suggest finding another way to work but what are the odds that something like that would ever happen again? To any of us? We would probably stand a better chance at winning the lottery.

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by Brewbrother on 06/20/06 at 18:15:35

Get it fixed asap. That is a frame failure waiting to happen. :o

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by orrin7 on 06/21/06 at 15:24:11

As everyone else has said you need to get that fixed. Although it is not as much a stress point as one may think b/c mos of your stress is in the backbone and at the top where the t. tree mounts. but it is a flex point and may soon crack. and i would not do a bandaid weld. b/c the heat to fill that in may make it brittle. Also I do not know about this but wonder what your insurance would say if they saw it. probully would not like it.

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by starmom on 06/21/06 at 17:10:16

oh geez..........

Man am I glad that you are ok, it can be startling to have something that did that to metal come so hitting a part of your body....

take care and get that fixed.......

sue

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by pgolden on 06/21/06 at 21:47:24

When weld that up, make sure you don't "arc" weld the engine bearings.

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by divecop on 06/21/06 at 21:56:03

You are so lucky...sorry the bike got hurt, but sure glad it was the bike and not you... 8)

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by GA_Wolf on 06/22/06 at 05:59:34

Thanks so much all for your well wishes and advice. Think the route will be to weld a half-sleeve over the ding to brace and add more structural support. To leave it alone would invite failure and to section it would be labor intensive and risk blowing frame alignment and a weaker butt joint. I just have to get some equipment to do the weld. I'll post pics when it's done....Thanks all!

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by Savage Librarian on 06/22/06 at 09:48:39

That is one scary looking dent. Man oh man...if it had gone a bit in any direction from there...

Good luck getting it fixed! May it never happen again!

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by Ed_L. on 06/22/06 at 16:00:08

If you are welding a patch over the damaged area taper the patch up the frame a bit to distribute the stress of the welding and repair. Man that is one he11 of a shot that the frame took, real glad it didn't clobber you foot or lower leg cause it would of shattered a bone. Luck with the repair.

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by Torch on 06/29/06 at 17:24:16

Holy crap, that was some rock. Count your blessings man. You may want to wear armor on the way into work!

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by DangMan on 07/01/06 at 23:30:19

Maaan, I didnt think this kind of s**t could happen, its the first time I have heard of that kind of acident !

Im glad to hear that you are all right !

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by GA_Wolf on 07/11/06 at 07:25:27

Well I welded a 1/3 sleeve over the dent last Friday and covered it with gloss black engine enamel. I'll put some pics on tonight to show the work...used a bernz o matic Mapp/Oxy rig...worked great on the mild steel...only problem is the oxygen bottles run out fairly quick. Used it to cut the patch from some pipe and had to change out the bottle early in the weld due to running out of oxy. But worked great other than that..not bad for a $30 ish rig.

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by Al_ironman on 07/11/06 at 07:40:43

ga wolf. does that mean you are in Georgia?
If so, I am too and could have maybe taken care of your welding needs.
I have a small rig, and also have access to others that are somewhat larger rigs. Stick, Mig, and gas welding.

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by Savage_Rob on 07/11/06 at 12:42:31

Al_ironman wrote:

If you click on his name, it says Buford, GA.

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by GA_Wolf on 07/11/06 at 16:06:25

Thanks for the offer Ironman! Hear are some pics of the repair.

http://www.bikepics.com/pictures/631662/
http://www.bikepics.com/pictures/631663/

http://www.bikepics.com/pictures/631662
http://www.bikepics.com/pictures/631663

Title: Re: Man I hate rocks!
Post by cstout on 07/11/06 at 17:03:03

Hey, nice job! Painted black, nobody will ever notice it.