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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Handle bar "loose" after drop???
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Message started by markv on 10/07/06 at 06:15:53

Title: Handle bar "loose" after drop???
Post by markv on 10/07/06 at 06:15:53

Unfortunately my daughter (17) dropped my bike this week. Lost her footing as she came to a stop and let the clutch lever go in her panic to keep the bike up - off she went. She was unhurt so the next priority was the bike. Very low speed and she ended up on grass so no substantial damage it seems, not a mark to the paint. A rear turn signal got broken at the post ($81 cdn for a few cents worth of plastic but not surprising), LH foot pedal bent but easily bent back and that was about it. However last night on closer inspection I became concerned about the handle bar attachment. It seems a little flexible as if mounted on rubber. Not a lot of movement but noticeable. I'm going to check out the attachments today to see if they have become loosened by the jolt but I wondered if anyone her can shed light on the engineering behind the attachment scheme? It doesnt seem right that there would be ANY movement of the bar if the wheel is held firmly in place? Comments anyone please?

Title: Re: Handle bar "loose" after drop???
Post by Trippah on 10/07/06 at 06:38:35

Just to clarify, it isn't that the handle bars rotate up and down, but rather that if you hold the wheel between yr legs, the bars will shift right to left, etc while the wheel is NOT moving? Glad your duaghter wasn't hurt.

Title: Re: Handle bar "loose" after drop???
Post by Kropatchek on 10/07/06 at 07:56:35

Glad your daughter was not hurt.
Now for the bike:
The risers are mounted in rubbers, under the large washer of the riser is rubber, same in the bottom.

Check out this link of RonAyers to see the attaching parts:
http://www.ronayers.com/fiche/300_0039/steering_stem/steering_stem.cfm
# 13 and #14 are rubber some times with the washer attached, sometimes as a separate part.

Advise to do the following:
Remove the cotterpins at the bottom and undo the nuts.
Straiten out the handlebar , tighten the 2 nuts, 14.5 to 21.5 lb.ft and install the cotterpins.

Greetz
Kropatchek 8)

Title: Re: Handle bar "loose" after drop???
Post by markv on 10/07/06 at 09:18:34

Thanks for the replies. yes if you hold the wheel between your legs (or firm against the stop left or right) the bars will move a little left/right, not up-down. Kind of rubbery feeling which I guess is due to rubber mounts. I'll follow Kropatchek's suggestion and post back. Thanks again!

Mark.

Title: Re: Handle bar "loose" after drop???
Post by mavrik on 10/07/06 at 15:37:02

I did the same thing my first day, slow speed drop. Bent the footpeg, scratched the tank and scuffed the end of the clutch.

Luckily for me and your daughter we weren't hurt. CAUTION.... check you headlight, if there is a scratch on it or signs of trauma, chances are there is a small crack in the plastic housing.

Mine like your car windshield cracked until it broke off. Vibrations are a bxtch.Hope you don't have the same problem Cheers http://w1.bikepics.com/pics/2006/08/16/bikepics-657768-800.jpg

Title: Re: Handle bar "loose" after drop???
Post by Veritas on 10/07/06 at 16:45:45

Sorry to change the subject, but are your saddlebags facing the right way?

Title: Re: Handle bar "loose" after drop???
Post by Rogue_Cheddar on 10/07/06 at 17:11:05

Hey Markv, good to hear your daughter is alright. check out this ebay link for a new turn signal.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Suzuki-Savage-LS-650-Intruder-VS-800-1400-SIGNAL-q1_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ35580QQihZ002QQitemZ120039593854QQrdZ1

Title: Re: Handle bar "loose" after drop???
Post by Savage_Rob on 10/07/06 at 18:12:03

Veritas wrote:

Sorry to change the subject, but are your saddlebags facing the right way?

We've been over that one in another thread. They're reversed.

Title: Re: Handle bar "loose" after drop???
Post by markv on 10/08/06 at 06:58:14

All fixed now thanks to the Ron Ayers exploded view drawing. Equiped with that I was able to check out all the fasteners and found the culprits. The bolts at the rubber mountings were a touch loose but the worst offenders were under the caps fastening the "risers". They were finger tight. I don't really see how the drop loosened those two that way so I'm wondering if they were torqued up correctly when the bike was assembled out of the crate. Anyhow all nice and solid now.

Thanks for the e-bay tip but I think they changed the shape of the housing for the S40. That price would have been nice. Unfortunately I already paid up and ordered from the dealer, I didn't think of looking on ebay.

Mavrik, that must have been horrid on your first day. Mine's only a month old and it was pretty gut wrenching to see it laying on the ground (once I'd figured my daughter was ok of course!). The H/lamp did pop out of its housing a little but I unscrewed it and re-assembled, that was the first fix I tackled. Luckily the housing did not crack.

Thanks for all the replies!

Mark.