Poot said:
well nert, I just happen to have my swingarm dissasembled now, so I will measure it for you. Hopefully it works.
It must be a defective weld, because it would take a pretty big bump to crack that thing...
The weld itself should be nominally stronger than the rest of the material, so, if the weld itself is broken, I would be inclined to agree with Poot.
That said, a complete repair would require removal of the defective material, and having it re-welded.
A lesser quality repair would simply see it re-welded, as is. This would work, and if done properly will last a long time, but welding is not always as simple as it appears.
You should note that it might leave a slight change in angle, if the pieces are not firmly pressed in place before being welded, and held there during the welding.
Additionally, you would be welding metal that has already been stressed and weakened to its breaking point,
not just at the crack itself but all the metal around it. Apart from essential cleaning, it would have to be thoroughly and evenly pre-heated to ensure a decent weld resulted. If this is not done, the remaining weak metal continues to be exactly that, and a new weld could look good, but the metal is prone to failure.
The problem you face, if choosing this repair route, is finding a welder of sufficient skill, AND work ethic, to do it properly.
I know professional welders have the same basic licence qualifications, but in real life they specialize in different things, and what you need done may be outside of the experience of many.
Some welders, when faced with something quite different, often overlook essential details or try to shorten the set-up time, or avoid making necessary jigs, with negative results.
Final point: our bikes are not young, and parts are available at relatively low cost. This means that if you do find a good welding shop nearby, you may find the repair cost will be similar to obtaining a replacement unit, also as Poot suggested.
