HELP! Frame Cracked

[Anonymous]

Inspecting my bike today during a look over I found a hairline crack in the frame where some moron had overtightened the u-bolts for the case guards. I took them off last night to have better acess to some missing mount bolts and decided to leave them off because they were bent. Should I be worried about this crack. I already have 1500 in this beast and have more to do. But if it is bad I need to cut my losses and kill a few people. Anyway advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike

[Jeff Tate]

The frame is made of mild steel, so it shouldn't be a problem to have it welded, ground smooth and repainted. I'd be concerned about it because if the frame was meant to have hairline cracks they would have put them there at the factory. Sorry, I'm not trying to be sarcastic. This is just my basic philosophy on these things. Shouldn't cost too much either.

[argonsagas]

First, try re-inspecting it. You may be lucky and find it is a crack in the paint. Mine came to me that way, and the mechanic wouldn't give me a safety certificate until we removed the paint to be sure.

If the frame is actually cracked on the down tubes it is unlikely to cause a major concern for some time, but it will unquestionably get worse due to moisture penetration that leads to rust, and serious metal problems over time.

I would recommend you clean off the paint, inspect it closely, and, if necessary, have it welded. Cost of welding will not be very high and for a vital component such as the frame, it's really cheap insurance.

[Anonymous]

Know anyone that works in an engine shop?? Bring the bike by and have it magnafluxed; takes 5 minutes to check.

Jon Kram
_______________________

81 GS750EX and proud of it!!

[Don Lobacz]

Make sure that you disconnect the battery and the ignition module before welding!

[Anonymous]

Re: HELP! Frame Cracked

Inspecting my bike today during a look over I found a hairline crack in the frame where some moron had overtightened the u-bolts for the case guards. I took them off last night to have better acess to some missing mount bolts and decided to leave them off because they were bent. Should I be worried about this crack. I already have 1500 in this beast and have more to do. But if it is bad I need to cut my losses and kill a few people. Anyway advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike

Hmmmm... I just found that my GS450L has the same problem.. (crack in the frame where some moron had overtightened the u-bolts in the case guards) which I just noticed after removing the guards... in my case both down tubes are bent in. So I did the same thing that I always do when I run into a problem.. checked thegsresources to see if anyone else has had the same problem, and if anyone had solutions. and voila there it was. I was very concerned, but after reading these posts, not so much anymore. Guess I'll get this welded.

Did you ever get your frame welded at the crack as suggested?

[nabrams]

I had a local Meineke shop weld my muffler and kickstand on a 1977 Honda XL350 I had. It took about 20 minutes and it cost $30.
If I were you, I'd play it safe and get it welded.