I had a minor spill on my bike a couple of nights ago and initially thought I had just slightly bent the handlebars. I now think I may have done something more serious to the forks. I am new to biking and wonder if someone with more experience could come and have a look and confirm if I am right in my amateur diagnosis.
I work in Kings Cross and am here all day today, is anyone able to pop round and take a look for me?
Thanks in advance,
Dan
Mate , I think there is a Daytona repair centre in Kings Cross road you could pop into ?
Depends on whether you could wheel your bike there ?
Thanks, just called Daytona but he’s a man down and can’t look at it till monday. Well worth knowing about them though, they are 2 minutes away from work.
Anyone able to pop over here in return for some lunch money?!
You could try Burwin’s on Essex Road, they are close by and do a ride in, ride out service, open until 5pm. Or Essential Rubber in Hackney, I think they are open later.
you should be able to tell if maybe you have twisted them a little.
look down the forks from top youke and see if top yoke lines up with bottom yoke or stand to the side and look at the nearest side fork leg obviously the other 1 should line up you will be able to see if it does not.
if was not a big spill/fall you may be able to twist em back slightly at least for you to ride the bike home.
Well I rode it in to work this morning so riding home shouldn’t be a problem. The issue is that when I view the bike head on it seems that the front wheel is set off to the left a touch, ie.e it doesn’t lineup with the centre of the headlight. Is this sort of damage usually repairable or am I looking at a new set of forks? Suspension travel seems unaffected.
Damn my stupidity!
Where’s home?. And don’t be so hard on yourself. We all had to start from that stage.
Home is East Dulwich. On the way home tonight I was enveloped in smoke, my exhaust seems to be frying something (it’s an under-seat job), putrid smelling smoke that took about 5 minutes to stop. I’m pretty certain it ha snothing to do with my off so I think I’ll get it taken back to the dealer to be looked at and get them to advise on the forks as well.
Why ever did I sell my Vespa, 18 months of faultless service and have swapped onto something that almost catches light after a couple of hundred miles!
What do you ride?
Also, out of interest, how long does your commute take?
It’s a Yamaha MT-03 and takes about 30 mins.
i am not far from east dulwich meself, if i get a chance will pm you and have look for you.
with the smoke could be something on the exhaust or maybe a spill of oil on the engine that just burns off.
Thanks Choprocker, am around from about 7pm most weekday evenings and always fancy a pint!
I’ve read of another MT-03 owner suffering a dodgy weld on the exhaust which resulted ini a gapping hole blowing hot gasses onto the underside of the pillion seat. End result was a lot of melted foam and plastic. The smoke smells more acrid to me than oil, will take it to work tomorrow and let Daytona take a look.
Loosen off the bottom yoke pinch bolts and wheel spindle , bounce the forks up and down, sometimes i resort to kicking the front wheel gently as well .
Tighten the bottom bolts, little more bouncing if required then tighten the wheel .
Worked on fishfaces bike a while ago and she would have gone round in small circles with the handlebars straight.
Loosen off the bottom yoke pinch bolts and wheel spindle , bounce the forks up and down, sometimes i resort to kicking the front wheel gently as well .
Tighten the bottom bolts, little more bouncing if required then tighten the wheel .
Worked on fishfaces bike a while ago and she would have gone round in small circles with the handlebars straight.
Are you sure it’s smoke? I had a problem with the coolant hose clips on my XT (same engine as yours). The quick clips Yamaha use are really rubbish and I had a hose leaking (and eventually popping off). The coolant then steams up and that smells a bit acidy. Your off may have moved one of the hoses.
If it’s a new bike under warranty you should be taking it back to the dealer to check. I’d be interested to know how you get on…
You’ve already read the ‘hot singles’ thread so you know the exhausts can get very hot, though that Gordon Frazer (read his old blog) is the only MT owner I’ve heard of whose seat has actually caught fire- and that was down to a hole in the exhaust! I’d be suprised if you had a hole in a new exhaust but who knows?
I’m almost certain it’s not coolant as when stationary it is rising from around the back of the pillion seat and as far as I’m aware there should be no hoses near there?
I will let Daytona take a quick look and then it’s off to the dealers if the smoke continues tomorrow morning and Daytona can’t find anything obvious.
you sure the exhaust aint come loose or summat?
bit l8 to get round to ya now m8, was free all day today too.
warranties will be ok for somethings but this is the result of a crash/fall so they might charge you sh1tloads, wotever they say get a 2nd opinion on it, forks may be twisted a little and ok to go back but shop might go for new forks etc, if you get wot i mean, lol.
The forks and handlebars are obviously not warranty issues but whatever is goiing on with the exhaust I don’t think is linked to my off. Firstly there is no sign of any damage whatsoever from the sidestand back, the rear of the bike didn’t come into contact with the tarmac partially because my left leg was under it…but not on the exhaust. Secondly, the smoking started two days after the off if my memory serves me correctly. I will certainly check more closely to see if the exhaust is loose in any way but I did the ‘waggle test’ and it didn’t appear to be.
I wasn’t around today unfortunately, will be every evening this week though if you happen to be free…assuming Daytona don’t sort it.
Cheers.
no worries m8, let me knoiw wot happens.
another thing could be at back is i wonder if a hose has come a little loose form your rear brake resevoir and some has gone onto your exhaust?
