Bad Day

[cujokiller]

Well, I woke up yesterday morning to a beutifull weather.  It wasn't too hot and wasn't too cold.  Fueled up the bike and tightened the chain.  We were ready to roll.  We blasted through the desert and found some good jumps.  3 hours into the ride my buddy got a flat.  We were close enough to his house that we decided to head back to fix it.  On the way back I jumped off a mound and when I landed the upper rear shock mount bolt snapped.  The bike slammed down pushing the rear shock resivoir into the pipe bending it.  The pipe ended up melting the number plate, my gas tank, and the corner of my seat.  It also snapped the upper sub frame mount bolt causing the subframe to get tweaked.  The subframe looks like an easy fix.  The tank didn't melt all the way through, but I'm not sure if it would be wise to continue using it.  I'll probably send the pipe out to get it fixed and order some new plastic and seat cover.  There are more pics of the damage in my photo album.

                                                                          Justin

[alan]

Justin, looks just like mine did when the top bolt came out of the shock! 

Give me a call!

Alan

[Johnniespeed]

I was heading to the garage anyway, I think I will check the upper shock bolt torque today.
 Hope you get yours fixed soon. John

[hangtime]

Yikes!!!! Did that kick you off the bike? (or even worse?)

[kawish]

do you think an overtorqued bolt was the cause or it came loose and broke

[FuriouSly]

Dang, that sucks !   

Sounds like the shock bolt/nut was probably loose and then came out.  Overtorque/break on that bolt would be montrous.  Did you have any part of the bolt/nut to look at?  Would be interesting to see.  You said that it snapped, bent the pipe, and then snapped the subframe bolt?  Is the thread half of the subframe bolt still in the frame?  That top subframe bolt would take a serious amount of force to snap as well.  Just wondering.

Sly

[cujokiller]

I didn't get kicked off the bike.  I landed and the exhaust sounded different.  When the pipe bent it pulled out of the silencer.  If you look at the pic you can still see half of the shock bolt still in the nut.  I haven't touched the shock mount so I know it wasn't from over tightening.  Maybe my bike is just telling me it is time to go on a diet.   As for the subframe bolt.  I looked closer and it appears that it came out.  So I don't have to worry about trying to get the stud out. 

                                                                             Justin

[kx666]

i had the same thing happen to me...
kinda...my bult came out
now i tack weld that one

i hope you get her taken care of
~steve

[Mudshark]

Those must have been some pretty wild jumps ! 
Sorry to hear about / see the damage. Well at least you
didnt crash too. 

[GDubb]

I had a similar experience on a dune trip to Winchester Bay, Oregon.   Jumped one too many razorbacks apparently but it was the bottom shock bolt that gave way.  The bottom of the shock wedged itself between the dogbones and the swingarm and was stuck somehow so that the shock was fully compressed with the  rear fender almost sitting on the tire.  I got some interesting looks when I rode my KX500 "chopper"  out of the dunes and back to the trailer.  I got some good pics of it somewhere.  Used to have them in the Pitbull Racing gallery.