I'd really like to feel good about my bike. I bought this bike used and it's been crashed pretty bad - I've done all my own work on the bike since I got so I kind of have this "connection" to it.

But there are things that I can't fix that give me pause.

First of all, the crash busted the headlight mounts right off inside the fairing and broke off the corners of the headlight unit itself. I made a set of headlight holders out of some metal strapping that I bolted to the fairing by drilling some holes. This works fine and isn't much of a concern, but when I go over a seam in the highway or something I hear that headlight bang and it bugs me. Upper fairing also has cracks below the mirrors on both sides, and some other spider-web cracking happening at a couple of spots. The only way to fix this and keep the bike looking good is to buy OEM plastic/headlight - ~$800.

More of a concern is that when I'm going straight my handlebars are about 1/2 an inch to the left! This is either an alignment issue or the forks could be tweaked in the triple clamps. Seems to me that the bike must've had a rough collision on the front end to cause the headlight damage and this. This worries me because I'm concerned that I might have cracked welds or some other issue with a critical frame component that could fail at the worst time.

I see pics on this board of everyone's sweet 500's, and I just don't feel good about the way my bike looks. In fact a co-worker came up to me and said "is that your bike up front" and I said - "Well, my bike isn't very sweet so if the bike you saw was sweet it probably wasn't mine".

Now I've put ~5500 miles on the bike in the last 2 years - mostly highway and I don't have any complaints other than the above. I still owe money on this bike (~$1500) so I'd have to pay it off no matter what. I realize that this is a personal decision, but I am looking for insight from experienced riders: If your bike was like mine, would you keep it and just live with what's going on, try to fix it, or get rid of it and buy something new?

 

I'm not an experienced rider by any means, but I am an experienced owner of not-sweet-looking crap that I have an emotional attachment to.

If you like teh bike and you like riding it, keep it. If you don't like the way it looks, change it. There's no rule that says you need to have OEM plastics. there are a lot of things you could do to repair the bike, you could 'glass in some new mounts for the headlight and such.

what I'm trying to say is, it's your bike, man. if you like it keep it. If you want another bike, get another bike. Your 500 can be your creative outlet, your project car. I have a 69 chevelle convertible at home... it's a rusty pile of shnit. It's been off the road since before I was born and has no floor, no fenders, and the quarters are shot. but I keep it around. I'm attached to it, if I ever got rid of it I would prob cry like my dog died or something. You're worried about fractures in the welds on the frame? tear the beast down. find out. if you have another bike you can ride that and then you can take your time tearing down the 500.

I don't have a license yet... damn paperwork.
anyways, in th meantime I have this 500. it doesn't look good. i get rude remarks from strangers when i take it out. the turn signals are busted off, the fairings don't fit, and theres retarded stickers all over it. but it's my first bike. i'm going to tear it down. bolt by bolt. strip the frame, repair an problems, paint, reassemble. I'm going to rebuild the drivetrain, fix and paint the fairings. I've already done a lot of electrical work.

it doesn't need any of this, i just choose to do it, to get familiar with the mechanical workings of the bike.

I dont know... i;m pretty sure im just rambling at this point, but I have a feeling you'll regret getting rid of it.

peaceout
-Joe

 

The only thing I would be concerned with is the the bike not riding stright. Its all up to you if you want a diffrent bike. Have you tried pulling off the fairings and looking at the frame to see if there are cracks or anything on it?

 

I've had the bike totally apart on several occasions - I did not inspect the welds. I'm not getting overwhelmed with vibration so I doubt there is a serious problem, but its more of a mental thing with me. In the back of my mind there is this concern about it - I doubt that if I did inspect every weld it would stop me from worrying about it.

I don't know..I really like bike, part of me wants more power and peace of mind and the other part wants to keep it and run it till it won't run anymore.

(or until it fails on me and I crash it! - see, that's the little voice in the back of my head again!)

 

wellim gonna be a lil biased, GET A 07 ZX6

 

No comment on the personal decision, but have you done anything about the front end?

This is an important point for everyone who has crashed, regardless of your bike: You need to 're-center' your forks and re-check your rear wheel alignment after a crash. Even a minor one.

It's nearly impossible to crash a bike without tweaking the front wheel a little.
~Put the bike up on the centerstand and prop the front wheel up securely.
~Loosen all four of the triple-clamp bolts.
~Grab the front wheel with both hands and give it a firm but gentle L-R-L-R wiggle, getting gentler each time.
~Retorque the triple clamp bolts, lower the bike, bounce the front end a few times and visually inspect the alignment.

THEN check your rear wheel alignment using the string method. If the front wheel is still not properly aligned, it will become apparent when you do the string-alignment.
OR if after repeated attempts, you cannot get the front & rear aligned or your bike still tweaks to one side, you might have a bent frame.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Peace!
-CCinC

 

I have not done this adjustment - though I will give it a go. I am looking into a friend that has a ZX6 (I think!) for sale, and there is a bike shop near me and I might just take it in an see what I can get.

Off hand anyone know the torque for the triple clamp bolts?

 

One word for you, man. STREETFIGHTER!!!!!!

That's AFTER you've made sure the frame and running gear are strait and safe as Calamari suggested.

 

^