Bend R-Gaza Saddlebag Bars?

[Ludwig61]

Hello!

I had a tipover last weekend and my R-Gaza saddlebag bar bent back where it contacts the saddlebag. Any ideas on how to bend them back? I don't have a table-mounted vise, just hand tools. Thinking hammers aren't the way. Here's a link to the bars on R-Gaza's site so you can see what I have to work with:

https://www.ruchkagaza.com/product-page/yamaha-fjr1300-2001-2005-side-bag-luggage-guards
I figure bending the flat mounting brackets at the end would be sufficient. I tried vise grips on the bracket near the tube plus brute strength, but I'm a fat old guy, not a brute...

Find a neighbor with a table-mounted vise and use my weight when pulling? Any other ideas?

 

[FJRay]

If you can't find a vise, find a pickup with a trailer hitch and clamp the bar to the hitch and then lean on it or use something for a lever

 

[RossKean]

The brackets appear to be a weak point on those! I think a vice is the way to go if you can find one to use. Then something to use as a lever to give you some mechanical advantage. You might be able to hammer them back into shape (off the bike) but they might crack

 

[Ludwig61]

Oh! I really like the trailer hitch idea. Only need to buy a clamp. But...

I'm planning to sell the bike very soon. People in another sandbox pointed out that bending leads to fatigue, which leads to failure. I'd already ordered a replacement set in case I couldn't get the old one back in position (return to Amazon unopened if I had gotten the old one back in place). So I'm now leaning towards "replace" so I don't feel a need to caveat to prospective buyers.

 

[mophead]

Do you have a ratchet strap tie down? I would turn front wheel to whatever side is bent, runn the ratchet strap through the fron wheel, other end to bent guard, then tighten and see if that would pull it back toward straight. Or if you have a hotshot buddy with some big ratchet straps. Or use a come a long.
Might work.

 

[Ludwig61]

Do you have a ratchet strap tie down? I would turn front wheel to whatever side is bent, runn the ratchet strap through the fron wheel, other end to bent guard, then tighten and see if that would pull it back toward straight. Or if you have a hotshot buddy with some big ratchet straps. Or use a come a long.
Might work.

I started pulling with it on the bike. The whole footpeg/muffler bracket started moving. I'm too afraid of doing something to the subframe to try again to bend it while on the bike. Two bolts, which have the rear footpeg and the muffler, are all that hold it on. In retrospect, I'm impressed that the two bolts can take the weight of a tipover!

 

[SacramentoMike]

You can usually rig up some kind of pulling/pushing/levering combination of things with a variety of clamps, straps, levers, and maybe even a jack, as suggested above, whatever kind of force you need to exert. But no matter what you end up using, I think everybody still needs a good vise (and the best time to buy any tool is when you need it--perfect excuse to enlarge your inventory). A 4-inch bench vise I found in an estate sale years ago is absolutely the most useful tool in my garage. It's like having a strong and patient helper on permanent stand-by. I suppose this thing was 50 years old when I bought it and I'm sure my great grandson will appreciate it in his old age too. They're tough to wear out.

 

[mcatrophy]

... A 4-inch bench vise I found in an estate sale years ago is absolutely the most useful tool in my garage. It's like having a strong and patient helper on permanent stand-by. I suppose this thing was 50 years old when I bought it and I'm sure my great grandson will appreciate it in his old age too. They're tough to wear out.

Couldn't agree more. In my case I got a new 4-inch one, as a birthday present from my wife. (How she carried home it in her shopping bag without me noticing her heavy burden I don't know.) Mounted it on a solid workbench, I now take it for granted, just like having screwdrivers and spanners around.

Use it for holding things being worked on, bending metal to make brackets and the like, straightening things that shouldn't be bent. Even just to to hold something I want to photograph.

Of course, mine isn't new any more, it must be over 50 years old now.

 

[Azor50Ron]

If you can't find a vise, find a pickup with a trailer hitch and clamp the bar to the hitch and then lean on it or use something for a lever

If you decide to bend, steel needs heated first but be careful since propane heats around 2000 F and steel melts from 2500-2800 F
I would replace it since crash bars are to save more expensive parts...