Gen III Mirror & Broken Sub-Frame

[Iris]

If it were my bike, I'd just replace with the new part. Once you go through all the trouble to remove it, I wouldn't mess around trying to repair the broken one. I'm sure others on here will say that's silly and wasteful, but I like restoring things to new condition.

I agree.

 

[bigjohnsd]

If it has tipped over and broken once it is likely to happen again.

By performing Cdnarctic's repair I wonder if the pop riveted brace might provide a weak point to fail. One could then just re-rivet and all might be good.

 

[08FJR4ME]

For some reason I seem to recall the Gen II having more of a weldment sheet metal bracket type support for the mirrors. More likely to bend rather than crack.

Dave

 

[HotRodZilla]

Just one more reason, besides the crappy paint, not to buy a GenIII piece of junk.

Ducking and running for cover. :****:

 

[RadioHowie]

 

[Allen_C]

Iris, did I miss somewhere about you not wanting to summit this to insurance? It seems the cost of the sub-frame, mirror and labor will be in excess of $700 if a dealer completed the work.

 

[bigjohnsd]

Then add the cost of the mirror and the fairing side panel and you are at $1500

 

[Fred W]

I adjusted the spring tension on the mirrors when I first pick up the bike.Allows them to fold back if the bike tips over, don't really want to test it.

Was a post on this forum many years ago about it.

If you could point us to that post that would be great. I wouldn't even know what to search for to find it.

I don't see how loosening the stock mirror spring would do much towards prevention of this from happening. The pivot is completely parallel to the ground so when you drop the bike it will not fold from what I can see. I think that the angle that the 1st Gen or FZ1 mirrors pivot makes it quite a bit more likely that they will fold up and in on a dropsy.

But, you still see plenty of 1st gen bikes with apparently bent sub-frames, evidenced by the one side's mirror sitting higher than the other. I've got to agree that this pot metal sub-frame of the 3rd gens is going to be quite a bit less robust than the welded stamped metal frames of old.

 

[Iris]

I don't want to jinx it, but I think I may have an idea on how to mend my subframe without having to remove and replace the whole darn thing.
More will be revealed.......let me first think about my idea a little more.......

Also, there are no springs to release any tension. The way that the mirror holds tension is that there are like 8 washer type things and they have a sort of convex/concave shape. They are in there in such a way that they are juxtapositioned to create a sort of springing sensation and thus creating tension.

That's how I see it anyway.

Oh, also the mirror folds but the little subbase to the mirror does not.

 

[Eric L]

this whole thing stinks. They do know that bikes tip over, right? I am afraid if you reinforce the weak point, and manage to not have it break, that you'll just transmit the impact to the next weakest spot.

 

[08FJR4ME]

Many a Gen2 bike have joined the drop club without the amount of damage reported on the subframe. I am sure there have been a few but I don't remember any being cracked. Bent maybe, some have been bent back into position i believe.

Dave

 

[garauld]

8 washer type things and they have a sort of convex/concave shape...

FWIW, they are called Belleville washers and need to be reinserted in the same order/configuration as they were removed or the mirror swivel spring tension won't work effectively...

 

[Iris]

8 washer type things and they have a sort of convex/concave shape...

FWIW, they are called Belleville washers and need to be reinserted in the same order/configuration as they were removed or the mirror swivel spring tension won't work effectively...

Thanks. I never saw those before and certainly didn't know the name.......but yup, I was very careful in noting the direction that they came out because it looked important.

 

[xcsp]

Regarding the tension on the mirrors, seems to take a fair amount of effort to "fold" them in by hand-is that much tension really necessary?

 

[Fred W]

There are three stainless steel balls that fit into 3 corresponding dimples in the mirror base. Those are there to hold the mirror from just folding in under the considerable air pressure that would be exerted on the large mirror heads at 150 mph. The belleville spring washers hold the balls into the detents. When you do fold the mirrors back (or forward) you are compressing those spring washers enough to pop the balls up and out out of their detents.

Curiously, there is also a tab and slot in the two mating halves that restrict how far the mirror joint will pivot. In the stock form it will only pivot backwards about 5-10 degrees. I suppose that this was done to minimize the chance that you'd mash them into the rest of the body work, but it makes the pivot useless for improving your parking width IMO. I filed off the tabs the first time I disassembled mine, to make them a bit more functional.

 

[RadioHowie]

^^^^^^^^^^ BUTCHER!!!!

 

[mcatrophy]

.... I filed off the tabs the first time I disassembled mine, to make them a bit more functional.

That is a GOOD IDEA. Thanks.

 

[08FJR4ME]

Fred has lots of good ideas.

+1

 

[Iris]

Here's sort of what I am thinking of using...... "FiberFix".

I think at first I will try to use a metal epoxy putty just to hold the two pieces together and then once that is set, I will wrap it with this Fiber Fix stuff, all while the subframe is still in the bike. I'm not sure how this will work. It won't be easy to wrap, but I think it can be done.

Check out the video on their website https://www.fiberfix.com/

I'll take photos and post my progress and thoughts as I march forward.

I also have some other ideas too because I am still worried about what will happen to the sub-frame if the bike happens to drop again on the same side.

 

[Top_Speed1]

That aluminum casting looks quite cheap, but, maybe done by Yamaha on purpose to be the sacrificial. I think you guys just discovered it before it has become more well known. So as another mentioned here, you may not want to make this stringer part any stronger.