Help - Mirror mount on Gen 3.6 front subframe broken

[SkooterG]

Today I purchased a 2017 ES.  Only 2600 miles on the darned thing but it had a parking lot drop with no protection so has all the normal expected damage.  This included a wobbly left mirror.  

I know enough about the issue to know this is a major PITA.  Why Yammie went to aluminum from the old steel front subframes that could be just bent back into place.........

So how have folks dealt with this issue?  If I have to I'll order a new front subframe and replace it, but I know that job will be a major ***-pain.  How have folks repaired it?

 

[mcatrophy]

You are absolutely right, replacing is a major job, I found it both time consuming and difficult. 

As for repairs, I have seen a couple shown on this forum, but what I noticed was that the breaks in each subframe were in slightly different places, and a repair that worked for one probably won't work for another. I seem to remember one of the ladies here did one, possibly barb? Can’t remember the other. 

Having broken two, I couldn't agree more about wishing they'd stayed with a steel subframe. 

[edit] FWIW link to my removal pictures but I later learned that I hadn't taken the front off the easiest way.[/edit]

 

[BkerChuck]

JB Weld, fixed mine back in October and holding strong. No need to pull fairing.

 

[mdisher]

So, double check it...  I dropped my 06 last summer hard in a parking lot in a storm and bent the **** out of the mirror.  I straightened it (bent it back) and had wobbly mirror for a while. 

Same as you, dreading the broken subframe I took the covers off to remove my big *** lights, mirror extenders from mirror and start taking it apart.   My bracket/subframe wasn't broken, the screws had just pulled out about an 1/8 inch or so. 

Tightened everything up and I was good to go.   (the screws still had bite).

Good Luck.

Edit: If Gen 3's have a different subframe, then I dunno.  Still not _that_ hard to pop that cover off and take a look.

 

[RossKean]

Edit: If Gen 3's have a different subframe, then I dunno.  Still not _that_ hard to pop that cover off and take a look

Gen III is an entirely different beast with respect to nose subframe.  Brittle aluminum.

 

[Intech]

It is a big job, but not terrible. EVERYTHING on the nose attaches to the stay. I sent my broken one to Garauld and he sent me a repaired one. 

 

[SacramentoMike]

Removing, mailing, waiting, and re-installing the damn thing (called a "stay" I think) would work, but it's the removal and re-installation that's about 99 percent of the agony.  The new stay is cheap enough--probably not much more than the postage two ways IIRC.  I've ranted here about this auto-breaking piece of crap part a couple of times. 

Big John, I think, posted some pics of the repair he made on his, and I also did the same, but as mcatrophy said, both breaks occurred in different places.  Gluing did not, and could not have worked where mine snapped (JB or anything else).  We both used a similar approach, just kind of made a splint or support bracket of bent metal spanning the break and drilled screw holes on both sides to secure it.  Mine was in such an awkward place it was very hard to line everything up, or get all the parts in place right.  It was close, but didn't really line up right.  I did try to fill in the gap with JB and crossed my fingers.  And it worked somewhat.  The glue did not hold, not surprisingly.  The break was just end-to-end at a very narrow spot; might have been better if I'd had more surface to work with, or a couple angles coming together somehow.  The mirror wobbled a bit, but the repair held for at least a year or more till I sold the bike.  Best part was I only had to remove enough fairing to access the break.

If you can find the pics John and I posted it would give you an idea if that would work for you.  I couldn't face taking the whole nose apart (including all the extra wiring for my Clearwater Lights and all the controls inside there) so that was the best approach for me to try.  Good luck.

(I just found a long YouTube vid that might help--dunno, but it at least seems to show what a PITA removing this thing would be.  Search "How to Fix a Broken Mirror: FJR 1300 Front Stay/Subframe Replacement")

 

[Intech]

The stay is over $200 new. I went into the replacement without watching any how-to vids. Just did it slowly and bagged and documented everything as I removed it. My replacement was 1/4 of the cost of new. I did have time, though as I was unable to ride after surgery to reattach my left bicep tendon that was a result of the incident that broke the mirror.

 

[bigjohnsd]

Scooter here are pictures of my break and the way I repaired it.

I fabricated the braces/brackets out of 1/8" x 1" hardware store procured 5056 aluminium strap material.

The screws and nuts came from my bolt bin, 1/4"-28 and I threaded the brackets and the stay and put a Nylock Nut on the back side of each screw

Were i to do it again I think i would also epoxy or JB weld the entire area as well.

The repair was made in the fall of 2014 with about 12,000 miles on the bike.

When I sold the bike with almost 60,000 miles in November 2018 I inspected the repairs while defarkling and everything was still tight.

 

[SkooterG]

Scooter here are pictures of my break and the way I repaired it.

I fabricated the braces/brackets out of 1/8" x 1" hardware store procured 5056 aluminium strap material.

The screws and nuts came from my bolt bin, 1/4"-28 and I threaded the brackets and the stay and put a Nylock Nut on the back side of each screw

Were i to do it again I think i would also epoxy or JB weld the entire area as well.

The repair was made in the fall of 2014 with about 12,000 miles on the bike.

When I sold the bike with almost 60,000 miles in November 2018 I inspected the repairs while defarkling and everything was still tight.

Awesome!  Thanks for the photos and detailed instructions.  I just picked my new-to-me '17 ES a few hours ago.  Hopefully will get in there and inspect the damage soon.  

Only 2600 miles on this bike.  A bit of drop damage, but I basically stole it!  Picked it up north of Tucson this morning and took it on a nice ride to the top of Mt. Lemmon before heading home.  A beautiful day and a great ride on FJR #13.  I wonder?  How many FJRs can one own in a lifetime?