"Oh goodie" my fork and axel are bent!

[buelljek]

Well found out today the my fork is bent causing seal to
Leak. This is weird since it just started leaking, no vibrations nothing? Could this have happened when I strapped it down? Too tight?
Anyone got an extra right side fork tube???

 

[snrusnak]

I have an extra set of tubes. What year is your bike?

 

[Applepooh]

Damn.. that stinks man.

 

[Thaloc]

How the **** did u bend 3/4" steel axle w/o crashing the **** out of it.

 

[Lesley]

Quote:
my fork is bent... Could this have happened when I strapped it down? Too tight?

no way ...unless you crashed the truck with your bike in it

Man I don't know about that. Those ratchet straps are the same material truck drivers use to secure 40,000+ pounds of freight. I would think they were plenty strong enough to bend a motorcycle fork,frame and anything else you strap down too tightly. I know a guy who uses them straps to pull frames and straighten body work on automobiles.
Just my two cents [up]

 

[snrusnak]

No way you could bend a fork by strapping it down too tight. The suspension compresses more and more as you tighten it down, that's it. To use a ratchet strap to bend a fork you'd have to strap it down until it was fully compressed(doubt anyone has ever done that) then keep tightening it until it bends(doubt anyone is strong enough to do that with the minor amount of leverage provided by a strap ratchet).

 

[konarider94]

How the **** did u bend 3/4" steel axle w/o crashing the **** out of it.

who has 3/4" steel axles? ours are hollow aluminum[confused]

 

[firefighter1c57]

No way you could bend a fork by strapping it down too tight.  The suspension compresses more and more as you tighten it down, that's it.  To use a ratchet strap to bend a fork you'd have to strap it down until it was fully compressed(doubt anyone has ever done that) then keep tightening it until it bends(doubt anyone is strong enough to do that with the minor amount of leverage provided by a strap ratchet).

you're assuming it was strapped down correctly. IE from the trees, not the forks, and pulling downward on the suspension not outward

 

[buelljek]

I always strap to the trees... I guess it's just my luck!!! Bike is an 07 Firebolt. Thanks if u can help!!!!

 

[snrusnak]

buelljek, I sent you a PM, I have a set of straight fork tubes in pretty good shape. They have some pretty minor flaws aesthetically. Let me know if you're interested, I'd let them go real cheap.

 

[Kid1620]

The straps us truck drivers specifically flatbed drivers use have a working load limit of around 5500lbs and that a 4inch nylon strap with a 1/2 inch thick hook. The straps most people use on motorcycles have a WLL of around 300lbs. So over tightening the straps would not have bent the forks. Or the axle