Crash Report - Post up your crash damage!

[Larson627]

I did a search and I don't think this exists here anywhere, but I'm sure we could all use a place to share war stories! 

 

I'll go first since I decided to absolutely piledrive my fresh new bike into a drainage ditch last week. Had some go fast music in the speakers in my helmet, finally headed into the woods on my new dirt tires, feeling good. Came through a muddy rut in the double track that didn't even get my attention, going about 25-30mph on the throttle and the bike came right around and lowsided off the side of the trail across a 3ft deep washout full of big rocks. Bike slammed into the embankment before coming to rest upside down in the ditch. I also bounced off of the embankment and landed in the ditch near the bike, relatively uninjured besides a few good bruises. Stock handguard was twisted comically all the way around the bar, but unbroken. Front wheel was cocked a good 35* angle in the fork. Didn't think to take pics before dragging the bike out of the ditch, but I snapped a few back at the carwash on the way home. Discovered later that both tires were severely underinflated, not sure how we managed that after mounting them. Might not have had anything to do with it, but the bike is a lot better on the street with air in the tires. 

 

 

Here is a case for why you might want crash protection! Ordered crashbars from Adventure Spec, I'm sure I will get a chance to report back on how they hold up. 

 

The Camel high exhaust kit took the hit extremely well, this would have certainly been a bent exhaust hanger situation. Twisted in the mount a little but I just twisted it right back, only dents and scratches. 

 

Stock handguards are just about useless, as expected, but they do twist pretty far without breaking, I'll give them that! 

 

Stock forkguards are brittle like everything else, and did break but not too badly. 

 

New shroud ordered from partspak.com, which to my surprise shipped immediately and will arrive today! 

 

Edited November 22, 2021 by Larson627

[Mike99]

That's really not too much damaged considering it was a good off and you've no crash bars, I feel better about taking mine in the woods now, glad you weren't injured 

[Larson627]

55 minutes ago, Mike99 said:

That's really not too much damaged considering it was a good off and you've no crash bars, I feel better about taking mine in the woods now, glad you weren't injured 

Figured that was worth sharing, it handled it much better than I anticipated. Just about worst case scenario for an impact surface too. The passenger footpeg mount, engine cover and the bottom of the fork were scuffed a bit but nothing major. I think crash bars will keep the bike a bit further from the ground which might help alleviate some of that, we'll see!  

Edited November 22, 2021 by Larson627

[Landshark]

That's not nice.  I'm happy you came out with your bike and not an ambulance.  All that is easily fixed on the T7 so it's now called experience.  If the back wheel spins and the bike can't go forward, the back wheel will come around to pass you every time.  I hate when that happens.

[TimeMachine]

Thanks for the report. Good to see you weren't seriously hurt.

 

I think you make a good case for NOT having crash bars or anything else that dramatically increases the weight of the bike. I have yet to see any crash damage to engine, radiator or anything else important that a set of crash bars would have saved. The T7 radiator is quite narrow for example, sitting flush to the engine and frame, and the worst I have seen on the forums is a lightly bent radiator mount. Quite different to the new Tuareg!

 

I only run case covers and bash plate and the evidence is building that the lighter you can make the bike the better off it is in a crash. If you guys have more info on this (one way or the other)then would be good to get some links here for reference.

 

Also, how much did they charge you for the shroud?

 

Edited November 23, 2021 by TimeMachine

[Larson627]

On 11/22/2021 at 10:17 PM, TimeMachine said:

Thanks for the report. Good to see you weren't seriously hurt.

 

I think you make a good case for NOT having crash bars or anything else that dramatically increases the weight of the bike. I have yet to see any crash damage to engine, radiator or anything else important that a set of crash bars would have saved. The T7 radiator is quite narrow for example, sitting flush to the engine and frame, and the worst I have seen on the forums is a lightly bent radiator mount. Quite different to the new Tuareg!

 

I only run case covers and bash plate and the evidence is building that the lighter you can make the bike the better off it is in a crash. If you guys have more info on this (one way or the other)then would be good to get some links here for reference.

 

Also, how much did they charge you for the shroud?

 

Yeah the bike is certainly heavy enough as it is, I think the jury is still out for the necessity of crash bars, but I know I’ll be wrestling the bike in the woods a lot, so they might be worth the 5-6lbs to protect the radiator. I will say that a cheap set of axle sliders would have saved it from a moderate amount of damage. My old supermoto had axle sliders and hand guards and that is all that would touch the ground in a slide, combo worked beautifully on pavement. Off-road you obviously never know what you’re going to connect with. 
 

Shroud was $122, which is way too much for what it is. Actually less then MSRP, but still… oh well! 

Edited November 24, 2021 by Larson627

[Wintersdark]

On 11/22/2021 at 3:23 PM, Landshark said:

That's not nice.  I'm happy you came out with your bike and not an ambulance.  All that is easily fixed on the T7 so it's now called experience.  If the back wheel spins and the bike can't go forward, the back wheel will come around to pass you every time.  I hate when that happens.

Hah yep; done it twice myself with the T7. 

 

I dunno; I respect that people who are better offroad riders than me might not want crash bars, but for me a 6kg extra weight is 100% worth not doing this to your plastics.  The second of my crashes also ended up with the bike largely upside down on rocks, and while my crash bars are a bit scuffed and bent, the bike itself is completely undamaged.  Well, and the handguards are scratched up, but they're obviously sacrificial guards anyways.  

[Wintersdark]

On 11/22/2021 at 10:27 AM, Larson627 said:

Figured that was worth sharing, it handled it much better than I anticipated. Just about worst case scenario for an impact surface too. The passenger footpeg mount, engine cover and the bottom of the fork were scuffed a bit but nothing major. I think crash bars will keep the bike a bit further from the ground which might help alleviate some of that, we'll see!  

 

Did you have the nylon bolt in that lower guard mount there?  Or was that a steel bolt?

[Ray Ride4life]

The T7 is very easy to control when the back starts to slide but i do have crashbars.
I have the tendency to get myself in situations better to be avoided, but what's the fun in that.
Last September i got on some roads in Montenegro with the Crosstourer where i managed the heavy ass bike but barely and if that would not be the case i don't need the risk of damaging i could have avoided with crashbars.
In July i go to North Cape via on- and offroad, this trip i will do with the T7 and also don't want to risk getting stranded in the middle of nowhere.

[Larson627]

32 minutes ago, Wintersdark said:

Did you have the nylon bolt in that lower guard mount there?  Or was that a steel bolt?

It was a steel bolt and it literally pulled out of the hole and is gone, I was looking at it tonight scratching my head trying to figure that one out! Still threads in there but the top of the whole is oblonged. 

[Wintersdark]

On 11/24/2021 at 4:52 PM, Larson627 said:

It was a steel bolt and it literally pulled out of the hole and is gone, I was looking at it tonight scratching my head trying to figure that one out! Still threads in there but the top of the whole is oblonged. 

Yeah, that's kind of a problem.  There's nylon bolts that can be had to replace that steel bolt, because if it yanks out it'll often damage the lower fork in the process and be a very expensive fix (well, at least compared to replacing a nylon bolt).  I'm not sure where you get them, though - I read about it on here, and this image reminded me that I really need to get them.

[Uncle M]

@WintersdarkRally Raid in the UK sells them for $1 CDN each but no idea what the shipping would cost. There must be local (N. American) sources but no idea who.

Yamaha T7 Front Fender Screws-RRP 636

 

[Wintersdark]

1 hour ago, Uncle M said:

@WintersdarkRally Raid in the UK sells them for $1 CDN each but no idea what the shipping would cost. There must be local (N. American) sources but no idea who.

Yamaha T7 Front Fender Screws-RRP 636

 

Probably cheaper than shipping from the US.  US vendors are always insanely expensive for us; dunno why, but shipping is always a nightmare.  I always pick UK vendors of US when it's possible.

[Larson627]

4 hours ago, Wintersdark said:

Yeah, that's kind of a problem.  There's nylon bolts that can be had to replace that steel bolt, because if it yanks out it'll often damage the lower fork in the process and be a very expensive fix (well, at least compared to replacing a nylon bolt).  I'm not sure where you get them, though - I read about it on here, and this image reminded me that I really need to get them.

Yeah, apparently I need them too! I will also be investing in a set of axle sliders, as they would have also prevented this. 

[Larson627]

3 hours ago, Uncle M said:

@WintersdarkRally Raid in the UK sells them for $1 CDN each but no idea what the shipping would cost. There must be local (N. American) sources but no idea who.

Yamaha T7 Front Fender Screws-RRP 636

 

I would bet McMaster Carr has something that would fit the bill. I will have to dig around in their website. 

[MikeG]

On 11/26/2021 at 1:09 AM, Uncle M said:

@WintersdarkRally Raid in the UK sells them for $1 CDN each but no idea what the shipping would cost. There must be local (N. American) sources but no idea who.

Yamaha T7 Front Fender Screws-RRP 636

In the UK they are called number plate screws,there just a plastic screw 

 

[Wintersdark]

9 hours ago, MikeG said:

 

Yeah, but getting plastic screws of a specific thread and size is generally non-trivial, at least here-abouts anyways.  

[Larson627]

On 11/27/2021 at 11:14 PM, Wintersdark said:

Yeah, but getting plastic screws of a specific thread and size is generally non-trivial, at least here-abouts anyways.  

I had leftover hardware from removing the stock license plate mount, that will hold it over until I figure out a more permanent solution. The amount of parts and hardware I have piled up that I've taken off of this bike already is laughable! 

[Larson627]

Got her pretty well buffed out, looking nearly good as new besides a few battle scars! Crash bars coming tomorrow, handguards as soon as I can decide what I want to buy... 

 

 

Edited November 29, 2021 by Larson627

[Larson627]

Something worth investigating after a good get-off without crash bars - the radiator mount has a mounting bracket for the shroud with relief holes drilled in it, I found this while removing the broken fairing to install the new ones, just about crushed flat to the radiator. Certainly served it’s purpose, cheers to the guys at Yamaha for creating a relief point between the ground and the radiator. Spent a half hour pounding it back straight and repainting it, good as new(ish). You’ll have to take my word for it, was too excited to install new graphics from SKDA to remember to take a pic after it was “straightened” out. 

Edited November 29, 2021 by Larson627

[HugoB]

these bikes are great at taking a beating... maybe at some point there will be cheaper aftermarket plastics for sale? 

 

however my poor SC exhaust though 

 

[Larson627]

30 minutes ago, HugoB said:

these bikes are great at taking a beating... maybe at some point there will be cheaper aftermarket plastics for sale? 

 

however my poor SC exhaust though 

 

 

Ouch! The stock mounting position is certainly not ideal for hard falls on the RH side! The Camel kit does a really nice job of tucking it in a bit, I was thankful to have avoided the dreaded bent hanger. 

[Bartek]

I keep hearing about bent exhaust hangers, but yet to see one... seems like some sort of hanger-o-fobia

[AZJW]

On 11/25/2021 at 4:57 PM, Wintersdark said:

Yeah, that's kind of a problem.  There's nylon bolts that can be had to replace that steel bolt, because if it yanks out it'll often damage the lower fork in the process and be a very expensive fix (well, at least compared to replacing a nylon bolt).  I'm not sure where you get them, though - I read about it on here, and this image reminded me that I really need to get them.

Bolt size is M6 x 20mm

 

[AZJW]

58 minutes ago, Bartek said:

I keep hearing about bent exhaust hangers, but yet to see one... seems like some sort of hanger-o-fobia

There's a number of them mentioned in this thread.