KX Riders
Maintenance & Technical => KX500 Original => Topic started by: hughes on January 01, 2005, 10:45:53 AM
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Guy's I need ya'lls help. I spent many hours this week rebuilding forks and rear shock , changing brake fluid, lub calbes, Gearbox fluid. Went riding for about 2 hours and that D*MN uper pipe mount broke again(The one on the frame) :cry: . The one just under the tank. Man it was 75' here and sunny perfect day for riding. I found one picture in the gallery of a mod. pipe mount. I would like to have more detailed picture of the mod. and what process you used. Thanks. I guess I will just wait unitl next weekend to ride.
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Hughes;
I welded a pice a 1/6" thick mild steel to mine that was .500 wide,
and around 2.500 long.
I tryed tapping it to a 10-32, but it didn't hold.
So I had to use a nut, and lock washer on it.
Oh also, I put a .5 pice of rubber between the mount, and the pipe.
:lol:
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I got an idea of what I am going to do. Can you post a detailed picture of your mount :?: Thanks
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I will, but I'm a little beat up from to much partying last night.
So it will have to be a bit later.
I think some one has some pic's of that mod. in the gallerys.
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Taking my bike to work with me in the morning and fixing that pipe mount. I think am going to use a 1/2 square stock and cut it out on one side to fit the shape of the bike frame. I think that the square stock will be the strongest thing to use(4 sides). I should be able to get pic.
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.5 squar bar should do it!
What kind of work R U in???? :?:
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The d**n mount is going to break for the rest of the bikes life. It's just going to happen. I have the same issue and it will NEVER go away. Once broken, it will not stop. I even cut the mount off another KX and welded it up from scratch and it still broke. The vibes just kill the weld and does not hold well. But, if you can keep it welded, let me know, I also am having trouble.
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Mines been welded now for 3 good rides, with no sign of cracking.
I made mine thin, to take up some of the vibes!
I also put a .5 think pice of rubber between the pipe, and mount.
Lucky 4 me. I own a machine shop. And I can make all kinds of goodies.
If this wont work, then I may try to fab up a mount that will clamp all the
way arouund the frame.
We'll get it worked out!!!
Gowen;
What did you weld it with?
And what kind of wire did you use?
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Machine,
I work for Yamaha Motor Corp. (Marine Division). I provide technical support to our factory team anglers. I have a moblie shop that I set up on site. You may be able to see it in my gallery(Yamaha trailer). I travel mostly in the south east and north east. I live a hour from our engineering factily and that was were I was repairing my bike. I wish I owned and knew how to operate a machine shop. I can't weld so I let the guy's in our machine shop fix may pipe mount. I have no pictures at this time. I did use the 1/2 square stock and cut out the top backside half to fit the frame and welded it. I did what you talked about. I placed a 1/8 slab of rubber between the bracket and the damper pipe mount. Next I through bolted with a 1/4 stainless bolt and lock nut.
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"YAMAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!" :lol:
Well that sounds like a pretty fun job!
Good to know people in the bizzz.
If you ever think of some things that might help out us KX5'ers
Let me know. I'm always trying to comeup with a good fix 4 anything.
(When time lets me)
Working on (I hope!) a good one now!!!!! SSSssssshhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!
:D
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Machine,
Hope to go to the local track(they have motocross and a 11 mile offroad track) this weekend and run the hell out of my bike. Maybe i'll get some riding pictures. The only thing that sucks about the older bikes is that the day may get cut short due to a failure. I need to get some time on the new pipe mount.
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Yeeesssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!! :)
Can't wait to see the pics!
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Gowen;
I hate to say, you are right!
I checked mine tonight, just to see that it had broke "AGAIN!!!" :twisted:
I don't have time to fab up some thing cool yet.
So I'm going to have to come up with some thing simple.
And if it works, I'll let you guys know!
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Do all KX5's have this problem or do you guys have similar years or maybe older models? Seems like if it was a big problem then Kawi wouldve caught on to it and maybe corrected it on later models... I'm just curious to know for my own personal knowledge.
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Mines a 04"
with 5-6 rides on it....
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Mine broke once a few years back,welded up the bracket and made my own rubber pipe mount.No more breakage yet,maybe because of the rubber mount I made,or could be your not alighneing the brackert to the pipe mount when you weld it?
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Gowen;
I hate to say, you are right!
I checked mine tonight, just to see that it had broke "AGAIN!!!" :twisted:
I don't have time to fab up some thing cool yet.
So I'm going to have to come up with some thing simple.
And if it works, I'll let you guys know!
I was out at the track this past sunday and my d**n mount broke again too. I will fab it again too. :roll: Tis' about what I've been doing for a few years.
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Man this sucks!
I do have a rubber mount @ .5 thick.
I'm using a cheap home mig welder.
I might take to my shop, and use the good stuff... ?
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the last weld I did with my home mig. The one before I had done at a welding shop.
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Guy's,
I'll try to get a picture of the square mount I made this weekend or early next week. Right now I'm in KeyWest,FL working so I'm out of pocket. The guy at our shop had a problem using a mig welder to attach the new steel mount to the frame. But the stick worked great.
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That would be great Hughes!
Thanks man!!!
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Do all KX5's have this problem or do you guys have similar years or maybe older models? Seems like if it was a big problem then Kawi wouldve caught on to it and maybe corrected it on later models... I'm just curious to know for my own personal knowledge.
They all seem to do it, one cure is to use the Zipty kit Tank/shrouds and expansion chamber combo shich doesn't even use the top pipe mount anyway :D
Expensive though :(
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I just welded it AGAIN!
I'm going riding the weekend, so that's what has to work for now.
Then I was thinking of making the bar that runs from the uper mount
to the pipe out of a thermo platic like Nylitron, Ryton, or Nylitron GS.
And keeping the rubber in there as well.
Might be wroth a try???
Don't have much to lose I guess???
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Ive heard the reference to "Zip Ty" alot around here but dont know much about it/them. Is there a web site I could check out?
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Zip-Ty is Ty Davis company (his dad owns Terry Cable) and Ty used to race Team Kawasaki,was real fast on any bike 125,250,500,desert,MX,hare hound you name it hes done it. www.ziptyracing.com
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Ive heard the reference to "Zip Ty" alot around here but dont know much about it/them. Is there a web site I could check out?
The Zip Ty kit looks like this
(http://66.114.106.228/_testfiles/kx500pics/greenbike.jpg)
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Is there really no need for the upper mount then????
I don't have the $$$ to go out and buy a new Ztp-Ty kit.
And my wife would kick my _$$ if I did...... :oops:
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Mine has broke a couple of times. I have 6 or so rides since the last repair and so far so good.
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How did you repair it???
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Is there really no need for the upper mount then????
I don't have the $$$ to go out and buy a new Ztp-Ty kit.
And my wife would kick my _$$ if I did...... :oops:
I bought mine secondhand from another member and my girfriend was dead chilled about the deal :D
By the way the pics not of my bike I think it's Toddwunche's (sp?) I don't have recent photos of mine.
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I deffinetely like the looks of that. Plus you probly get a whole lot more options as far as shroud graphics since they use the KX250 shrouds. What do you guys think of that pipe as compared to a PC or FMF system?
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Machine and gowen, I posted a picture of my mount repair using the square stock and cutting it to fit the contour of the frame. Hope you see what I did in the pictures. I have only 15 hours on the repair with acouple of falls on both sides. Look at work in progress under a.hughes 87kx500.
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Hughes;
The pic is a bit hard to make out for me?
Did you use 1/4 square bar?
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Use a flat piece of steel stock long engough to bridge the gap between the pipe mount and the rad. mount.
You can weld it or just drill holes at either end. My KX has gone 5 years like this with no probs.
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BigKX;
Do you mean join the 2 mounts?
The upper frame mount, the radiator frame mount, and the pipe all together?
I thought about it, but I was worried that the mount for the radiator would brake like the upper frame mount has?
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Machine I used 1/2 square stock. Cut the back out to fit the frame contour. Welded it all the way around. Front to Back. I think the square shaped mount should be super strong.
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Hughes;
Does the 1/2 square bar go all the way to the pipe?
Did you drill, and tap the 1/2, or do you have a thin piece going from the 1/2 mount to the pipe? Are you using and rubber for the vibes???
I will try and study your pic of the mount more!
Thanks,
Kev?
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Hughes, I didn?t realize you had 2 pic?s there!
Ok, now I see what you?ve done.
I?ll try that now!
Thanks!
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Yes, I'm basically connecting the two mounting points together. I also fill the void in the pipe mount itself(the one on the pipe) with silicone.
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BigKX;
What kind of pipe are you using?
Hughes;
Are you using 1/2 solid bar, or 1/2 square tubing?
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Hughes;
Are you using 1/2 solid bar, or 1/2 square tubing?
ditto
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1/2 sqaure tubing. It seems to be real strong. It's better than the little flat tab that use to hang down.
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I get what you're saying, and it seems like a pretty good design to me. If I had a welder I'd try it. I will sure keep it in mind though.
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I just brought home a pice of that!
Now I'll try and fit it!
Thanks! :wink:
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Let us know how it works.
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The pipe is an FMF fatty. I saw one of the team green KX 500's with the same fix.
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Arigato, I don't really understand what the silicone filling the void dose?
Can you post some info on this please?
Or the wright up on the "team green KX500" info?
Thanks!
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The pipe brace was seen first by my brother on one of Destry Abbot's bike at a race and another was seen by myself at a shop selling a team green bike. There is no write up as far as I know. I'll try to post a pic of the silicone. I don't know if it really does anything, but my frame bracket hasn't broke yet! I'm hoping it deadens some of the vibes.
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My pipe mount broke under the tank,made a new one.Then my PC pipe mount begin to brake,so made a new one of those,lots of time on both mounts and no problems.Aligning the two mount helps stop breakage.
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Here's what I mean.
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More info!
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More info!
Heh, reliving the past Alan? :-) I still remember that d**n mount.. I did finally get a perminant fix though.. But that was awhile ago.. :-)
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My upper pipe mount was snapped when I bought my bike, and 2 years later is still snapped. The pipe is supported in 2 other places, so I don't see the need to keep fixing a over stressed area of muffler support. (just my opinion).
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I fixed mine about a year ago as I said in the previous post about this subject. Well, I wouldn't say fixed (temporarily repaired) but I wouldn?t worry about riding it if it was broke, just my opinion, unless I ran on a track a lot. I wielded the mount back on, and installed a rubber washer - has work so far but I know it wont last. (I am a bubble gum wielder so I figure at least it will be good practice). I also had to change my lower mount when I went back to stock this year. I used a thin peace of metal so we will see if everything holds. I will keep and eye on it.
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I fixed mine with that 1/2 square pipe. I cut out the back of the pipe to fit the contour of the frame and then welded it all the way around. It's be on there for over two years now. Your not going to get much stronger than a square tube or pipe. I had the tank off this week I should of got some photo's. Sorry.