| Author | Message | ||
     Ulyful |
Hey Folks, Made an attempt at installing the Buell accessory Hepco-Becker sidecase racks this evening on my recently-purchased '06 Ulysses. When the rack bosses wouldn't line up with the threaded holes on the left side, I began looking at everything a little closer. I finally noticed that the cast aluminum footpeg bracket on the left side (the side that had the scuffed passenger footpeg--original owner said bike tipped over in his driveway) was alot more inboard than on the one on the right side. It appears that the footpeg bracket, up at the top near the passenger footpeg, is bent in quite a bit. It's not readily noticeable. Made an attempt at bending it back but didn't want to break anything, so took the bracket off and stood on it. It's better, but still not where it needs to be. Anyone ever have a similar experience? ...either on this part or another aluminum frame part? Any tips on bending it back? Will heating it up a bit (oven, hair dryer, heat gun, etc.) first before bending it help get it back permanently into place? I am leaning towards getting another one, but if this one can be bent back into position, I'd prefer that. It's in great shape otherwise (no nicks or scratches). | ||
| Etennuly |
Well annealing it with heat will help, but I'm sure a hair dryer will not be enough heat. That bracket is a cast piece that usually will only bend one way, one time. It can be welded if needed though. Can you install the bracket and wedge it out with wood blocks or something else that will allow the bolts to start? At the point of replacing it you have nothing to loose if it breaks. Having said all of that.....and re-reading it out loud.....just replace the bracket. My goodness man, it is a foot peg bracket on a motorcycle. That would be a temporary repair at best. Important part. You don't want unseen stress cracks in a part like that. | ||
| Pontlee77 |
from a stop fall i have seen one to crack, so i would not risk it. | ||
| Reepicheep |
The fit on those brackets was always a bit mickey mouse on my bike, even before it was "adjusted" by a left turning failing to yield Corolla. And the brackets are the first to go in a crash. +1 on just replacing the bent one, it broke in the crash, it just wasn't obvious. Otherwise you could bend the mounting brackets, they are steel. I had to do it. You will need high heat (I doin't recall if I used my Oxy Actylene or if I was able to do it with propane) and a lot of fussing. Who knows if it will even line up without welding on new tabs. | ||
| Arcticktm |
to Reepi's point, the steel bag mounts didn't fit all that well for most of us even on a new bike, so a new bracket sounds wise, but don't expect it gets you away from all work! At least you only have to do it once. | ||
| Ulyful |
I only have to bend the upper-most part of the footpeg mounting bracket outward about an inch (up near the passenger footpeg), which is the thinnest part of the bracket, to get the bag mounting bracket to flush out to th footpeg bracket. I already tried bending it cold using wood. I didn't want to rip the bracket from the frame, which would then give me a whole 'nother set of problems to correct, so I stopped pulling on it. I'm gonna try heating it up with my worst hair dryer (blows VERY hot), stand on it, and see if I can bend it back. If I can't, I'll get another one. I may get another one anyway even if I can bend it back. If it cracks, I'll have a spare. | ||
| Tootal |
Is it steel or aluminum? Aluminum can be annealed by heating in the oven at 600 degrees. I'd leave it in there at least a half hour. Pull it out and dunk it in cold water. Now you can bend a little further. If it gets tough heat it again. If you can get a new one then you can at least have it temporary until it shows up. | ||
| Ulyful |
I thought it was aluminum but others are saying it's cast metal and can be welded. It feels like a very heavily alloyed, lightweight pot metal if that's the case. I took the bracket off the bike this evening, ate a good dinner, heated up the bracket a bit in the area I wanted it to bend with my hair dryer, and jumped on it as hard as I could! It didn't work. That's about as far as I'm willing to go at this time. IF I break this one doing any more (potentially) destructive "fixes", then I'm REALLY screwed. I'm gonna wait until I get another one before doing anything more to this one. At least I can still ride the bike with the bent bracket, just not with the side case brackets and cases installed. The top case is installed and usable. Plan B is to cut and re-weld the sidecase mounting bracket tube at a slightly lesser angle (the one that juts forward towards the passenger footpeg from the rectangular-shaped portion of the case bracket). The tube on the right appears to be already welded at a lesser angle anyhow than the left one. Won't resort to that unless the replacement footpeg bracket still won't allow the sidecase mounting bracket holes to line up with the threaded holes in the bike. | ||
| Yo_barry |
I thought it was aluminum but others are saying it's cast metal and can be welded. It feels like a very heavily alloyed, lightweight pot metal if that's the case. Those parts are cast aluminum. I think you will find them readily available from HD.} | ||
| Hughlysses |
Ulyful- The main trick to mounting the luggage brackets is not to fully tighten ANY of the bolts until ALL of them have been started. If you're not following this procedure, then you likely won't get at least one hole to line up even if you get a new footpeg bracket. | ||
| Ulyful |
I have a replacement left hand footpeg bracket on it's way to my house. Was gonna price out a new one, but couldn't pass on the deal I got on a used one. With this being a fairly large PAINTED bracket, I figured HD would take me for at least $100 for a new one. I'm fine with a used one. I understand the need for starting all of the sidecase bracket fasteners first before beginning to tighten them down (after a dry-fit to verify all of the holes in the bracket line up with the threaded holes). Received my Precision Engineering 1" handlebar risers in the mail yesterday. I prefer a more upright riding position than what it currently has (I ride it with tall factory seat). Sprung for the black anodized finish ones to help make them as inconspicuous as possible once installed. These will help. Also have a Madstad windshield and adjustable brackets waiting for me to install and try out (with stronger acrylic flyscreen). That should definitely improve comfort during my 80 MPH cruises down the freeway as well. Along with my new front engine mount isolator, I'm sure all of this will give me quite a bit better experience on my Uly than what I've experienced so far. Looking forward to it. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I think the bracket was like $75 or something.... I'll have to go check my notes from the crash. Cheaper than I expected for what it was, but on the other hand, expensive for what probably should just have been a broken footpeg (that bracket seems to go before the footpegs do). Probably good that it's a kind of mechanical fuse to protect more expensive parts... |
