Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C10, aka Kawasaki Concours - The Original => The Bike - C10 => Topic started by: Rick Hall on June 14, 2012, 10:03:18 PM
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It had to happen :(
Rode out to Silt, CO today to play straight man while my buddy played IT monkey for one of his customers. Return trip I noticed my fairing was bouncing around more than normal. However "normal" with 170k on the odo is subjective.
Appears the spud on the steering stem that the main fairing stay attaches to is kaflooie in some way. Details (with pix) and a repair forthcoming.
Rick
PS: 1) I missed connecting up with Mal :'( 2) "Larkburger" chain serves up some awesome burgers. 3) aisind.com is the "go-to" source for a 5' pipe wrench, or a box of corded MAX earplugs at a real decent price.
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It might not be the miles as much as the "hot braking into the curves" one too many times syndrome? All the force its been withstanding holding that fairing back for so long........ (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/bigthumb.gif)
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It might not be the miles as much as the "hot braking into the curves" one too many times syndrome? ...
I doubt that ::)
Bracket cracked and bent, see attached. I'll assume that it's a milder steel, as it bent a bunch, with inherent stresses from welding (the cracks). Welds are just tack welds, with the exception of attaching the unit to the stem. Not a real issue as it's lasted this long. On a lot of bikes I'll assume. I'll fire up the Turbo Weld-O-Matic (S-type) and put everything back in place.
Took 35 minutes to disassemble the bike... Side panels, main fairing, fairing stay, wires... Instrument cluster was removed still attached to the fairing stay.
Also took a pix for my cruiser buds: made in USA.
Rick
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Only one word when you're TIG welding, CLEAN!
Difficult to get all the paint off, especially inside the part that remained on the stem. Wire brush was too big, wire brush on the Dremel is way too soft. Picks and files would have taken eons. So, heat the part(s) up with a strike from the torch, brush off what bubbled up. Repeat once.
But I think it turned out OK. Time, or following stevewfl into a corner ;) will tell.
Rick
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From Switzerland Europe(http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/5513/sigtp41ps4.gif)
Hello Rick
Seen on the internet ;)
http://www.roladi.com/blogs/dotclear/index.php?post/2007/02/26/42-reparer-la-patte-avant-sur-le-cadre-du-support-du-carenage (http://www.roladi.com/blogs/dotclear/index.php?post/2007/02/26/42-reparer-la-patte-avant-sur-le-cadre-du-support-du-carenage)
I have the same problem >:( :-[ :'(
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When mine broke many years and km's ago I welded a length of flat bar to the steering stem from steering lock bracket down to just above the lower bearing housing. This enabled me to weld another brace on the fairing frame from just under the instruments down to the bottom of the new flat bar and thus triangulates it all. I do a lot of riding in summer without the bottom half of the fairing and it has never moved, solid as a rock. The lower half of the fairing no longer plays a part in supporting the top half.
Regards, Russell
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Still hard to beat the nice lug that Steve Pronto made (makes?).
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/556319820QrfnGK (http://good-times.webshots.com/album/556319820QrfnGK)
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Yes that lug is a nice piece of work but it does not give any aditional strength to the support of the fairing. Whenever I have a problem I try to not just fix it but improve it also. My method was quite frugal too, material cost of $2 from local steel merchant.
Regards, Russell
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Yes that lug is a nice piece of work but it does give any aditional strength to the support of the fairing. Whenever I have a problem I t ry to not just fix it but improve it also. My method was quite frugal too, material cost of $2 from local steel merchant.
Regards, Russell
Sounds like good idea. Got pics?
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I'll try but difficult to see with fairing on.
Regards, Russell
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I've seen quite a few pictures of the broken stays on here. That's the first time anyone has shown a split collar. The others all seem to have the same chunk torn from the back side of the collar.
Below is what mine looked like after having the local welder fix it. I used a Dremel tool to get it all down to "clean" metal and tapped it back into position. He then tacked it everywhere and added a short piece of bar stock to the from side of it for additional support. If yours is still apart you might want to consider that. I sprayed black when done.
The clamp picture is not mine but rather a picture I saved along the way. Looks like it would probably do the job of adding extra strength. I don't think I would rely on it by itself though. I made a roadside repair kit (and mounted it permanently) for my dad's bike from an exhaust clamp and big "S" hook. It's on the forum here somewhere.
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Yes that lug is a nice piece of work but it does not give any aditional strength to the support of the fairing. Whenever I have a problem I try to not just fix it but improve it also. My method was quite frugal too, material cost of $2 from local steel merchant.
Regards, Russell
I'm confused, are you saying Steve Pronto's lug is not improving upon the old mount, or the one Rick put on? I think you can't do much better the Steve Pronto's, but it ain't cheap either. It worked very well on Ruby.
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Looks like ya got it fixed fine Rick.
I are impressed by your welding skills.
Mine always look like an angry Dirt Dobber attacked it.
Ride safe, Ted
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Picture of my fairing bracket. You will see I changed the whole frame, but the extra stay I put on could be added to original frame. Another lug (or longer one as I did) would have to be welded to the steering stem.
Repairing the original mount or welding on another single lug in its place does not increase support for the fairing. The stay I added does give extra support and makes the whole assembly more rigid due to triangulation of fixings.
Regards, Russell
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Russel nice fix.
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Does anyone know how to contact Steve Pronto?
Was headed up Cave Creek Rd. last night, hit a bump, and my stem bracket broke.
At least it didn't happen on the highway.
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Does anyone know how to contact Steve Pronto?
Was headed up Cave Creek Rd. last night, hit a bump, and my stem bracket broke.
At least it didn't happen on the highway.
prontorides at yahoo dot com
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Russel nice fix.
Thank you.
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prontorides at yahoo dot com
Grassy-ass. ;D
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Are all the OEM stem mounts the same? Mine is solid metal, not like any of the pictures where it's just sheet metal. It's no bigger and looks totally stock. Has mine been upgraded by the PO?
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Are all the OEM stem mounts the same? Mine is solid metal, not like any of the pictures where it's just sheet metal. It's no bigger and looks totally stock. Has mine been upgraded by the PO?
Yours is from an alternate dimension where things are built correctly.
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Are all the OEM stem mounts the same? Mine is solid metal, not like any of the pictures where it's just sheet metal. It's no bigger and looks totally stock. Has mine been upgraded by the PO?
I bet your bike has been pronto-ized.
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I believe in the later years they improved upon the OEM mount.