Left hand steering stop minor damage-should I leave well alone?

[djsb 491]

The left hand steering stop on my NC has been compressed by a couple of mm after my recent accident. There is no sign of fracture on the weld and the wedge shaped piece of metal has only been knocked out of shape by a fraction of a mm. There is some scuffing of the paint on the bottom fork yoke (on the corresponding piece that mates up with the stop). The left hand fork stanchion is now a bit close to the radiator for comfort (about 5mm) but it does not touch it.

I have sent an email to Maidstone Motoliner with a photo of the stop but they have not replied. It is very difficult to see any damage at all from just looking at the stop so it's not surprising that they have not replied. All this was noted when I had an independent engineers inspection of the bike done.

As I do not spend any time hitting the stops when I'm riding maybe it's nothing to worry about. So, I can either leave it and hope that it gets through the MOT next year. Or I can actually go down to Maidstone motoliner and ask there advice or I could build up the stop in some way.

 

Here are some thoughts on that:

 

1/ Abrade the surface and put some steel loaded epoxy on the stop to build it up slightly.

2/ Get a welder to build up and grind down the stop.

3/ Drill,tap and insert some kind of screw into the stop. However ther is limited space to do this.

4/ Get some kind of clip made that can clip onto the lower fork yoke and close the gap.

 

I would welcome anyones advice or thoughts on this. Thanks.

 

David.

 

PS The bike is a Cat C write off so it has NOT been written off because it is unsafe.

Edited August 14, 2016 by djsb

[Tex 36,817]

Option two, for me. A bit of weld will sort it out.

I would do it (rather than ignore it) too. Why? Part of the function of the stop is to avoid damage to expensive components (radiator etc) if the bike has a 'minor' (such as falling off it's stand in a car park, being knocked over by a careless parker etc). Your safety cushion has been eroded..

[CFB 4,601]

+1 for option two, although you may not need to get it welded.

Normally, there will be a burr of some kind after a thump like it had.

Something like dropping a pack of butter on the floor.

It may be possible to hammer (lightly) the burr back into shape?

With a long drift, you shouldn't have to remove any parts either.

I have done it in I the past with no issues

[Guest bonekicker]

I would use the epoxy--welding sends sparks all over the place--and the grinding after another mess--the epoxy is easy to rub down and paint--you don't hit the stops very often anyway, 

[djsb 491]

I'm itching to get some use from the 3d printers at work and some practice on FreeCad. I have been thinking of getting a cap made for the bit of casting on the lower fork yoke that butts up against the tab on the frame. For the following reasons:

 

1/ I can leave the bent tab on the frame well alone as any attempts to bend it back into shape will only work harden the steel and could lead to fracture.

2/ Trying to weld some metal onto it will cause an increase in temperature and could cause distortion of the frame around the headstock.

3/ I can make the "Cap" in soft aluminium which will fill the gap and also provide a "Soft stop" and hopefully will prevent further damage if the bike is dropped again.

4/ It can also be adjusted using a needle file if needed.

 

I think there is an unused threaded bolt hole on the lower yoke that I could make use of to hold the cap assembly in place. Does this make sense to anyone? Please point it out to me if this is a crazy idea or that it would not work. We dont have SLS metalic powder 3d printers at work but I can get a few early prototypes done in plastic to try things out. Am I mad or could this be a solution?

 

David.

 

PS Shapeways has stainless steel as a material (60 percent steel and 40 percent bronze) so this could work.

Edited August 14, 2016 by djsb

[Spindizzy 7,109]

If everything is still clear at full lock and still clear with a little pressure applied I would leave well alone.Maybe clean up any burr and repaint it.

 

If its still doing the job it was designed to do I would simply enjoy being able to turn a little tighter in tight spots. If you really do want it restored I would weld as any kind of metal putty or epoxy is likely to fail over time.

[DaveM59 1,605]

Definitely weld. Heat is very localised and a wet rag wrapped around delicate areas will keep them cool. You'll be surprised how little weld you need and how little grinding it will take. Slap a bit of satin black over it to stop the MOT man noticing it and it'll be fine, after all it's only to stop over twisting of the forks and not a thing that affects riding.