Repair advice

[Piping]

I've crashed my motorcycle resulting in obviously bent forks, and I'm not sure whether there may be more (footpegs previously damaged). This is the reason I've joined the forum, being a cheap noob wishing to repair my motorcycle cheap (myself) and am in need friendly advice and not to be moaned at, I'm learning! Once I've sourced a mobile phone I'll upload pictures, the bike in question is a Honda CBF 500. 

[husoi]

You joined the forum and don't want to be moaned at...

 

Good luck with that 

 

Welcome to the forum.

Advice:

take pics before starting removing parts so you know where everything goes.

 

Bent forks = new forks + fork oil.

First step: download the service manual.

 

Keep in mind that cheap means poor quality materials. You're saving in labour by doing the repairs yourself, you should get good quality parts.

[bonio]

Sorry to hear about your crash . Hope you're not badly injured.

Good advice from @husoi there.

You'll find people here who're able to help you when you run into difficulties. I'm counting myself out, mind: bit clueless with a spanner.

[Piping]

Thanks a lot for the replies. Thankfully I seem to be relatively unharmed. I've managed to get a couple of pics which aren't very good but show that both stanchions are substantially bent. I can't really tell at this stage what further damage may have been caused (e.g. yokes, but these seem to be easily available on ebay for about £20-£30 for both the top and bottom ones, is it easy to check the frame?).

 

Looking at the photos of spare parts it seems that the actual stanchions on CBF600 (easier to find online than CBF500 ones) forks are identical but other parts of the forks are slightly different such as the bottom casings which have different part numbers compared to the 500.  Are the stanchions all I really need (nothing internal should have been damaged? and assuming it wouldn't be worth it to try straightening these ones?) and my best course is getting hold of the stanchions as cheaply as possible and getting them simply swapped in to my fork legs, or am I better off holding on to find a pair of CBF500 forks?

 

Unfortunately I think I would have to pay someone to swap the stanchions in as according to the Haynes manual (which I downloaded immediately after purchasing bike, thanks husoi) 'rebuilding' the forks would have a 4/5 spanner difficulty rating meaning I'm not sure I have the confidence to attempt it myself and I'm dependant on the bike as my main mode of transport (am actually looking at buying another bike to use while I await this one getting fixed).

 

By the way husoi, "inexpensively" may be a better word than "cheaply", I want it fixed properly/well of course using quality used parts but don't want to spend more than necessary, I love it but can't get carried away, and I will be looking to upgrade/change at some stage.

 

Pics seem to be upside down. Sorry about that.

 

Edited November 20, 2021 by Piping

[billy sugger]

I believe those are able to be straightened, and will try and post a link to a company that will help 

[billy sugger]

I believe those are able to be straightened, and will try and post a link to a company that will help 

 

https://firefoxracing.co.uk

[Piping]

Brilliant thank you. I've uploaded a couple more pics which aren't much better but best I can do at the moment using my laptop's webcam. You reckon they should be able to help with these (I've emailed them)? Also noticed the front wheel/rim is very slightly bent, don't imagine this is too worry some. 

Edited November 20, 2021 by Piping

[billy sugger]

The forks are curved at the area of most damage, so should straighten without a problem. I have had a set done that were slightly worse than yours and they were fine. 

 

They use a hydraulic press to straighten them initially, then they use rollers to finish them. 

[Piping]

It turns out there's a place in Maidstone who do fork straightening and seem fairly reputable so I'm going to take them there where hopefully they can be done the same day so I don't have to wait a week to get them back. I'll take the forks off tomorrow and should be easy to see whether the yoke needs to be replaced as well (will probably replace it anyway). After the crash I had to ride it about 10 miles home, I hope that didn't "crease" the forks which would apparently mean straightening isn't possible.

 

Do you think the top yoke is unlikely to want replacing (if bent replacements are a lot cheaper than getting them straightened)

Edited November 20, 2021 by Piping

[billy sugger]

Judging by where the bend is the impact was fairly low down, so yokes should be OK. Raise the front off the ground and turn the bars full lock to full lock, to look for any notchyness in the movement, if the yoke is bent it will show up as a tight spot

Edited November 20, 2021 by billy sugger
Spelling

[Piping]

Thank you everyone! Seems I'm all set. 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

I use a CBF500 as my work bike. The forks aren't that difficult to work on. I'm not sure why the Haynes manual gives it a four spanner rating.

 

Good luck with the repairs. There's usually one or two on eBay being broken for spares. But this time of year less likely.

[onesea]

20 hours ago, Piping said:

 

Unfortunately I think I would have to pay someone to swap the stanchions in as according to the Haynes manual (which I downloaded immediately after purchasing bike, thanks husoi) 'rebuilding' the forks would have a 4/5 spanner difficulty rating meaning I'm not sure I have the confidence to attempt it myself and I'm dependant on the bike as my main mode of transport (am actually looking at buying another bike to use while I await this one getting fixed).

 

Forks are not difficult if you are methodical.  You tube is you friend watch a few videos, I would do seals and slide bushes whilst your at it.

 

I started biking with practical knowledge not bike related.  I swore I would never do anything to my bike. Now I do my own servicing have changed fork seals, stripped and rebuilt brakes, replaced wiring looms. Well to be honest this forum has done most of it, I am just the idiot that has to use the spanner’s.

 

Take your time and be methodical and you will get there.

 

You mention buying second bike, if your running an older bike I recommend having 2!   So you can fix one and ride the other, then revel in the 3 weeks a year you can choose which bike to use!

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

There is a pair of forks on ebay at the moment.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164935579654?hash=item2666ed3806:g:TngAAOSw2npg2zpK

[TimR]

6 minutes ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

There is a pair of forks on ebay at the moment.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164935579654?hash=item2666ed3806:g:TngAAOSw2npg2zpK

Or new stanchions

 

https://www.brooksuspension.co.uk/honda-cbf500-a6-paolo-tarozzi-fork-stanchion-06/

[Piping]

Can getting them straightened be a bit of a half arse method then, or do think other suspension damage is likely? I had seen those on ebay but obviously would rather only have to pay £72 for straightening.

[billy sugger]

17 minutes ago, Piping said:

Can getting them straightened be a bit of a half arse method then, or do think other suspension damage is likely? I had seen those on ebay but obviously would rather only have to pay £72 for straightening.

When I had mine straightened they outlasted the bike, which finally got totalled when an estate car pulled out in front of me. Actually I really have no idea what happened to the bike, I spent two nights in hospital with badly injured ankles and the bike disappeared. The last I saw of it it was propped against a wall

[Piping]

I read somewhere that pretty much all stanchions will bend during their normal use, and I know my forks had new seals and oil last year so should otherwise be ok. The ebay listing says that the forks are pitted and a mudguard mount has broken off, I actually gave the seller a bit of a lowball offer and I don't think he will budge. If these guys in Maidstone are straightening stanchions on race bikes then I'd hope my CBF would be ok. Like I said I can't get carried away, I bought it for functionality. Really appreciate this input, that's a bit of a spanner in the works maybe I should do some more research but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot online about stanchion straightening which could be a bad sign.

[Piping]

At the same time I'm a bit of a perfectionist and something like that could annoy me, before I crashed it I was always fretting about whether my bike's handling could have been somehow off but maybe that was because I didn't understand it, I understand the components involved better now. Absolutely want the bike to be as safe as possible that's for sure.

[billy sugger]

Your more likely to have problems from pitted forks than from a decent restraightened set. I used my bike with straightened forks all year round and on all types of road, with no issues. The only problem would be if yours were creased, as that crease would be a weak point and could crack when straightened, but as I said earlier yours are curved like mine were, in fact mine were bent further than that

[Piping]

I'm kind of thinking now I should just try to get another pair of stanchions, as I said CBF600 stanchions are the same part and are more readily available, could probably get them for about the same cost of straightening mine. My instinct is telling me this would be better.

[billy sugger]

At the end of the day it's your decision, but consider this: have another set been in an accident/damaged, there is no way of telling what you are getting from fleabay

[skyrider]

13 minutes ago, billy sugger said:

At the end of the day it's your decision, but consider this: have another set been in an accident/damaged, there is no way of telling what you are getting from fleabay

indeed fleabay can be like opening a can of worms buyer beware 

[Piping]

A little hard to see with the shit camera but they look pretty creased which would apparently invalidate them for straightening. I'll call the garage and see what they say but I think I probably need replacement stanchions.

[fastbob]

Hello and welcome to the Forum . That won't straighten . I think that you should be looking at your front wheel very very carefully . If I recall , your bike has very fragile looking wheels . If it's taken enough impact to do that to the forks I'd be cleaning the wheel before going over it with a magnifying glass . Then I'd be doing the same with all the welds around the head stock . By the way , what has your insurance company got to say about all this ? I assume you aren't fully comp because this is a definite write off . 

Edited November 22, 2021 by fastbob