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Why frames shouldn’t be repaired on a motorcycle partially disassembled

Except in rare cases, TEKNODIMA works exclusively with stripped frames because of the complexity of operations and the delicacy of materials.  This is a required condition for anchoring the frame and for guaranteeing a precision in the repair, for the benefit of the safety and  the obtained results.  To work on a partially disassembled motorcycle is highly discouraged for many reasons:

  • The motor would be used as a point of leverage in straightening the frame, submitting the motor to abnormal loads for which it was not built.  Just think that in a carter motor components spin at very high speeds and are subject to allowances of a few hundredths of a millimeter.
  • The absence of adequate equipment would call for excessive working temperatures on the frame (a required condition for those who do not possess the right fixed jigs ) resulting in a loss of the original mechanical characteristics of strength and elasticity of the frame itself.
  • It would also be impossible to verify the presence of crevices and cracks in the points covered by the motor.  For this test appropriate verification systems with penetrating liquids would be necessary.
  • Resetting the steering bearing seats would require clamping on certain tooling machines and so a naked frame.
  • The original geometry would be difficult to restore.
  • The frame would remain under strain.

The evolution of frames

The frame is the carrying structure of the motorcycle.  It has many different tasks and functions and can be made of a variety of steel or aluminium alloy.  Mechanical and aesthetic organs as well as kinematic mechanisms are anchored to this structure. The whole must provide a perfect and harmonious union of more and more important and determined elements requested on the market such as: aesthetics, drivability, stability, enjoyment and safety.

The first motorcycle frames were born from bicycles with engine.  As time goes by , the power and performance grew and so the frames exasperatedly evolved in form and geometry by the use of innovative materials.  From the initial double cradle, we arrive at the actual alloyed aluminum perimetrical frames, which include the motor as a frame stressed element. With the introduction of radials, tyres improved again in performance and allowed heavier loads, just like the appearance of the reinforcement beam on swing-arms and upside-down forks.

The last generation of frames has been designed thanks to the aid of sophisticated computerized programs and dynamic simulations, obtaining results unthinkable until a few years ago.  This progress demands continual updates and improvements in repair techniques, indispensable in treating the delicate steel and alloyed aluminum materials.

Motorcycle Safety and handling

A motorcycle must be driven in complete safety under  every condition, offering stability and quick reaction to the controls. Only an optimized motorcycle can give emotions and pleasure in driving, allowing also precision when entering a curve, manageability and directionality.  A correct running motorcycle depends on many factors and every problem must be attentively and singularly evaluated, proceeding by examining the entire subject of cycling including the geometry of the frame and its individual components.
To check the  geometry of the frame  we are equipped with computerized instruments able to work on fully assembled motorcycles, and we can point out, with extreme precision, possible anomalies whether they would be in the frame or in the swing-arm. Forks and Triple Clamps must be straight, aligned and parallel with each other as well as wheel pins and rims cannot present defects on rotation.  The steering bearings and the bearing seats themselves have a fundamental role in the front-end rotation on the steering axle and in the dynamic behaviour of the motorcycle.
In the case of the wear and tear on the steering bearing, and even worse ovaling or misalignment of the seats caused by impact, we would have a lack of balance like rocking, swaying and drifting.  These conditions determine an inability to govern the motorcycle creating dangerous circumstances. For the steering to function correctly, the steering head bearings must be housed in perfectly concentric, coplanar and circular seats.
If it’s necessary, they are restored through boring on the machine tools displayed. The swing-arm bearings and the rear cushion levers need checking as well. Sometimes, though, the problem could possibly not be connected to these causes, but to the trivialities such as the wear and tear on  tyres, the wrong pressure, an imperfect tyre balancing or an incorrect suspension setting. Each case is a story in itself.