First bike crash

[shanks]

So I had my first bike crash on my hornet 250 three weeks ago.
Went too fast around a corner and lost control and skidded across the gravel road.

Wish I had taken full insurance.

Anyway, the MDs had a look today and the good new is that the engine is back up and running.
What I need to check now is whether the bike is aligned. I know the handle bar is bent but I need to check the forks are straight. Does anyoone know of any certified technician who do that check and are not too expensive?

I also need to buy new instruments like the speedometers and the rear fowler and ofcourse the handle bar. Any suggestions where I can go buy them from? I dont have much knowledge about bikes, so I figured Id learn about the bike as I put new parts, because I dont want to sell it.

Any help is much appreciated

[quattro]

Ouch! That's bad luck for sure. I hope it's just the bike that took a thumping.

Have you had an estimate to fix it or are you doing it up piece meal?

[Hellzie]

Awwwww sorry to hear that you crashed! Specially considering that you have a '96 hornet!! Aren't they the best?? I'm still head over heels for mine. good luck with the fix and here's to lots of fun future rides on your hornet!

[tigertim20]

So I had my first bike crash on my hornet 250 three weeks ago.
Went too fast around a corner and lost control and skidded across the gravel road.

Wish I had taken full insurance.

Anyway, the MDs had a look today and the good new is that the engine is back up and running.
What I need to check now is whether the bike is aligned. I know the handle bar is bent but I need to check the forks are straight. Does anyoone know of any certified technician who do that check and are not too expensive?

I also need to buy new instruments like the speedometers and the rear fowler and ofcourse the handle bar. Any suggestions where I can go buy them from? I dont have much knowledge about bikes, so I figured Id learn about the bike as I put new parts, because I dont want to sell it.

Any help is much appreciated

a shame about your bin mate, most bike shops will be able to point you to their recommended guy for checking forks and frames for straightness, so go down to the local shop and ask them.
As for the resst of your parts EBAY EBAY EBAY is probably your best bet to get parts at a reasonable price, it might take some hunting, but thats where you're probably going to have the most luck.

If you dont know much about bikes, I also suggest you get involved with a local group of riders, and find someone who is willing to spend some time helping you out, shouldnt be too hard, they can help you learn, show you anything important, plus youll meet some new folks.

Good luck with your rebuild!

[rossirep]

it looks like that will buff out, get some cut and polish and give it a go.. ;-)

[sleemanj]

If it looks straight, then ride it and you'll find out if it has been tweaked, probably a bit of headshake at some certain speed, but if it looks straight... unlikely to be much if any of a problem.

If you're super worried, take the forks out and put a straight edge against the stanchions at various points around the circumference, that will tell you close enough about them.

For alignment, take a length of string, run from in front of the front wheel, around the back wheel, and back to in front of the front wheel again, pull it tight against the far end of the back wheel, and draw the two ends of the string togethor until each string JUST touches the front sides of the back wheel. The front wheel should be equidistant from each string (ie, in the middle). Hard to explain, let me see if I can find a video.

... here is a decent example of the idea

[tigertim20]

If it looks straight, then ride it and you'll find out if it has been tweaked, probably a bit of headshake at some certain speed,

For Fuck Sakes.

Youve just told someone who said "I dont have much knowledge about bikes" that to test if the crash twisted anything, they should ride it and wait to see if it shakes or does anything weird?
Do us all a favour and stop giving other fucking people advice.

OP, Dont do what this retard suggested. get it checked properly. IF your forks are fucked, or if your frame is twisted, riding it could easily cause you a serious injury. You were on the right track with looking for an engineer etc.

[sleemanj]

I stand by my assessment, if it looks straight to the mk 1 eyeball, a brief test ride will confirm perfectly well.

If you're worried, I'm sure somebody experienced would do that test ride for you, because frankly without spending big dollars stripping the bike and sending it to a place that can measure it, that's as good as you are gonna get.

It's a 250, being ridden on the road, it's not some high falutin race bike. Take it up slowly through the range of operation, and any sign of trouble back off.

People are too farkin scared of every little thing these days.

[Maki]

So I had my first bike crash on my hornet 250 three weeks ago.
Went too fast around a corner and lost control and skidded across the gravel road.

Take care with that gravel. All the best.

[cheshirecat]

I'd certainly get a straight edge down those forks and alignment before taking it anywhere near the road, cant really tell from the pics but they don't look right anf the poor bike certainly got clobbered on the way down. Get someone to look at it.

Sorry to hear about your prang.

[nzspokes]

For Fuck Sakes.

Youve just told someone who said "I dont have much knowledge about bikes" that to test if the crash twisted anything, they should ride it and wait to see if it shakes or does anything weird?
Do us all a favour and stop giving other fucking people advice.

OP, Dont do what this retard suggested. get it checked properly. IF your forks are fucked, or if your frame is twisted, riding it could easily cause you a serious injury. You were on the right track with looking for an engineer etc.

I agree. That string test vid above will be a great home starting point. But yes take it to somebody that knows. It may cost 1/2 hours labour but it could save a lot of trouble.

[rossirep]

how bad was your crash..? was it a drop and slide or was it a crash into something/one..??
are your forks leaking oil out of them, ..

[DrunkenMistake]

If it looks straight, then ride it and you'll find out if it has been tweaked, probably a bit of headshake at some certain speed, but if it looks straight... unlikely to be much if any of a problem.

Did you fall out of your mothers vagina head first or something? this has got to be the worst advice given to anyone regardless of experience.
I sure do hope to god either your daddy beat your ass every day of your childhood, or your folks put you up for adoption, because fuckkkkkkkk meeeeeeeeee what a disappointment you must have turned out to be.

[bogan]

FYI, wheel alignment only checks the alignment of the wheels, not the frame Both wheels can 'turn' relative to the frame, which, incidentally is how you align them.

There are a few easy checks to tell whether the forks are fucked, but no easy checks to give them the a-ok. First is inspect it all for cracks, and any play in the head bearings. Another good check (especially with conventional forks) is to loosen them and pull them out or up slightly, then check if the impact was sufficient for the yokes to leave little dents in the forks.

[sleemanj]

When did KB become so full of pussies.

Do you lot all bloody break out your tape measures and notebook from your anorak when you buy a second hand bike? Because you don't know for sure if that has been crashed do you, no like hell you don't, you give it the once over, you eye ball it, you check for play in the steering head and wheel bearings, you might even take it for a mother fuckin' test ride to see, if, fuck, maybe if it fuckin' rides straight. And if it don't you don't fuckin' buy it.

I guaran-fuckin-tee you that 99% of the time when anybody here has had an off, especially what sounds like a low side, that they don't go all "oh no, this all looks just fine but what if it's out by a degree and I just can't see it, oh no I better go and get some expert who's gonna take wads of cash out of my pocket to do all this measuring and shit before I even put my pussy ass on the seat", like fuck they do, they pick that fuckin' bike up, get on it and fuckin' see if it rides OK.

Check forks straight, check they compress and return, check seals are not leakin'.
Check alignment ok by eye or string.
Check head for any play.
Check front wheel.
Check rear wheel and swing arm for any play.
If you are really paranoid check front-rear unloaded length against known data (measure another of the same model).
Do all the basic safety checks that your WOF man is gonna do.
Then test ride it sensibly or get somebody to do it for you and see how she fuckin' goes.

Exactly what you'd do when you buy a used bike that you don't know the history of. Exactly what you'd do when you reassemble a bike.

Jeezus. It's the OP's choice to take advice he get's from complete strangers on the internet or not, but that's bloody fuckin' well what I would do, what I have done, and what I will bloody well do again.