Evil doings afoot

**gav** · 6th March 2006, 23:01

Hmmmm, is this what your "contact" has said re Suzuki NZ? If you approach Suzuki NZ now about the bike, asking just how the hell its got back on the road, wonder what their response would be? Maybe a letter from your lawyer re this could be worth exploring?

**SPman** · 6th March 2006, 23:03

Originally Posted by avrflr

...Avrflr, being a bit of a fuckwit then buys it, not knowing it's a time bomb.

That sounds a bit harsh on yourself - you bought it in good faith.

**Ixion** · 7th March 2006, 00:06

Hm. Finally found a parts diagram picture of it. Ordinary spin on filter. Looks as if the male thread bit the filter spins onto is cast into the lower crankcase half. So if it *were* thread damaged could be a bit of a task to repair.

Does seem a bit melodramatic though.

(I'm rather guessing here about the bit at the front of the crankcase being the oil filter mount, so if I'm wrong correction is welcomed)

**Motu** · 7th March 2006, 06:41

I doubt if Suzuki NZ would write the thing of and never allow it's use again over a filter mount,there would be other more importaint reasons for doing so.LTNZ has a concern with written off motor vehicles ending up back on the road,and some of their silly legislation is to keep track of them....such vehicles are repaired ''out of the system''....but it would need a VIN.So if it was VINed,what's the problem....they don't exactly inspect oil filter mounts as part of the VIN,if they did everyone here would be up in arms with their bike failing on some small technicality....but when the boot's on the other foot....

**Ixion** · 7th March 2006, 08:23

Thinking about it, even if the filter mount WAS shagged, and even if that DID mean replacing the lower crankcase, that's not such a big deal to Suzuki. Ordinary person would blanch at the cost, but presumably Suzuki would get it at cost, and in the context of the overall budget for a racing program, it's fairly small change . I can't see them effectively writing off a whole bike just because of that.

And wasn't it claimed that Ray Clee set the motor up. I can't see him missing something like that.

More to this than appears, methinks.

**onearmedbandit** · 7th March 2006, 08:29

That's right Motu, when the boot is on the other foot. IF this bike WAS ordered off the road by Suzuki then questions have to be asked. It has nothing to do with the fact the bike was a race bike, in fact no inference was made in the first post. Something along the lines of 'at is's first service'.

This could've had far worse consequences. I think it is fair for questions to be asked.

**TLDV8** · 7th March 2006, 09:45

Originally Posted by avrflr

I have just received disturbing news regarding the history of this bike from an anonymous source. Apparently this bike has suffered the exact same failure before and was not ever meant to be road registered again.

There is speculation (from the anonymous source) that the oil filter was cross threaded after it's first service and soon after sprayed all the engine oil out from the oil filter.... Opinions?

Sorry to hear of your off on the bike............. Is someone saying that on a previous occasion this bike had crashed due to a replaceable oil filter nipple being damaged ? (M20/1.5 mm pitch ,i think) ..that the bike was then deemed non road worthy due to that but the VIN was not removed ?.... this person is talking about a simple pipe nipple that threads into the base of the oil filter flange?......Surely there is a lot more to the history of this bike that you need to find out...I am not doubting anything but anyone familiar with that type of filter mount will be scratching their head,it would take some work to start one cross threaded then get it anywhere near seated....... I guess further examination will remove any confusion...Good luck in getting to the bottom of it.

**TLDV8** · 7th March 2006, 10:08

Originally Posted by Ixion

Hm. Finally found a parts diagram picture of it. Ordinary spin on filter. Looks as if the male thread bit the filter spins onto is cast into the lower crankcase half. So if it *were* thread damaged could be a bit of a task to repair.

Does seem a bit melodramatic though.

(I'm rather guessing here about the bit at the front of the crankcase being the oil filter mount, so if I'm wrong correction is welcomed)

Mr Ixion.. i am fairly sure that part can be replaced,but could be very wrong....... of course if it isn't and Suzuki did some kind of out the back door sale to a racer leaving the factory VIN plate attached,i think they might be a little in the poo..or someone has managed to get it reVINed ..either way you would think something would have been done as far as the online system,any attempt to get it VINed/registered for the road raising some kind of alarm.

**Ixion** · 7th March 2006, 10:18

Did the filter canister actually come right off? Or just leak ? I would have thought that a dicky filter thread would show up fairly quickly as a steadily worsening oil leak? And maybe loss of oil pressure ? If the thread was bad enough for the canister to actually blow off I would have thought (as Mr TLDV8 said) that it would not have been possible to get a leak proof seal when putting the canister on in the first place.

Is it certain the oil filter did come off ? has anyone actually looked at the motor?

EDIT: One would also assume (hope) it would not pass race scrutineering?

**FROSTY:Me** · 8th March 2006, 00:49

Maybee just muddying the waters but a sponsored racer I know had a deal where he was allowed to road register his bike long enough to run it in.
He then had to deregister it and "never" ride it on the road again.
Nothing wriong with the bike per se -but it was a condition of his sponsorship.

**SixPackBack** · 8th March 2006, 06:14

Originally Posted by Ixion

Hm. Finally found a parts diagram picture of it. Ordinary spin on filter. Looks as if the male thread bit the filter spins onto is cast into the lower crankcase half. So if it *were* thread damaged could be a bit of a task to repair.

Does seem a bit melodramatic though.

(I'm rather guessing here about the bit at the front of the crankcase being the oil filter mount, so if I'm wrong correction is welcomed)

Although the photo does not show it clearly I would be very surprised if the thread is not a secondary part screwed into the block or attached some other way....manufacturing all in one would be expensive and probably unnecessary and fall outside of normal Engineering practice.
As an Engineer I would thread a hole in the block and manufacture and fit a secondary threaded [ and replace able] nipple...hope I make sense!
Good luck with the bike mate. Start shouting and stamping your feet.

**Sniper** · 8th March 2006, 15:11

Morally I would be inclined to go after them. Ethically/Technically I would just cut my loses. It would be a mirical if you got them to admit to it without your source wanting to go on record.

**kiwifruit** · 8th March 2006, 15:53

thats terrable!
i hope all this get sorted asap
best of luck, Allan.

**Bandit Rider** · 8th March 2006, 22:05

The theory that a damaged thread resulted in some sort of "not on the road" order doesn't (on what we know) make sense for the reasons people have already given. If there is something wrong with the thread on the filter mount it is almost certainly the result of being hit in some way, not cross-threaded.

You need way more facts before you can figure out who, if anyone, is responsible. You are wasting your time with lawyers until you know the facts.

Get someone who knows what they are doing (and is prepared to say what they think) to look at it.

Give us some good pictures of the filter (gasket & thread), seat on the crankcase where the oil filter gasket sits, and the threaded stud the filter is mounted on.

There are comments here from engineers and a lawyer. So it's probably not a bad place to start to get things straight.