[bostongixxer]

I'm considering a salvage titled bike to turn into a track bike. The bike was down in a low speed crash and slid under the bumper of a car, damaging the radiator and wrecking some of the plastic. The guy selling it says a local dealer checked it out for insurance purposes (including frame and forks) and that the bike was straight. Radiator and plastics appear to be the most expensive parts to replace. He is going to send me the insurance form to look at. What would it cost to double-check the straightness of the bike? I'd probably want to have that done to be sure. Then, what suspension mods would be recommended? I'd want an aftermarket rear shock (Penske or Fox probably) and have the bike set up for my weight. I've never been through this so any thoughts on how much I might be looking at spending are appreciated. Thanks.

[CAT3]

Without a laser type measuring rack, you can tape it, measuring for squareness and trueness. Forks can be a bit tricky. I've had little luck finding slight bends in forks while on the bike. Off the bike, roll it on a glass top table and watch for bounce, look down the lower fork tube looking for a kink or reflection. if there is any sticking during the compression/rebound = bent obviously. Hope this helps.

suspension, I prefer non-penske they require more maintenance, in general, then others do.
plastics, well good thing you can pick up track fairings complete from HB for very reasonable price, much less than getting stock stuff anyway.

[Puppet]

I'm pretty sure it costs $150 to have Pete fully measure the bike. I'd be a bit wary of a dealer saying it was straight unless they can provide some proof. I don't think many (if any) dealers bother with tools to measure a bike properly, especially for race use....it's just such a specialized "discipline". If you're worried, I would recommend making the purchase conditional on a successful measurement. Worst case, you're out $150 to know you didn't get a shitty buy. Best case, you pay $150 for a good piece of mind to know things are good. In the middle, he pays to straighten it (or knocks $$ off the price) and you know it's straight

[bostongixxer]

Good advice. That's probably where I'm heading with the deal. I'm skeptical about dealers also, but I'm admittedly unfamiliar with what they do when checking out a bike for insurance/repair.

[Crash Dummy Denno]

PAPERWORK!!

[gmdboston]

There are currently only a few dealerships world wide that have the proper equipment to check chassis alignment. Usually the tech looks for cracks, or paint chips and if they don't see any, they call it good. However if there are any scratches on the frame at all they write up for replacement. If the dealer is certain it's straight ask for documentation and a guaranty. Don't stand behind him when you ask though, you'll get run over by all the back pedaling.

I can measure a chassis with out body work for $90 NESR price, $135 with body work. I'll give you and the dealer a complete report when I'm done. To check the forks they must be removed and disassembled. Rolling on glass is not an acceptable method. A dial indicator and "V" blocks are the only way be sure. The glass method will only show gross bend and kinks, you can't find +/- .050" by rolling them. The measurement will show if there is a misalignment in the front end, but I will have to pull it down to see if the tubes are bent.

What bike is it?

[bostongixxer]

Thanks for the info. I expect that I'll be bringing the bike to you. It isn't listed anywhere. A guy that I've dealt with before regarding used bikes is helping a friend move it. He is very trustworthy, so I don't have the usual misgivings. The bike sounds like a great track candidate, with a bit of help from you with suspension. 2006 gsxr-600 with appx 3,000 miles. It was down in a low speed crash where the bike slid under a bumper. The crash messed up the plastic and trashed the radiator. That's most of the damage. If the bike / forks are straight, it seems like a good deal at $3,500.

[gmdboston]

Originally Posted by bostongixxer

Thanks for the info. I expect that I'll be bringing the bike to you. It isn't listed anywhere. A guy that I've dealt with before regarding used bikes is helping a friend move it. He is very trustworthy, so I don't have the usual misgivings. The bike sounds like a great track candidate, with a bit of help from you with suspension. 2006 gsxr-600 with appx 3,000 miles. It was down in a low speed crash where the bike slid under a bumper. The crash messed up the plastic and trashed the radiator. That's most of the damage. If the bike / forks are straight, it seems like a good deal at $3,500.

IF........

[bostongixxer]

Originally Posted by gmdboston

IF........

What will it cost to have the forks checked? I'd like to have an idea of what I'm taking on.

[gmdboston]

Originally Posted by bostongixxer

What will it cost to have the forks checked? I'd like to have an idea of what I'm taking on.

It's part of the measurement, besides, if the forks on a GSXR are bent, so are the clamps and usually the frame.