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Cracked crash bar

4K views 21 replies 17 participants last post by  michaelnel 
#1 ·
It happened to me, the dreaded crack! I was riding a few weeks ago, had slowed way down at an intersection when I heard a big THUNK. I stopped, was looking around to see if something fell off the bike, finally resolved it in my mind that maybe a piece of gravel got flipped up into the fender or something. Walked out the next day, and noticed the crack.
[URL=http://s1371.photobucket.com/user/beemer15/media/VStrom/June28-2015%20ride%20002_zpsh7bm3lli.jpg.html][/URL]
Took it to the dealer, he acted like he'd never heard of such a thing and said he would investigate, finally got back to me after a couple of weeks saying the new bars are in. I haven't taken it to put them on yet, but would just show y'all that it does happen. Strange to imagine that just the stress and vibrations could do this. The bike had never been dropped, bought new in Nov, 2014 Adventure, and only about 2500 miles on it.
 
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#7 ·
I have a 2013 Adventure model and have not crashed or fallen over, so far have had two sets of crash bars crack in half on me for no reason. I am on my 3rd set and fortunately have the extended warranty. When the dealer ordered the 3rd set I requested the new designed used on the new XT, but was sent the old design. I guess they wanted to get rid of the old/original inventory.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I haven't seen which crash bars they have for me yet, won't get it in till next week, and yes, that's a bad boy air horn...perhaps it is the cause... lol but it's guaranteed to scare buzzards off the road at a quarter mile away. and if Satch keeps selling things, I'll have the bike finished soon.... :D
 
#9 · (Edited)
Where's the support???

So...

If Suzuki KNOWS this is an issue (and they must, judging by the number of cracked bars out there, and subsequent orders from dealers for replacement bars)...

....and they did a redesign on the original design that seems to be the culprit...

...what's it going to take to get them to step up and offer the new design to replace the older style (or is the newer design any better or worse)?

Figures...my warranty is up in a month and I hope like heck that on day 31, my bar doesn't crack. :furious:

Sort of the same issue with frying stators...if the manufacturer know there's a design flaw with some part of the bike, a GOOD company will admit it and do what it takes to make it right...if they want satisfied customers, that is...

Would a group "rant" from the various inmates on this site carry any weight with Suzuki, at least more than individual complaints?

:confused:
 
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#10 ·
RichWee I bought Suzuki OEM crash bars & put them on myself. They give you a bunch of spacers & new mounting bolts in the kit as well. You don't have to install all the spacers just the amount you need, to keep it from binding up, if I remember right. Maybe they stuffed too many spacers in when they put your bike together? That is kinda scary because you would think the factory would get it installed correctly.
 
#11 ·
I added some thin stainless steel spacers when I had them off so there was zero tension on them as they were tightened which they had originally (mine had binding pressure as they tightened). So far so good at 3000 miles. Anything under tension will eventually snap with vibration over time.
 
#12 ·
My wife has the standard 2012 VStrom and we put on the Twisted Throttle crash bars a little more than $200. Compared to my OEM crash bars they look far more substantial with thicker tubing and different mounting locations. Also, my OEM crash bars cause an annoying vibration between 4600 and 5000 rpms, (I have learned to identify when my crash bars break because the vibration goes away, and upon inspection sure enough it's broke in half). Her bike is dead smooth without this vibration querk.
 
#19 ·
Good Good not so good Vibrations



Shite, I thought the vibration stopping meant that the bars had worked themselves in, but now I'm going to have to magnaflux the bars to see if there is a crack.
To be honest, I quite liked the buzz through my feet, it was like a massage and on a really long ride, it would almost make the monkey butt feel better..............almost.
 
#13 ·
That bar isn't cracked. it's broken.

Broke at the crossbar. Vibration, and the bar isn't stout enough to handle it. Incorrect assembly with the choice of spacers might be part of the problem. For a fix, if Suzuki does nothing, I'd take them to a good welder and have gussets welded at those points as reinforcement. then, a trip to the powder coater.
 
#20 ·
Just a follow up. Had the new bar put on tuesday. The dealer replaced only the left side that was cracked, with an original style one. I tried to suggest perhaps not putting in one of the two large spacer washers to reduce the tension, but he wouldn't do it. gave me the spiel that Suzuki specifies it this way, and they have to follow that in order to address any issues which may come up again. So today, he calls me. Says Suzuki called him and they went over it all some more and the pictures, and is now sending him the new style with the bolt on crossbar, so looks like another trip to the dealer in a week or so. Happy to say tho, while looking around the showroom while they were putting it on, I didn't find anything that would tempt me for a test drive. :D then again, they didn't have any F700's either.
 
#21 ·
I've been running my 2012 cold weather, hot weather, up hill, down hill, dirt and gravel plus running the slab. I've never had any vibration in the pegs or the bars. No noises from the factory crash bars that I can hear. My crash bars look fine, no cracks, rust or paint chips. I even ran the bike over it's GVWR a couple times. I think some bikes vibrate and some don't........why? Who knows
 
#22 ·
This kind of stuff is the main reason I decided to go for the base model Glee instead of any of the adventure versions. Suzuki will put on substandard quality stuff to make it look the part, and overcharge for it.

Starting with the base model, I can add excellent quality stuff like SW-Motech and be happy with it.
 
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