XTR RHS Fork cracked
 

Hi guys

Ive an 06 XTR 35k miles on it, just had a front puncture repaired and noticed that the pinch bolts casting on the RHS fork has a crack on it like what is documented for the X only this is now on an R.

I know there is another guy from Tyneside who came on here recently looking a fork leg who had the same problem with his R.

Im pretty pissed off at the moment as now the milage is pretty high the problems are all showing there faces (bearings, electrics etc) and as the bike is my only means of transport i either have to luckily get a lift into work with my dad (same area of work) or nick my mums car (again luckly im on her insurance but hassle of organising her to get to work etc)

Any body else had this problem on an R?

Am I still safe to ride the bike? (hard question really but need to ask)

Chances of getting this fixed by yamaha? (even though my bikes out of warrenty a good time ago)

Any ideas where and how much a RHS 06 XTR fork leg is? (not yamaha prices as i will just cry)

Hi Maxwell,
sorry to hear of your troubles, I'll have to keep an eye on my 07 though the miles are pretty low. I broke the caliper hanger on mine last year, Yamaha wanted me to buy the caliper and all �280!! Found one on e-bay �20. Although I couldn't see a hanger I just e-mailed anybody with xt parts and got one off a Russian in London!

hi there,

re. your cracked fork leg problem......

I'd definitely say it's not safe to ride, the front wheel spindle might be torqued into the other fork leg but those pinch-bolts will stop the spindle unscrewing!!!!

Yamaha will charge about �292 for just the lower leg
you'll also need enough fork oil to do both fork legs and a new seal for the
new fork leg (you might as well do the other one while you're on too)

Stripping the forks isn't easy but can be done without the Yamaha special tools if you have access to a compressor/air drill

I'll email you more details...... cheers....geordiebandit

We have seen many 04 to 06 models with the right fork leg cracked. Yamaha did change the design, I have not seen any with the new design fork legs break yet.

Kev is this R's, X's or both. From my knowledge its only be logged on here with X's and ive only seen one R which was geordiebandits.

There has been R & X's cracking the right fork leg.

To keep you's up dated ive got in contact with my local mechanic and he knows someone who can weld anything and he said hes done things like this many a time with no problems. So going to take both forks off thursday night, the mechanics going to strip the right fork and give the guy the fork leg to weld, then the mechanics going to change the fork oil in the left and reassemble both forks.

Ive been told hes a tidy bloke so watch this space. :unibrow:

Well the guy who can weld anything.....seems thats a bit of a lie and didnt want to touch the XTR's fork leg at all. Didnt speak to him directly but sounded as if he want to get a weld on both sides and if the piece would have been bigger.

Oh well looks like im going to have to spend �300 odd on a new fork leg!:angry9:

someone must have some lying around,,, am sure a saw some on ebay... am a way tae look... also send outr a request to breakers fur yer forkleg.. its gonna be a big saving........or if push comes tae shove,, find someone wi a new bike an go down the warranty road wi them,, if they`l do it...only trying tae help.. if a see one a`l let ye know.... me

Being looking all weekend and phoned a few of the bigger breakers, tried the sending a request but at the moment still no luck:090:

You would think with the amount of XTR's out there/sold there must be an old fork leg about, just seems like ive came along at the wrong time.

If theres no show tomorrow on the request im just going to order the new one off Yamaha and have to live with the hole its going to put in my wallet:icon_sad:.

Bad luck maxwell, think I'll keep an eye out for one on ebay 'just in case' ..... not had to have the front wheel off mine yet....
SelinaXT

Maybe you can play with old fork trying to weld and in some way change whole design and finishing without use of any pinch bolt?! Different axle design?

Thought about getting completely different forks from another bike but would be too much of a hassle.

As for changing the design it wouldnt be to hard if it was steel but its alloy which needs a proper mechanic/technical person who knows what they are doing/the proper tools to change things.

Selina
From my memory i havent seen a set of R's forks on ebay for a while, mostly X's or station tubes, not the fork legs. You havent taken the wheel off yet, you need to get some more miles on that bike and start messing about with things your self.

Hang on there Maxwell! - do you know if the forks on the R are the same as fitted to the Tenere? (other than the second caliper mount on the right leg, obviously) - if they are the same length and diameter, I just so happen to have a pair from my Ten' that you are welcome to for �100 the pair (plus postage, they are quite heavy!)

They are still in good condition, although have a few minor scuffs on the bottom of the fork legs...

Just a thought?

Jenny xx

ps. I also have the right hand brake caliper, plus the hoses and master cylinder if you fancied doing a twin disc conversion?!

Firstly, I must say that the xt660.com search function works very well :happy3:.

I got my bike (2005 XTR) in early December. After just one ride I decided I wanted new tyres and when they were reassembling the front end at the tyre place, the fitter managed to crack the fork leg clamp on the right hand fork leg :sad11:.
https://public.blu.livefilestore.com...80a.JPG?psid=1

This country basically shuts down over Christmas & New Year (Happy New Year everybody, BTW). Whilst the tyre shop readily admits liability they're not showing much initiative and we've not had any success in getting another fork leg from a breaker's yard.

So I'm going to let a work colleague have a go at repairing it using a TIG welder. He's built racing cars in the past so I reckon he knows what he's doing. I'll post again when it's fixed.

I've only ridden the bike twice :sad10:.

The fork leg has been repaired. The pinch bolts were torqued up to 30Nm to test the weld strength- no problems so far :001:.
https://public.blu.livefilestore.com...88a.JPG?psid=1

I'll obviously torque them to the regulation 18Nm when reassembling the front end.

Hello,
I am opening the topic since the same problem appeared to me also :(
Any idea where I can find a used fork end, besides ebay?
Since I could find any available in ebay.
thanks!

p.s for photo refer to: http://www.xt660.com/showthread.php?p=203401#post203401

A friend of mine who I've been motorcycle touring with over the last six or so years (not all on XTs!) suffered a cracked fork leg on his 2008 R.

Whilst we do a lot of our touring on very poor Eastern European and Asian roads (and in the UK!) these are nothing that the bikes were not designed for.

He waged a letter writing campaign against Yamaha and I think they only gave him a small reduction in the new cost of the fork leg, if only to shut him up.

Unfortunately from a little research in the local market, it seems that it is a very common problem and the used-part dealers are requesting a huge amount of money for this specific part, which in my point of view it doesn't worth to buy, since there is a big chance to have a new crack again after some time.
Since this issue is corrected in the new version of XT's, does the new one fit to older models? (mine is a 2004 model).

Hi guys fast for ward to 2016. My 2006 XT660R fork keg lower has cracked at the pinch bolts. Yamaha no longer sekl the fork leg lower on its own bit will sell the whole fork leg stanchion and innards for �500+ :-o

Local welding firms don't wanna take liability so won't weld. Asked three different firms now.

Rang breakers all over the breakers in the uk. General feedback is not many XT's broken when they are the front ends usually bought by someone pretty quickly.

Any ideas . Really like to get it back on the road unless it's worth breaking and selling to fund another XT? Help. :eusa_boohoo::boozer: p.s
Are the XT660X fork leg lowers interchangeable with the XT660R LOWERS (eg same stanchion and internal workings and spring dimensions? )

I have a complete 09 XTR front end... done a USD front end swap
but i'm on the other side of the world so shiping
won't be pretty....
and selling bits would leave me with a lot of unusable parts
so it would need to be a complete leg...




.....

Thanks for the though pal. Shelled out for a new full
Fork . Came the other day. Fully assembled WITH oil. Changing oil and new seal in other L/H eXisting fork leg to match the new one as was weeping. Then fitting both today!! :icon_cool: