Bent Lower Frame - KX450

StartedTooLate
Edited Date/Time 2/13/2021 2:27pm
Bummer. 2019 KX 450... took a hit riding off road...sheared off a footpeg mount. I replaced the foot peg mount, but never pulled the skid plate. Then while cleaning it today, I stripped the bike down, and found a major bend area in the lower frame.



Freak out...?

Just keep riding it....?
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Boomslang
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Boomslang 2/7/2021 2:15am
2/7/2021 2:15am
Alot more common than you think. Try asses if any of the engine mounting points have been distorted, if Yes, then you have reason to be concerned.

Judging from your pics you should be alright to keep riding.
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StartedTooLate 2/7/2021 2:27am
2/7/2021 2:27am
10-4.

I will remove the lower engine mounting bolts and let the motor hang from the front bolts / main pivot, and see if how the motor to frame fit up looks.

I was sort of thinking that this are of the bike is pretty beefy because the engine and frame are bolted together in a triangle, so inside those bolt up points it is going to be strong and stiff, and able to take some damage without really causing issues.
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jtiger12
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jtiger12 2/7/2021 5:22am
2/7/2021 5:22am
I had a dent similar to this from casing a triple. Dented the cradle up towards the cases. Never had a problem

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StartedTooLate 2/7/2021 10:34pm
2/7/2021 10:34pm
I removed the lower motor mounting bolt. It was not bound up at all, meaning the frame is not tweaked to the point of loading the motor. It's all good. Just a bummer though...
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murph783
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murph783 2/8/2021 7:11am
2/8/2021 7:11am
StartedTooLate wrote:
I removed the lower motor mounting bolt. It was not bound up at all, meaning the frame is not tweaked to the point of loading the...
I removed the lower motor mounting bolt. It was not bound up at all, meaning the frame is not tweaked to the point of loading the motor. It's all good. Just a bummer though...
It’s probably fine. I mean I’d think about it too, but years ago I remember I had a guy slam my swingarm and put a big ol dent in it and I ran it for years like that with zero issue
Dirty Points 2/8/2021 7:17am
2/8/2021 7:17am
It's not a proper off road bike until it has some dings in the engine cradle.
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LungButter
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LungButter 2/8/2021 7:18am
2/8/2021 7:18am
StartedTooLate wrote:
I removed the lower motor mounting bolt. It was not bound up at all, meaning the frame is not tweaked to the point of loading the...
I removed the lower motor mounting bolt. It was not bound up at all, meaning the frame is not tweaked to the point of loading the motor. It's all good. Just a bummer though...
Bummer for sure. What kind of skid plate were you running?


Years ago I landed on a rock riding without a skid plate and dented my frame like that but it was lined up with the motor mount and it actually cracked the cases.....moral of the story, run a skid plate off road! Laughing
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Jbulz
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Jbulz 2/8/2021 8:26am
2/8/2021 8:26am
I wouldn't worry about it. Keep an eye on the weld there, but that lower cradle section on the 2019+ KXs takes a beating
Moto520
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Moto520 2/8/2021 8:40am
2/8/2021 8:40am
I think you are fine. i would get a Works Connection full coverage skid plate (or whatever brand) and not worry about it. I know how much of a bummer this kind of thing is so hang in there
byke
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byke 2/8/2021 9:13am
2/8/2021 9:13am
Easy one for me, run it.

Is the tab on the frame pushing into that tab on the motor? If so, I'd file that down to create a little gap.

Janky looking hardware store nut on that motor mount. Should have a locking feature built in.
crf250pilot
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crf250pilot 2/8/2021 10:02am
2/8/2021 10:02am
Ride it until the valves are so bad it will it won't even start and then sell it as " Vet owned, never raced or abused" like everyone else does.
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StartedTooLate 2/12/2021 12:46am
2/12/2021 12:46am
byke wrote:
Easy one for me, run it. Is the tab on the frame pushing into that tab on the motor? If so, I'd file that down to...
Easy one for me, run it.

Is the tab on the frame pushing into that tab on the motor? If so, I'd file that down to create a little gap.

Janky looking hardware store nut on that motor mount. Should have a locking feature built in.
Not, it is not a hardware store nut and bolt. It is an alloy nut and bolt. Not a junk bolt just heat treated.

The stock bolt was butter and necked torquing it to spec. I have taken the new hardware on and off 4-5 times in 50 hours, and it has never been loose. Torqued to spec an installed with red loctite for 50+ hours, and never come loose.

Long bolts are very unlikley to come loose, because they stretch a lot getting them to torque. That means lots of turns to get them tight. That means lots of turns for them to come loose. That is the why the anchors for critical equipment like pumps in nuclear power plants have anchor bolts 3-5 FEET long.
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StartedTooLate 2/12/2021 12:48am
2/12/2021 12:48am
StartedTooLate wrote:
I removed the lower motor mounting bolt. It was not bound up at all, meaning the frame is not tweaked to the point of loading the...
I removed the lower motor mounting bolt. It was not bound up at all, meaning the frame is not tweaked to the point of loading the motor. It's all good. Just a bummer though...
LungButter wrote:
Bummer for sure. What kind of skid plate were you running? Years ago I landed on a rock riding without a skid plate and dented my...
Bummer for sure. What kind of skid plate were you running?


Years ago I landed on a rock riding without a skid plate and dented my frame like that but it was lined up with the motor mount and it actually cracked the cases.....moral of the story, run a skid plate off road! Laughing
Cycra.... But with a hit that hard...I dont think any plastic plate would do anything.
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MyBobbym
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MyBobbym 2/12/2021 7:36am
2/12/2021 7:36am
Sell it. It'll never go straight again, it's a lemon.
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Pit Row

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Motoxdoc
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Motoxdoc 2/12/2021 7:44am
2/12/2021 7:44am
Keep riding it....run what you brung! Maybe put a skid plate over it. According to vital members, if you can’t see it in a picture, it didn’t happen!
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user760a
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user760a 2/13/2021 2:27pm
2/13/2021 2:27pm
what I do in a case like this is ride the bike constantly until the rest of the bike looks similar to your lower frame rail. You will have lots of good times, and the pain of gnarfing your bike will slowly fade ...
brimx153
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brimx153 2/13/2021 2:44pm
2/13/2021 2:44pm
Every single one of my bikes has been like that .and i ve been riding nearly 30 years. I don't see any problem with just running it

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