Do XTR's Crash well?
 

Heu Guys,

I binned (tourances are ****e for wet chalk/grass) my XTR on monday while doing some chalk tracks round my way and it landed front heavy after breifly trying to get air borne. as far as i can see it only came away with a twisted and gaurd, but it landed front wheel first at a bit of a angle, I get the feeling the front wheel may have bent slightely but thats about it.

otherwise the bike is fine that i can see, it's only me that seemed to have taken any real damage to my ankleand have only just got back on the bike after a weeks rest.

is there anything else worth looking at? the gear lever took a hit but survived and will be swapped for a folding one when i get chance.

Hey mate, glad you're not too badly damaged for starters.

Can't really comment because I haven't had any high speed offs (touch wood!) but I have laid it over a few times when the tourances gave way on loose ground (you're right about the tourances on anything but bitumen). My brake and gear lever typically fold back or get wedged against the engine casing causing nasty gouges but that's the worst of it. The tank plastics seem flimsy so I reckon they'd bend out easily too - but that hasn't happened to me. Handlebars bend easily too with the sort of crash you had so that may give the impression that your wheel isn't running straight.

You should be able to see easily enough if your front wheel is buckled, but it is likely that your wheel axle may have twisted in the clamp. Maybe loosen off the front wheel (if you can find the right 14 mm Allen-key socket) and retighten. Once the axle is tight, then you can use the bounce technique to make sure the front wheel is sitting right before you nip up the two axle clamp bolts. Someone else could probably explain this better.

Anyway, I think these bikes are tougher than they look in terms of surviving a bush stack.

Cheers for that Dan, i didn't know about the front axle twisting so thanks for that little snippet, i will have a look in the morning.

i had noticed the front caplier was clicking as the wheel rotated at slow speeds but that was sorted out by just taking it off and checking the pads were in straight.

Following on from what Dan said, you might want to take a look at checking the forks themselves are aligned properly in the yokes as well as just the axle. It is quite easy for the fork tube to become twisted a few degrees, particularly in the type of impact you have had.

Basically you want to loosen everything from the bottom yoke downwards: Bottom yoke pinch bolts, axle pinch bolts, caliper mounting bolts and mudguard fasteners. Once you've done that push down through the bars and compress the forks and release them. Don't be tempted to bounce them rapidly though, it needs to be push and release in one smooth action and repeat if necessary. After that torque everything up in the right order, leaving the axle pinch bolts till last.

Here's a You Tube how to video that does a pretty good job of explaining it, if in a slightly long-winded way. Don't try and use a single nut to do the axle as he does, you'll make a mess of the axle or you knuckles, or even both; use a bolt with two nuts locked onto the end, or better still the correct tool!



As for checking the wheel is true, below is a video that shows pretty much the method I use, although if you've got an XT with matt finished black rims, chalk works better than a marker pen!

Pleiades, Cheers for that i'll give it a go shortly, i plan to fit new tyres soon so i'll be sure to check all this at the same time.

Great Video on trueing the wheels there Pleiades
iv always wondered how to adjust the spokes

Never had a prob crashing mine...
In fact it dose it to well...

only problem i have when crashing is when it tries landing on me haha

About ten years ago, a BIKE journalist, Damon I'Anson, rode to India on an XT660R along with an Indian friend who also took an XTR. I'Anson then competed in and actually won the Raid Himalaya. They came off their bikes so often in the whole adventure, but the bikes were always serviceable after. Maybe they were lucky. Who knows? But I'Anson did rave about the XT's durability in his write-up. I'd imagine you've all probably read his articles, so this will be nothing new.

I'm going to be spending at least seven months a year in Chiang Rai in northern Thailand from next year. I wish the XTR was available there with no import duty. Only bikes which are assembled in a Thai factory are exempt from such tax.