Just Purchased Bike, noticing issues from previous lay down

[sapper]

Hey, im new and a novice rider. purchased a 2002 that had been laid down and accepted the fact that there is a bang in the front left of the tank and planned to replace it once i found a good used one. There are two stops on the frame where the front fork is housed that limit the left and right turing angle of the front end. the previous owner sheared off the left limiting stop and that causes the handle bar to turn almost into dent in the tank. assuming i replace the tank with a new one, i am pretty sure that the handlebar will have contact there.

looks like the limiting stops were built into the frame and was wondering if there are any ideas on limiting the turning angle of this front end.

i will try to post a photo this evening.

Mark

[Rookie Rider]

Welcome to the forum. Hmmm, thats weird why they cut that off. Dont know why they would, and i dont know what to put in place of it. Maybe weld a piece of steel on both sides. Good luck.

[Water Warrior 2]

The steering stop was likely sheared off from a hard lay down. I have heard of this before in some mishaps.

[sapper]

are there any other items i need to be aware of with this bike? its obviously been in a little more trauma then i initially suspected.

[jonathan180iq]

Does it roll straight and true when you are riding in a straight line? Or does it feel like it wants to fight you to one side or the other?

In bike crashes, the biggest killer is frame or fork damage.
I would have someone ride behind at a 3/4 angle while you ride in a staight line. The chaser can usually eyeball if the front and back wheels are in alignment or if the bike is rolling kind of half-cocked. You can also roll through a puddle of water and ride it out as straight as possible and see if your wet tire streaks line up.

Send us a photo of the bike and the area that's been damaged. These things are simple and we know.... Well, we pretty much know everything. :)

[Water Warrior 2]

There could be a whole bag full of damage if you are unlucky.
First I would get the front wheel off the ground by placing a jack or similar device under the frame. Swing the bars left to right to feel and listen to the steering head bearings. There should be no noise or grinding felt and a smooth feeling all the way left to right. You will likely find a wee bit of resistance from cables and such so be forewarned.
Look closely at the forks for any sign of being bent. Even a little bit is bad news. Do the bars line up with the forks?? Sometimes the forks can twist in the triple tree upon impact but that is fairly easy to fix. Do the forks show signs of the seals leaking??
With the bike held in a vertical position(blocks or another warm body) and the front wheel straight you can eye ball the front end from a few feet away to see if both wheels are identically vertical. There is a possibility the steering head was tweeked upon impact. That is a possibility if the steering stops were sheared off or hit hard enough.
Back to 2 wheels on the ground. How smooth is the steering with weight on the front wheel?? There should be no binding through the full sweep of the bars.
Do the bars look bent??
Do all of the above and take pics from all angles and post them here for everyone to see. Different eyes might be the ticket to clarify any damage and help to diagnose it. Pics front, rear and sides. Here's hoping you have an unpolished gem that just needs some TLC and an owner who cares.

[Water Warrior 2]

Does it roll straight and true when you are riding in a straight line? Or does it feel like it wants to fight you to one side or the other?

In bike crashes, the biggest killer is frame or fork damage.
I would have someone ride behind at a 3/4 angle while you ride in a staight line. The chaser can usually eyeball if the front and back wheels are in alignment or if the bike is rolling kind of half-cocked. You can also roll through a puddle of water and ride it out as straight as possible and see if your wet tire streaks line up.

Send us a photo of the bike and the area that's been damaged. These things are simple and we know.... Well, we pretty much know everything. :)
I see we are on the same page with the front end inspection.

[jonathan180iq]

WW: My brother from another mother.

[Water Warrior 2]

Was your mother as crazy as mine?? lol.

[jonathan180iq]

She always seemed pretty normal to me...

http://www.mostphotos.com/preview/577582/crazy-woman.jpg

[Water Warrior 2]

Wanna trade moms??

[jonathan180iq]

What model you got? I need low maintenance and few bells and whistles.

[Water Warrior 2]

What model you got? I need low maintenance and few bells and whistles.
Old, needy for no reason, demanding, me me me attitude, addicted to bingo and keno. Charter member of the original dysfunctional family. Still wanna trade????

[mrlmd1]

Sounds more like a wife than a mother, just change bingo and keno to internet and shopping..

[jonathan180iq]

hahaha. :)

Nah, I'm good. We basically already have the same model.

[Water Warrior 2]

Sounds more like a wife than a mother, just change bingo and keno to internet and shopping..
Both of my ex-wives were liars and magicians. They could make a pay cheque disappear and then look at me accusingly. I can really pick em. :??:

[OldNTired]

Sounds more like a wife than a mother, just change bingo and keno to internet and shopping..
Both of my ex-wives were liars and magicians. They could make a pay cheque disappear and then look at me accusingly. I can really pick em. :??:


Ha ha! Add in a touch of hypochondria and you are both describing my second-oldest daughter!
She took after her mother, completely. I feel so sorry for my son-in-law.
Nasty things to say about ones daughter, but one thing I am is honest.

[sapper]

OK sorry for the delay, almost done with the holiday madness. here are some photos of the bike. ive checked the wheel alignment and thinks its true. i really want to replace the tank eventually. Mark

[Water Warrior 2]

Oh my, that tank has seen better days. At least it will cost less to fill with those dents in it. Just for investigative purposes you may want to check out the wiring harness. It may have suffered a bit when the fork stop sheared off and there may be stretched, squashed or damaged wires.

[sapper]

any one know what color the tank is? sometimes i think its grey then sometimes its a dark green. is there a label somewhere like on a car?

[Water Warrior 2]

Looks like the dark green with pinstripes that was out about 10 years ago. Sounds about right with your 2002 model.

[jonathan180iq]

Yep. That's the green.

[Road_Clam]

Looks like the "steering stop" did not do it's job. Usually the cast post in the lower stem snaps off. That tank looks identical to the one on my wifes 2001 . I've really only seen the GZ250's in red black and green, and the paint seems to be the same throught many years, they only tweak the decal designs from year to year. You might be able to find a different year tank, but still has the matching metallic green.