2007 YZ450 Frame crack

[marty580]

...sounds like a bunch of nick picking...

Looked at an 07 recently. Didn't know about possible cracks. Am still considering an 07 to 09. Prefer riding over wrenching. Last thing i want to do during our short riding season is to be stripping down the bike to the frame and fixing a minor crack.

Lost enough riding time last year redoing a ktm engine, waiting for parts, head work, etc. After looking at several 450 engine internals, considering a yz450f as next purchase.

Riding terrain, riding style, seat time, and rider weight are likely significant contributing factors. My 220 lbs plus gear may cause a little more stress on landing than most other riders.

[wr450mazz]

Hi all,long time reader and i think my first post from OZ.

Just reading up on this and wanted to also say that a few months ago here on our Ebay,there was someone selling a alu framed WR450,year unsure.

He had photos of his WR with major damage to his headstem....ie the handle bars were ratchet strapped to the rear subframe to hold it from splitting apart.I don't know if he had a major crash but he did mention that it was a problem that Yamaha new about but denied it existed. I should have saved the pics.

It seems that it may be an YZF/WR welding issue as the frames are different.

[yz400fdude]

I'm going to check my '07 frame tonight. It's not a big deal, but if it is cracked I want it fixed. I haven't checked the welds for cracks but a friend of mine made the comment that the welds were ugly. He rides a Honda so he might say any welds on a Yamaha looks bad.

[yz400fdude]

Update: My frame is fine, but my bike only has about 15 hours on it.

[langjahr]

The crack you see if caused by what's called a "cold weld". This is common when the weld temperature is not hot enough. In the pic shows a new weld on top of another. The welder got too much penetration in the first weld pass and did a cold weld over the top.

Yamaha should cover this as it is a weld defect. If you take the frame to a shop that has a certified weld inspector, he'll back up what I'm saying. Get him to certify in writing that the weld was done incorrect, then call Yamaha.

[slowfe]

You cant just bad mouth hondas every bike has there faults. Me personally I think honda is the best bike ever built. They paved the way for the aluminium framed bikes. No need to be mad cause yamaha couldnt build it as well as honda. I will admit that yamahas 250 motor is nicer than hondas.

[yz400fdude]

You cant just bad mouth hondas every bike has there faults. Me personally I think honda is the best bike ever built. They paved the way for the aluminium framed bikes. No need to be mad cause yamaha couldnt build it as well as honda. I will admit that yamahas 250 motor is nicer than hondas.

Yamaha just had to retrain their welders. They weren't use to working with aluminum frames. All the bikes have their good and bad. Although I would have thought a year would have been enough time.....

[grayracer513]

Yamaha just had to retrain their welders. They weren't use to working with aluminum frames. ...I would have thought a year would have been enough time.....

In the first place, Yamaha has been building aluminum frames over 17 years, and are one of the industry leaders in advanced alloy frame construction techniques, using innovative combinations of custom extrusions, castings, hydro-formed components and standard tubing and plate. They are, in fact, a vendor to several other companies for this work, and at this point, on the whole, no one does it better.

Secondly, it was far more likely an adjustment than any kind of training. As hard as it may be for a really good TIG welder to believe, a great deal of the welding is computer controlled robotic stuff.

[yz400fdude]

In the first place, Yamaha has been building aluminum frames over 17 years, and are one of the industry leaders in advanced alloy frame construction techniques, using innovative combinations of custom extrusions, castings, hydro-formed components and standard tubing and plate. They are, in fact, a vendor to several other companies for this work, and at this point, on the whole, no one does it better.

Secondly, it was far more likely an adjustment than any kind of training. As hard as it may be for a really good TIG welder to believe, a great deal of the welding is computer controlled robotic stuff.

A Yamaha service employee told me this was their first venture into aluminum frames, and I just assumed he knew what he was talking about. Tough to know who to believe at local dealers... I apologize for the my misunderstanding.

[thedeem0n]

I'd say you could either weld the Crack, or Try to find a new frame (eBay)...but when I say "Weld it", I mean Weld It...Don't do like the 12-Year-Old Weld It & head out there with a Bike that's got a frame you "Welded" back together with Hot Glue...& If you're not into welding, go & spend a few Hundred Dollars to buy a welder, and invest in a GOOD Welding Mask...get one of the Auto-Darkening ones....they cost more money but they're worth it...& then go look on Youtube & Shit for some Welding Instruction Videos...& PRACTICE QUITE A BIT BEFORE YOU GO WELDING THE FRAME OF YOUR SEVERAL-THOUSAND DOLLAR MOTOCROSS BIKE...but Trust me, Learn to Weld if you don't know how, because that's a skill you can Sell in the job market while you're looking for a new job or you could use that skill to make extra money on the side by welding shit for people if you wanted to...

[tcuda499]

Last time I checked a tig was alot more than a few hundred dollars... Although practice does make perfect, tig welding is an art. some people have it,others just think they do. Bring it to a welder and get it done right.....the first time!