Factory Bent Subframe How to fix it???????

[Miker]

Hey there. I have grown tired of walking up on my 2000 XR650

from the rear and seeing the subframe bent to the left. I read somewhere once that this is standard from the factory and can be bent with a large bar to be straight. My question is what if anything do I have to remove and where should I pry at? ?

[BWB63]

I use the bar after I remove the sub frame beat it to death (ok, not that hard but, enough to take out some of the bend) with a large hammer at the two bends on the left side on the top rail that goes to the frame and the bottom bends that on both sides. makes it real hard to get back on the bike. Once on I put a block of wood on the swing arm (no air box or fender, Just a bare sub frame bolted on the bike) and give it it's last tweak. I have done seven bikes (six for others) and it turns out real straight. One I didn't have help to hold the bike so I came up a little short from getting all of the bend out. Once you get it together it not as hard to get it back on latter. There is still a lot of up push to hold it from bending again.

[MLB]

What? From HONDA? What the....?

[MLB]

What? From HONDA? What the....?

Why don't you take it back to the dealer and have THEM do it. Under warrenty?

[smashinz2002]

My 2000 650R was like that too when I bought it. But I got it used, and I thought the bend was from a fall or something, so I didn't think much of it.

I took off the rear fender, inserted a steel pipe between the two subframe rails which stick out the back, and pryed it some. It didnt take much really, and now it's straight enough to where you can't notice any bend.

Now I hear the bike comes this way even new! That's pretty odd and I'm surprised Honda would do something like that. But I'm not going to complain too much, because I've ridden this bike for 2 years and over 5000 hard off road miles, and it's never given me any kind of mechanical trouble at all and it still doesn't use any oil. I've only had to adjust the valves once so far also.

[Miker]

Thank's for the replys. I think I will try the pry the subframe method after removing the fender. I think I will loosen the exhaust pipe junction as well as it seems the pipe would have to shift a little too. ?

[J_T]

This maybe a dumb question but if its bent from the factory and its been on about every model since 2000, Could there be a reason? I can't think of one.

Mine doesn't rub and I have not straightened it. I guess I never noticed it. I'll look next time but if its bent from the factory I'm sure mine is too!

Why should I straighten it? Why are ya'll straightening it, cosmetic reasons or something else?

I know its alot of why questions but I'm curious?

JT

[qadsan]

I too have seen a few that were bent on the showroom floor. Mine bent after a few jumps, so I thought it might have had something to do with the weight/intertia of the stock exhaust can from jumping or possibly from the suspension bottoming out, etc. I never gave it much more thought and keep a spare just for that day when I can no longer bend mine back. I'm happy as long as mine doesn't interfere with the rear tire.