Front axle snap, design flaw?

[Clay]

Originally Posted by GMP

If I may clarify, what Clay means is that the chassis itself is not a limitation in MX, its the soft suspension that will transmit huge forces to bike and body when bottomed on a big landing.

This is the first known case of a failure like this, out of thousands, since at least '07 as my axel is the same based on my measurement. That statistic seems pretty good to me.

Yeah.....that's what I meant! LOL! Thanks Glenn!

[motogroove]

Just to be safe, I'm going to hold off on the slow, lazy no-handed backflip over "The One Twenty". I'll just single through there like I usuallly do.

It actually really freaked me out the first time somebody tripled through there while I was singling the third one. Always good to hold a predictable line I guess.
There's very little run up to the first jump. I have no idea how they carry enough speed to triple that thing.

*********

I am of course a slow and unsophisticated boob. But I do find that the WP forks and Ohlins shock seem quite at home on the MX track with a few clicks here and there. I'll be at Rocky Hill tomorrow.
http://www.ctmotocross.com/

track photos are of an old layout before The One Twenty.

-dean
2001 xc300 a.k.a. Spanish Fly

[MattR]

The heavy red rust on the pinch bolts, fork shield, and axle is strange to me. Did you leave any accumulated road salt/splash on your bike during the winter season? The salt is very corrosive.

While the axle geometry could be improved, I speculate that the heavy corrosion probably contributed more to this failure than the geometry did.

[gasgasman]

Originally Posted by MattR

the heavy corrosion probably contributed more to this failure than the geometry did.

It's possible the corrosive liquid got trapped at the joint between the axle and the wheel spacer.

Must do a lot of riding in an old iron ore mine.

[BigChina]

I have a front axle off an 07 450 in anyone is interested. PM me.
cheers!