2004 ec300 sub frame "mystery"

[houndog]

This is crazy. I am very particular about the way things look. I notice things that are "off center or crooked".

A buddy comes over, we go out to the shop to drink a cold one. We walk in and right away I notice my rear fender is not centered on the wheel! The wheel seems in line with the front of the bike. The sub frame looks "tweaked" with relation to the rear wheel. This bike has never crashed. It has fallen over due to the stupid kickstand many times and I caught my right shoelace on the peg and fell over but it has never hit the ground at speed.

I rode it a few days prior to noticing this and she felt great.

A couple weeks ago I bumped into her and the damn kickstand folded and she fell over (again) into the 450 and they both went down......no damage to either that I could find at the time.

That was weeks ago. I work in the shop and see the hind end of this bike many times a day. I have ridden it several times since it fell over last time. I have no idea why I did not notice this or when it happened. My buddy, said "I saw it when we walked in and wondered if you'd crashed it"!!!!!!!

I have no idea why the thing looks "tweaked", how it happened or what to do about it. Nothing looks bent on the sub frame. It is not "really bad" but noticable.

Any ideas would be appreciated. I have had another fellow look at it, his son races and he's a rider as well and they fix bikes. He agrees something is "off" but not sure what.

If it was not locked up I'd swear someone rode and crashed it!

Do the sub frames loosen and "twist"? I've not had time to check bolts but nothing is bent. It's crazy.

Again, any thoughts would be appreciated.
Ed
ps...The bike was new when I got it 3 years ago....had been just sitting around at the dealer...I've been the only rider. She's got 5k miles now.

[Jakobi]

Post a pic

[DWreck]

Sub frames were very flimsy/ easily damaged on all gassers around this time. I think the 07 up are considered much stronger. The hot ticket back in the day were aftermarket made by AC racing for KX's. It took some mods to get the silencer and seat to line up though. I would deal with it until it really breaks and then update it to the 07 plastic/ sub frame/ air box kit that Go Fasters sells.

[houndog]

Thanks guys, so it is possible it has just been tweaked from riding?
I'll get an image tomorrow and then you guys can say "what the Hell is he talking about" or "WTF, if he did not crash it why is it like that"
Ed
edit**** I'm old and only weigh 135 pounds.

[jostby]

the aluminum subframes on that era GG weren't a favorite to many of us. Very flimsy. I replaced the broken one on my kids bike with a steel one from a '98 KX250 I got off of ebay for next to nothing. Some aluminum spray paint and it still looks oem 5yrs later.

[SGM]

It's no mystery, the subframe is made of cheese and bits of string.

A great bike, let down by fubar engineering like that...and the cracking seat base, to really add insult to injury...

[houndog]

Thanks guys, so I assume this is "normal"? Here is an image (I hope). I can't believe I have not noticed this and am sure I did not ride it that hard last time. The rear tire seems in alignment with the front....it's just that damn fender!
Thanks again for the (funny) replies!
Ed

[bowhunter007]

Originally Posted by houndog

Thanks guys, so I assume this is "normal"? Here is an image (I hope). I can't believe I have not noticed this and am sure I did not ride it that hard last time. The rear tire seems in alignment with the front....it's just that damn fender!
Thanks again for the (funny) replies!
Ed

My '01 XC had a similar look, so stripped it down, figure out the direction and bent it back. It's still relatively straight, but I'm sure is on borrowed time. I have an extra from a KX(if necessary).

[motorhead]

Just do what I did when I noticed the same exact look on my 05'.
Try to crash on the other side next time.

Really thats not too bad,two people and a long,stout pipe can straighten her right out. This is what leads to a cracked seat base. Seat mounts to subframe-subframe bent-seat base material not very flexible=broken seat base.Then you get to buy a new subframe AND a new seat.

[eff]

Mine is the same and I think it is the fender support more than the subframe causing the situation. Try loosening that, tweak it and re-tighten everything.