Frame, bodywork and motorcycle assembly
This domain tests structural alignment, fasteners, panel fit and correct assembly sequence after repair. It includes checking for crash damage and final pre-delivery inspection.
Core rules
- Frame types: tubular steel, twin-spar aluminium, pressed steel. Check for cracks at welds, headstock and engine mounts after a fall.
- Forks can twist in the triple clamps; loosen the clamps, align the wheel, and tighten in sequence. Bent fork tubes cannot be straightened safely.
- Use the correct grade and length of fastener. Over-long bolts crack engine cases; under-length bolts strip threads.
- Torque critical fasteners: axle nuts, brake caliper bolts, handlebar clamps, engine mounts. Use a torque wrench and the manual sequence.
- Thread-locking compound on vibrating fasteners; anti-seize on exhaust studs and spark plugs only where specified.
- Route cables and wiring away from hot or moving parts; trapping a loom causes chafing and electrical faults.
- Panel clips and grommets prevent rattles; overtightening fairing screws cracks plastics.
Worked example
After a low-speed fall, the handlebars point left while the front wheel points straight. Reasoning: the forks have twisted in the triple clamps, not necessarily bent. Support the front, loosen the lower and upper clamp bolts and the axle, bounce the forks, align the wheel, then torque the clamps from the top down and the axle last. Check fork tube runout with a dial gauge; replace if bent.
Traps
Using an impact gun on small case bolts; mixing metric and imperial fasteners; trapping the wiring loom under a tank; forgetting the brake caliper bolts' torque; reusing a crushed gasket.