Went to warm up my P&J to find my top yoke had fractured on both sides and i wondered if anyone else had experienced a similar problem?

They are Paioli forks and i had tightened them to torque (not overly tight). I havent fallen off recently and ride steadily. my local welders was unable to help me, so i have found a second hand one to replace it, but dont want to repeat the process. any ideas?

Cheers - Caddabs

Looks like a poor design, not much meat.

Be very gentle with the replacement !!

If the bike has been out in very cold weather then maybe the aluminium yoke has shrunk and effectively incresed the tension on -the bolts. Suggest that any similar bolts be loosened and re-torqued if subjected to cold weather.

Yes thanks - i wondered if it might have been the cold. sadly despite my protests, Mr Jarvis lives in a shed and i guess he gets cold from time to time, although i do wrap him up in a blanket. its not been as cold here as last year, and i think -2 is about as cold as its got so far, but it might have been compounded from last year, when it was chuffing cold.

i had wondered whether it might have been extra stress i have put on it when fixing it to my rack, as i tend to wrap a tie round the yoke and crank it down tight. road vibration could have shaken it up a bit maybe. just odd both sides went at the same time.

extra blankets it is then.

cheers all

Caddabs

I had the same thing happen to my 2000 Sherco, except it was the top and the bottom on the same side. There is an "Awesome Welder Dude" locally here and he fixed them both for me.

He had to snap off the broken piece put a rod of something that won't weld to the aluminum into the threaded holes. Snug fit so the holes are square. He then built up the area that is missing around those rods. Then chucked the rod into his drill press/mill to square it up, then drilled the countersink hole for the bolt. Lastly cut the split back into clamp.

Edited December 20, 201114 yr by ZIPPY

Wow that does seem odd to me, as I had not heard of this in the past. Soppose it could be temp related?

Might be a good excuse to go to the billet clamp and the fat bars!

Wonder how many times them been crashed, since the bikes are what, 12 years on now? Guess them castings will only take soo much?

Yes thanks - i wondered if it might have been the cold. sadly despite my protests, Mr Jarvis lives in a shed and i guess he gets cold from time to time, although i do wrap him up in a blanket. its not been as cold here as last year, and i think -2 is about as cold as its got so far, but it might have been compounded from last year, when it was chuffing cold.

i had wondered whether it might have been extra stress i have put on it when fixing it to my rack, as i tend to wrap a tie round the yoke and crank it down tight. road vibration could have shaken it up a bit maybe. just odd both sides went at the same time.

extra blankets it is then.

cheers all

Caddabs

I doubt carrying it on a rack will have any effect, I carried mine that way from new up until I bought a new car without a towbar & haven't had any problems

Went to warm up my P&J to find my top yoke had fractured on both sides and i wondered if anyone else had experienced a similar problem?

They are Paioli forks and i had tightened them to torque (not overly tight). I havent fallen off recently and ride steadily. my local welders was unable to help me, so i have found a second hand one to replace it, but dont want to repeat the process. any ideas?

Cheers - Caddabs

I've had a few Shercos and dropped them all but I've never seen anything like that before I don't know if it's a lens distortion on that photo but those pinch bolts are sitting at a strange angle?

Has your steed had some previous work done in that area..i.e. re-tapped or helicoiled?

Pic of my bottom clamp Sorry for a bit of a fuzzy pic but at least you get the idea of the fix. He did the top one a bit better/prettier. All in all I am pleased with the fix.

I oops and had my torque wrench set 5 ft/lb too high when I broke the top clamp. The bottom clamp I just noticed one day was broken in the middle of the season, I still don't know what broke it. I do agree that this particular design does not have much meat on it for the bolts to pull against.

Edited December 21, 201114 yr by ZIPPY

it is a very strange thing indeed. The yoke hasnt had any work done to it, and i take your point, but on close inspection the allen bolts are straight and havnt been re-tapped.

As you will see one side has snapped off and the other is about 90% through.

Odd one....

Cheers

Caddabs

Pic of my bottom clamp Sorry for a bit of a fuzzy pic but at least you get the idea of the fix. He did the top one a bit better/prettier. All in all I am pleased with the fix.

I oops and had my torque wrench set 5 ft/lb too high when I broke the top clamp. The bottom clamp I just noticed one day was broken in the middle of the season, I still don't know what broke it. I do agree that this particular design does not have much meat on it for the bolts to pull against.

HMMMMMM apparently access has now been denied to the pic! DOH! I ain't getting this right