Ron Ayers - great customer service

lfg929 · 06-16-2003, 4:11 PM

I ordered my stator cover off Ron Ayers. They sent me a note today letting me know the item would ship in 7-10 days. I need it in 7 days max so I emailed them back requesting such. I got a response in less than 15 minutes or so listing my options. I requested to change the shipping method and got another response within 15 minutes later saying it had been changed. I thought it was pretty cool that they got back to me so quickly (typically you can go days chatting back and forth via email). So, thumbs up to Ron Ayers ...

firebladetoronto · 06-16-2003, 7:54 PM

How is the fixing going??

lfg929 · 06-17-2003, 11:03 AM

I am in training this week but I should make some headway this coming weekend. I plan on pulling all of the bodywork off and inspecting the fork tubes and the subframe (both are tweaked). I think I can bend the subframe back in place (it is only tweaked a little). I think the forks just twisted in the clamps since the front end didn't impact anything. I plan on pulling them out of the clamps and sighting down the tubes to make sure they aren't bent in any way. If they aren't then I will stick them back in and realign the front end.

I think the only thing I *have* to do is get the stator cover replaced. Most everything else should be easy to take care of. Hopefully I will get some time to repair the bodywork this coming weekend as well so it at least doesn't have any rash holes in it, etc.

slowpoke · 06-17-2003, 3:09 PM

Do you use stock stator covers or heavy duty aftermarket ones? I was thinking of getting an aftermarket one ever since I saw a 954 at the dealers last summer that had all of 36 mi. on it and was totaled- went down on the left side and broke the cover then the engine cases and other assorted internals. Not saying an aftermarket would have prevented it from being totaled(don't know what it hit) but they look like they would take a lot more punishment than stockers.

Red Rider · 06-17-2003, 3:35 PM

Quote:

slowpoke : Do you use stock stator covers or heavy duty aftermarket ones? I was thinking of getting an aftermarket one ever since I saw a 954 at the dealers last summer that had all of 36 mi. on it and was totaled- went down on the left side and broke the cover then the engine cases and other assorted internals. Not saying an aftermarket would have prevented it from being totaled(don't know what it hit) but they look like they would take a lot more punishment than stockers.

Factory Pro makes a left side cover for 929's with an integrated slider:

Factory Pro

lfg929 · 06-17-2003, 4:07 PM

I am using the OEM cover and here is why... I am afraid that the aftermarket covers will transfer more of the blow to the engine cases and crack them. I may be incorrect in my thinking, and if so then someone who is more enlightened please step up and correct my thinking. I am just concerned that the thicker covers will not crack and in turn will transfer more of the engergy to the engine cases which are probably of a softer or more brittle material. I would rather lose the $60 engine cover rather than toast my engine case.

I think this way because I have seen some reports in the past on here where people were running beefed up stator covers and when they went down the cover was mangled but still usable, however, the engine case had cracked. Maybe it all depends on the severity of the blow and it doesn't matter if you have the stock cover or an aftermarket cover. But until someone who I trust in this area says to me that an aftermarket cover would be better and would *not* increase the chances of cracking the case from an impact then I will shell out $60 every time to get the stock cover replaced.

Red Rider · 06-17-2003, 4:28 PM

I would agree with you, lfg. Some may say that the same applies to frame sliders transferring the impact to the engine, etc. and causing greater damage than they prevent. I did see a 929 at the track that had a Factory Pro cover on it that was pretty scraped up from a crash though...not sure about any collateral damage.

cbr99xx · 06-17-2003, 4:36 PM

Quote:

lfg929 : I am using the OEM cover and here is why... I am afraid that the aftermarket covers will transfer more of the blow to the engine cases and crack them.

I believe this to be true also... I have one of those bikes that was totaled due to a cracked engine case. An '01 929 that was purchased at auction. I don't know what the previous owner did to cause this damage. It appears to me that it was a failed wheelie attempt.... Flywheel, stator, cover and various bits of bodywork are the toll. Not to mention the cracked engine case. I still believe that the crack can be repaired (by a competent welder) without a complete teardown.

Some may say that this sounds bad now...How could it be worse? Well I think that if more force were transferred the case would have been cracked much worse, possibly extending into the oil galleries.

On the other hand... Had the crank been damaged things could have been worse. Mmmm... I may still be debating this myself.

slowpoke · 06-18-2003, 10:28 AM

Hmmm... Good points, more confused now than before! Don't most racing orgs. require them? I know they're only concerned about someone oiling down the track though.

lfg929 · 06-18-2003, 2:24 PM

Most racing orgs require them for specific motorcycles such as the R6, the R1, and I think a couple of the GSXRs. They are not required for the Kwaks or any of the Hondas. It may have more to do with how easily they fracture (maybe the R6 will let go more easily or something). I don't think the primary issue is just oil because if that was the case then they would definitely be required on the 929/954.

For what it is worth, my bike has been down twice. The first time I had some scratches to the stator cover but not other damage. This last time I high sided and the bike flipped toward that side, which I imagine resulted in a fairly hefty blow to that side. My bike at least hit hard enough to roll up on the gas tank a bit since I have scratches up there as well, although it didn't roll on over to the other side.

As for frame sliders, other than breaking off the bolt I don't see how it could damage the motor or the frame in that area. That portion of the frame is fairly beefy and it would take one heck of a blow to deform that area. The motor would take some of the stress, but I think the bolt would sheer off well before the motor would crack in that area since the engine is a stressed member of the frame and would be beefed up in that area as well to be able to transfer the forces through to the frame without resulting in long term fatigue. Again, this is a not metallurgical engineer's view of things (hey, I deal with computers every day not metal strengths). But to my somewhat physics and mechanical engineering educated brain, that is what makes sense to me.