The story of "I now call them Radioactive Fission Axles"

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hobot said:

On my negated Trixie Combat everything was new and new and new and refreshed and lubed and adjusted with seasoned skill developed by doing all the wrong things on un-new parts in past. By far its been the early racers that found out the hard way on dumbass axles. That more abuse rather than neglect though.

I now call them Radioactive Fission Axles. Can never predict any single axle but as a whole sure as hell can. Next one for Trixie gets magfluxed then cyro tempered along with chainsaw blades and gear shafts/cogs then will jubleee clamp and safety wire on, because I can't help but cross rough stuff or just give it up.



hobot said:

Factory dumb axles are almost radioactive, that is there are all waiting to break. Going by just my decade long paying attention to broken axle reports I'd say their half life is 3 decades, that is half of them were broken by a decade ago, so less reports only because less aged one replaced the dead one, but I suspect those half lives are ticking to to show up with next generation riding on them, if our bikes are even legal to own by then.


First time axle broke on Ms Peel I could write it off as old stiff sloppy bearings and over loaded cargo on big tar seams in cement plate hi way going 90 mph, then this recent Trixie fracture just doing mild circles in parking lot. I garantee as I work up my faith in Trixie I get way higher loads going around sharps. So I luck the Fuk out and now realize no matter how good I maintain Norton swingarm can still flex and the stress riser of dumpass axle is an innate engineered oversight for radioactive fission lurking, always lurking.

hobot said:

I've had similar event, when axle broke and let clamp force go on RH so axle adjuster on wrong side of axle motion to keep it from twisting tire over into fender edge and swingarm.

But I was going 90 mph standing full upright on tar patched seamed cement hwy
w/o a care in the world when my slow poke buddy passed me like 110 to flag me
over and point to the smoke screen 1/2 mile long. Caught just short of blow out.
But rump rod made so stable I never felt a hint of doom. It did act like yours
on starting off til over like 6-8 mph, with hose clamp holding axle
mostly in line with chain side. Was a bucking bronco then suddenly
just perfectly fine. Took a few starts to get my reflexes ready for
the whip wobble, very similar to a blow out just below full stop.

OH YEAH another thing to keep in mind when axle or adjuster
lets go, it can activate the rear brake intermittently on
costing slow w/o power, or drag and burn up riding on.

I highly recommend safety wire or something on retain axle up against
adjusters, same as safety spring on brake levers, very rare till its your one in a row events.
Be very suspect now of two piece axle integrity at its stress riser known hazard at stud axle joint.
Magnaflux or better just re-new as they do have fatigue life limit we've found.

 
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Guess my original combat roadster rear axle is on the positive side of half life. Let’s see 30 years 50% are gone. In 60 years 75% are gone. In 90 years 87.5% are gone. Think I’ll be OK.
 
What was his riding along standing straight up on the pegs, at speed about?

Also, haven't figured out his sig? 'Throw yourself at the ground and miss!'

Funny comments on the chopper site where 1 poster said "i speak/understand fluent Hobot" lol

High praise for him there.

- edit
 
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What was his riding along standing straight up on the pegs, at speed about?

Also, haven't figured out his sig? 'Throw yourself at the ground and miss!'

Funny comments on the chopper site where 1 poster said "i speak/understand fluent Hobot" lol

High praise for him there.

- edit
Yup, Douglas Adams' HHGTTG quote.

I started my Norton journey on this forum about two yrs before Hobot left the forum.
Ditto.
Always informative, always fun.
Only guy I ever knew of who killed Deer by motorcycle, unintentionally.
And lawn mowers by rifle (intentionally) ;-)
 
Don't think i've seen the "chain saw mod"

The "muffler adapter by rifle" is still out there.

As well as stand up blasts.
 
"Only guy I ever knew of who killed Deer by motorcycle, unintentionally."
I thought it was pet goats:eek:
There been a few Deer deaths locally last few yrs here ,due to MC strikes , most riders have survived except one poor guy I remember hit his on twinned hywy at speed ….
 



The story of "I now call them Radioactive Fission Axles"





 
Ditto.
Always informative, always fun.
Only guy I ever knew of who killed Deer by motorcycle, unintentionally.
I killed a deer on HWY 9 Skyline in California riding a Ducati 996S. Was only doing about 50mph because I saw it ahead of time off the side of the road and slowed down. Didn't slow down enough and it was too late to stop. Hit it and went over the handlebars in superman hands out front style. Deer died instantly. Long story, long day. I believe I survived. I take no pride in the event, but it is what it is.

In addition to that, once traveling 2 up along HWY 1 on a Katana 1100 near Petaluma CA a deer came down the side of a hill and jumped right over my wife and I while we were flying along on the bike at a leisurely 65mph. One of those I can't believe that happened and we are still alive moments. Never saw that one coming at all.

I can't read those HotBot posts. A couple of sentences in and I know I have better things to do.
 
The worse story is dude who set out on some long trek, intending to share a journal, turned out early on colliding with a donkey in S America i think.

Ended up paralyzed mid chest down & kept folks updated for a few years, in detail with his struggles, writing right up to the early end.
 
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