Is this frame a goner?

[.Chris.]

What do people think about this frame? It's a project bike of mine. Today I turned the frame over and noticed this:

https://cdn.bcf.44bytes.net/files/_20180719_205032.jpg

https://cdn.bcf.44bytes.net/files/_20180719_205015.jpg

Not only a hole big enough to get your little finger into, but the whole bottom tube is quite noticeably bent. It looks worse in real life than on the photo. Not totally sure how either of these happened. I suspect the bend is due to impact damage - looking at other parts of the bike the front brake lever is damaged, and the petrol tank has had a large dent filled. Can't really work out how the hole got there though. It doesn't look like a typical rust hole to me. It almost looks like it's been melted through with a welding torch or similar .

Personally I'm a bit dubious about this frame. I know it's almost certainly not going to give way when I'm riding or anything like that, but what I don't want is to spend a load of time and money doing the bike up, only to a) have difficulty in passing an MOT, or b) find it doesn't ride straight or handle properly.

The bike isn't at all rare or valuable, so I wouldn't consider sending it off to be straightened or anything like that. The hole I could weld a patch over myself. If the frame is scrap I'll either get another one or flog off the rest of the bike for parts.

What do we think?
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Chris
1985 Kawasaki Z550F

[Riejufixing]

What's it the frame of? My initial thought is "judiciously apply force to any bent parts of the frame to straighten them, cover the hole with weld, grind off the pigeon poo so it looks OK". There are other options, but that's easiest.

Edit: "It almost looks like it's been melted through with a welding torch or similar"; yes, someone's had a go with an ordinary arc welder and blown a hole in it. Rather careless. to leave it like that. They would have known by the noise.

[Tdibs]

Might just be the angle but it looks like that whole spar is bent inwards a bit too?
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Previous : 09 Vanvan 125| 02' Sv650s || Current: 1999 Xj600n | 1992 DR650 RSE | 2005 Fazer 1000

[mentalboy]

What you have there is the kind of damage created by the sort of muppet that poses with his helmet perched atop his head whilst putting his full weight on the bike parked on side stand in an attempt to attract the opposite sex.
Result: frame bends, snaps lug mount, gets welded by Bodytard.

As above, just hit it with a hammer, tidy up with weld or welded plate, paint.
Presumably there's a fairing of some kind that will help obscure the repair, although an MOT man will have no concerns if you make a tidy job of it.
I wouldn't imagine you'd have any handling issues, assuming that the dinked tank wasn't the result of a tankslapper and the steering head is good.
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Make mine a Corona.

[Pete.]

Looks like someone had ridden it with the sidestand down IMO.

I wouldn't say it was scrap, but it doesn't look very straight altogether. I'd knock up some kind of jig to check the alignment of the swingarm pivot vs the headstock and if they were somewhere near right I'd fix that weld and call it done.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[stinkwheel]

[DRZ4Hunned]

Is it a particularly rare frame? Modern jap bike frames don't tell to go for much so might be easier just to buy a replacement?
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DRZ400-SM
FZS600

[.Chris.]

Thanks for the replies. Having had another look at it today, I don't think I'm going to use this frame. Putting a ruler across the front tubes it looks like there is a little bit of mis-alignment there as well. I suspect it's been down on the left-hand side, that bracket has dug into the tarmac, then someone's melted a hole in the frame trying to weld it back on. Given that it'd take a fair bit of money and effort to get the bike back on the road, I don't want to do that with a substandard frame.

It's a Kawasaki 550 LTD, so not exactly rare or valuable! There are several suitable frames on ebay at the moment around the £120-150 mark delivered, although they're all unregistered US imports which might complicate matters (and adds to the final price).
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Chris
1985 Kawasaki Z550F

[ZRX61]

That's a 10 minute fix if you can weld & own a grinder.
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They're not one night stands, they're auditions.