Hey All
As the title indicates, I'm a newbie.
This past weekend I was on a run with my dad and some buddys. I was leading the group through a trail and came across an exposed culvert, just a bit too high to go over without bottoming. When the front tires touched the culvert I give the throttle a little blirp to hop over it. A near perfect execution, but came down slightly more on the left rear.
Much to my dismay I now have a bent rear axle. This was the first ride with the new tires and wheels and I'm wondering if they put that much more pressure on the axle.
I know some will think It was probably more than a little blirp and a little hop, but quite honestly it was not.
I've had a few bikes (atc 185, warrior, quadzilla, explorer 400 4*4, Kawi 650 and now 700 not to mention the two wheelers) and have jumped them all lots as I like to fly.
I've only ever bent one other axle and that was on the warrior after it rolled more times than I could count down a very steep long hill and then planted itself on the hardpacked floor below.

Has anyone else seen these axles bend that easily or is this caused by the extra weight of the tire wheel combo.
Needless to say I'm now searching for a new axle.
Given that the dealer just informed me that a new one will be $721.45 (CDN of course), I'm open to suggestions and ideas.
I can't believe that it has bent this easily, at best I could not have been more than a foot and a half off the ground.

 

 

I have seen this first hand ..Not mine but a friend of mine..Side swiped a tree with his rear tire and WHAM bent axle...Look at the after market axles out there..Durablue, lonestar, to name a couple....Should have what ya need for half the price.....

Good luck
Mental

 

Welcome to fourms.... Sometimes just the way you hit can do damage.... I had 650 and now 700 haven't bent an axle yet. I would also check out aftermarket; Also talk to your dealer if he is fair you might get a new one on the warrenty. I jump mine landed solid on one tire etc... I gues I'm just lucky. You are lucky because the next thing to break would have been your rear swing arm if the impact was that hard.

 

Kawi650, thanks for the welcome. Mentalstate, impacting a tree that I could understand.
That's the part that irks me a little there was no impact. When it came down on the left rear it seemed to just kind of squat a bit and I knew something didn't feel right.
I didn't actually notice the axle until later when we came out to a paved road, we had to cross the road and as soon as I got onto the hardtop I knew. You could feel the bike going up and down slightly.
Any suggestions on the best spot to acquire an aftermarket.

 

Are you sure it's the axle and not the rim? Sounds to me from your explanation it could possibly be the rim. I just can't imagine such a slight impact would bend the axle but hey!! I guess stranger things have happened.

 

I smacked a rock at a whooping 4 kms/ hr and bent a rim,I'm hoping the axles are tuffer than the rims.I know my 300 bayou took alot more than that and never bent a rim.

 

I just put an axle on my wifes V wich is the same as the prarie. I got the Durablue eliminator standard from rockymountainatv.com. It was $300.46 shipped to my door. I doubt you bent your wheel couse she bent the axle and hub but not the wheel. Thats a good hit to bend the axle let alone the hub. Has anyone noticed that all of out axle's are bending on the left side [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

 

Scrambo, I was actually hoping (as bad as that sounds) that it was the new rim but it is the axle for sure.
I lifted and secured the rear end then ran it in gear with the idle turned up enough to spin the tires. I placed a dial indicator under the axle and it is definetely the axle.

Trailride, I think the hub is ok although I have not proven this yet. And man does it ever sound alot better when you say it in US dollars.
I got a quote of 730 ish CDN for a Durablue. I will most likely order from somewhere in the US as even with the exchange and shipping I think I can do better than 730.

 

Trailride
I notice that you say all of our axles have been bending on the left side!
Is this a regular thing, I have not noticed any bent axle posts.
Maybe I will try to refine my search some more and see what I come up with.
Thanks for the replies.