EXUP Worldwide

What kind of life can I/we expect from our beloved (aluminum framed) FZRs and YZFs?

All of the old, classic bikes have steel frames which should last practically forever. However, more and more manufacturers are making bike frames with aluminum. Even BMW and Harley are starting to make their frames with aluminum. What kind of life can we expect from these frames? I want to keep my FZR1000 forever; even after I stop riding because it is such an interesting design. But I am always wondering if the aluminum frame will fail after so many miles/years.

I also have an FZR600 which I intend on keeping forever. But since the frame is made of steel I don't worry/think about it as much.

I don't think I'd be too worried about it. I have some old motorcycles from the 30's and the aluminum on them is just fine.

Older ones I wouldnt worry about. The new ones over the last couple years I can see them having issues with how thin they make them now and how much stress the high horsepower can dish out to them.

Wasn't the GSXR issue with a weld ??

Aluminium frames usually crack for reasons unrelated to age (e.g. stress and corrosion, vibration fatigue, crash damage). Eventually they will become more brittle but we're talking about a matter of 30-50 years before it is even noticeable.

FZRDude wrote:Wasn't the GSXR issue with a weld ??

Yeah, wasn't getting full depth penetration especially in the steering neck area, a few cracked and they pulled others apart and found more. I forget what year that was exactly. 2002-2003?

As I recall they made aircraft propellers out of aluminum, as early as the 1930s, and I see a lot of vintage aircraft around here. I'm willing to bet quite a number of those props are original. I'd be more concerned about a hollow steel frame (internal rust) that I would about an aluminum frame. Aluminum only gets surface corrosion and takes a long time to corrode even in the worst acid rain conditions. Aluminum also only gets brittle when flexed, just like any other metal. But being a non-ferrous metal, is not subject to rust or carbon loss like other metals.