1200$ Repar Bill

[Dandy Dan]

Yeah thats right, my Ruckus is in the shop right now getting 1200$ (Canadian, so about $950US) worth of repairs.

Basically here's what I think happened. When I was playing with the variator I didn't get the nut on tight enough one time. Since the variator was a bit loose, the outer face wobbled a bit on the crankshaft (I think thats what it's called, the shaft coming out of the engine into the variator). It ended up stripping out which is very bad cuz even though the variator is made of softer metal than the crankshaft, when it strips out, the crankshaft is now rotating at very high speeds and rubbing against the aluminum so it quickly wears off the crankshaft threads too.

In the end you need the new piece for the variator (its about 30$), a new crankshaft and a new drive belt. You need a new belt cuz when it strips out the belt doesn't ride up like it should so the belt is suddenly rotating very fast around the tight axle and it flies apart. The real killer is that to replace the crankshaft you need to remove the engine and everything. Which is about 10hrs labour the shop said.

Thankfully they're gonna cover it under warrentee. It actually happened about a month ago but I didn't take it in then cuz the variator piece had clearly been played with by me cuz i broke part of one of the fins off trying to loosen the bolt last summer. I bought a new variator piece and a belt and kinda scraped out the crankshaft threads. It held for about a month but this week she let go again cuz there were hardly any threads on the crankshaft.

The bottom line kids is to make sure you put it together right. I've sure learned a lot about motorcycles ever since I got the Ruckus but my experimental learning has resulting in several mistakes.

When you play with the variator I really recommmend using either an impact gun, the variator loosening tool, or making a loosening tool that grips the plate (see pics somewhere on this site). Just jamming something in there (like an rubber bike tube as i recommended in the past) makes it hard to tighten it properly and can bend the shaft slightly causing a vibration you can feel when you ride (i know from experience).

Oh, one last word of advice: I recommend a tool that grips the variator plate over an impact gun cuz its difficult to know how much torque you're putting on the nut with the gun. With the variator tool and a torque wrench you'll be laughing! (check the mechanics repair book for torque specifications)

- Dan

[Ruckass]

Whoa! Bummer. Good thing its covered under warranty otherwise I would seriously consider tossing it out or trying to do the repairs myself. But $1200...you can buy a used one for a little more than that.

I thought I had done some similar damage to mine earlier in the fall. But my prob was that I OVERtightened that nut on the crankshaft. Luckily I just stripped the Driven Face ($50). Yes kids...get a torquewrench and save yourself plenty of heartache and huge repair bills. Also remember everytime you use your torque wrench, you have to recalibrate it.

Ruckass

[Duster]

On another post the suggestion was made that a strap wrench
would work on the variator disk. Bought mine for $9 or so, & it worked great. A lot cheaper than replacing parts.
Almost learned the hard way..the expensive way. Scoot safe.

[ratpak07]

that sux

[CTRukus]

Rat...you double post everywhere. Are you double clicking the "post" button?

[bluesmokeracing]

oh btw the torqe in the manual says 32 n-m/ 24 lb-ft or 3.3 kgf-m kgf-m? kilogram feet-meter? what is that? anyone know what a kilogram-foot-meter is? is that like a deci-newton-meter? or maybe a deca kilo pascal orbiter? ;D ok thats what my book says.