Author Topic: Is the frame open at the joints?  (Read 550 times)

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Offline Ellz10

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Is the frame open at the joints?
« on: May 12, 2022, 08:17:31 PM »
Didn't know exactly how to word the topic title, but I'm curious if anyone who's cut these frames open can tell me  (I should've looked when I had my own back end cut off, but wasn't thinking) if the tube is open where they welded the joint - where I circled in the photo. And by "open" I mean that if someone desired, could they run wiring up inside the vertical/diagonal frame piece and then snake it to the left and run it thru the top horizontal frame piece?
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Offline newday777

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Re: Is the frame open at the joints?
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2022, 01:18:07 AM »
Having holes at the top of the frame is not a good idea as water can get in there and cause rust to form inside the frame then before you know it your frame is toast from the inside out.
Stu
Honda Parts manager in the mid 1970s Nashua Honda
My current rides
1975 K5 Planet Blue my summer ride, it was a friend's bike I worked with at the Honda shop in 76, lots of fun to be on it again
1976 K6 Anteres Red rebuilding project, was originally my brother's that I set up from the crate, it'll breath again soon!
Project 750s, 2 K4, 2 K6, 1 K8
2008 GL1800 my daily ride and cross country runner

Prior bikes....
1972 Suzuki GT380 I had charge of it for a year in 1973 while my friend was deployed and learned to love street riding....
New CB450 K7 after my friend returned...
New CB750 K5 Planet Blue, demise by ex cousin in law at 9,000 miles...
New CB750 K6 Anteres Red, to replace the totaled K5, I sold this K6 at 45k in 1983, I had heavily modified it, many great memories on it and have missed it greatly.....
1983 GL1100A, 1999 GL1500 SE, 1999 GL1500A

Offline Phoenix

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Re: Is the frame open at the joints?
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2022, 05:10:32 AM »
Just noticed a hole in a joint below the left side side cover.  There is some rust around the edge of the hole.  I was thinking about shooting some rust "stuff" in the hole.  Any ideas?
Ed Spengeman
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Offline Bodi

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Re: Is the frame open at the joints?
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2022, 06:33:42 AM »
There are drain holes or vent holes or whatever. You can squirt oil or WD40 etc in there if you want. Won't hurt anything. Do not plug them.

Offline Ellz10

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Re: Is the frame open at the joints?
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2022, 07:55:05 AM »
None of these replies are an answer to my question  ::)

Just to reiterate, I need to know if the joint there is clear.
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Offline craz1

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Re: Is the frame open at the joints?
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2022, 08:32:13 AM »
I would say no, most of those joints butt up to a mother member. If I wanted to run a wire up that tube and then thru the top tube I would line up a drill just a bit bigger than the wire and drill through the top tube and into the lower vertical tube. What are you intending to do with the wire.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2022, 08:35:04 AM by craz1 »
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Offline Don R

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Re: Is the frame open at the joints?
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2022, 09:02:30 AM »
  Straight tubes are usually open, but joints are not open inside like water pipe. Think of what was the quickest way to build it and that's how it was done. They did drill a tiny hole to allow the hot air to escape while welding in locations where the tubing could pressurize.
  There are re-enforcing plates available to weld around entry holes. NHRA requires them.
  Someone once said they would never ride a bike with wiring in the tubes. I asked about his handlebars.
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Offline craz1

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Re: Is the frame open at the joints?
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2022, 10:21:42 AM »
Not sure why you would want to do this other than to clean up the look.
74 CB550,73 Z1900, 74 Z1900, 75 Z1900,
72 XS2650, 73 RD350, 2013 FJR1300, 84 XJ550 YAM

Offline Ellz10

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Re: Is the frame open at the joints?
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2022, 03:06:20 PM »
I would say no, most of those joints butt up to a mother member. If I wanted to run a wire up that tube and then thru the top tube I would line up a drill just a bit bigger than the wire and drill through the top tube and into the lower vertical tube. What are you intending to do with the wire.

Not sure why you would want to do this other than to clean up the look.


I was going to mount the battery under the swingarm and route the positive and negative cables thru the frame to the top tubes and then into the electrics tray for a clean simplistic look because the battery is too thick to mount in the tray while maintaining an electrics tray that ISN'T deeper than the 1" ofthe tubes so when I look at the bike thru the triangles head on you can't see the tray. I was going to originally mount the battery in the rear cowl, but then read on the battery that I can't mount/place it anywhere where there's no air circulating. So now I'm stumped.
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Offline craz1

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Re: Is the frame open at the joints?
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2022, 05:38:27 PM »
You would have a very hard time(probably impossible) routing those cables through the frame.
74 CB550,73 Z1900, 74 Z1900, 75 Z1900,
72 XS2650, 73 RD350, 2013 FJR1300, 84 XJ550 YAM