Rear wheel Collapse GSXR1000

This happened coming through a fast right hander got the rear spinning then I'm off the bike sliding on my back across the track....about 110 mph....anyway the area that is missing has no impact marks...have the piece at home..



anyone have this happen to a GSXR1000 rear wheel...

 

Those pictures are huge.

 

yeap didn't know they where that big well they were meant to be scaled down didn't check before I put them up....oops...

 

Dude, hope you made it out 'OK'. That look's pretty bad.

 

yeah I'm ok just a broken little finger....bike pretty bad shape as it barrel rolled then flipped and flipper so it's pretty screwed up....and considing I'd dropped 3 seconds with this bike versus my 750.....

 

Your a lucky bastard John! Glad your OK

 

yeah it was really weird...I got the rear spinning up pretty good coming out of the turn then the wheel just let go...The rider behind me said that he just saw the wheel just fold in on it's self......lucky for me yes but not lucky for the bike.....another couple of grand to fix it...it was only my second time out on it this year.......

 

Fireball! How are you doing you blimey? Glad to see that get off didn't hurt ya too bad! I'll have to warn Buck, he's taking his 1000 to Putnam this weekend. When are you due back stateside again? I chatted with the crew that went to visit you, they all said they had a great time! Well, let me know when you come back to visit!

BTW, you need a smaller bike, not bigger! I've got a Fizzer for ya!

 

It appears that your wheels are powder-coated.
If this is the case, then the wheel was weakened during sandblasting.
This is common with the GSXR 1K wheels.
I have know a few to break at the welds after being chromed.
Might be coincidence, but I've seen at least 4 sets of wheels that have been "treated" fail on the road.

 

I've seen this

After a wreck, but never the cause of the wreck.

Glad you are OK!

 

Another opinion here, not saying that Buck is wrong. I have had some experience and training in accident reconstruction. Not bragging, just stating my credentials

I see impact damage on this wheel. The bending of the metal was caused when the wheel struck an object, such as a curb or a wall. Note the finished edge of the wheel is bent in towards the axle. The tearing of the metal is secondary to the impact damage. Note that the first photo (the top one) shows marks on the edge of the wheel. I can not see any directionality in the damage that would indicate the "scraping" on the wheel were caused by is sliding on aslphalt. Seeing the wheel itself may reveal some indication of directionality. Note the lack of imbedded bits of track materials on the exposed metal. The question I have: did you clean the wheel in order to make the photos? The cleaning, if done, could remove evidence that would better indicate the cause of the wheel failure.

The scrathed surface of the "inside" of the wheel was caused by an object contacting it once the tire stopped covering this area. My opinion would be that already broken pieces of the rim itself caused these scratches.

Photo #2 (the bottom one) shows some directionality on the "scrape marks" on the metal. Particularly, note the metal that is displaced from the finished edge of the wheel. Note also that this second photo shows some "flattening" of the wheel at the 9-10 o'clock position as this photo is viewed. This was caused by impact.

If the tire were available for inspection, that would also give more information as to the cause of the damage. Your report from another rider was that The rider behind me said that he just saw the wheel just fold in on it's self..... My question would be: was it the tire that folded or was it the wheel? Which leads to other questions: You say you were in a right-hander at 110mph. Was there a curb or a drop-off there that you hit ot may have hit that could bend the rim, causing the tire to go flat?
What about the tire itself? Is there any indication that the tire was sliding under acceleration? Is there any indication of instant or rapid air loss?

I would like to see the wheel and tire first hand before saying much more. Lacking the ability to do that, I would give a cautious opinion that after the crash, the bike endo-ed with the rear wheel contacting the track or a wall or other fixed object, causing the damage.

Buck: As always, you have permission to flame away!

 

I'll withold the flames based on the evidence provided.

Could you do something about VIR this weekend?
Like, perhaps direct it northeast of Alton?

 

Originally posted by Buckwild
I'll withold the flames based on the evidence provided.
You, sir, are a gentleman.

Could you do something about VIR this weekend?
Like, perhaps direct it northeast of Alton?

I will be in Norfolk most of Saturday. No, wait... that's not NE of Alton, right?

Might stop by Saturday night, enroute to Ashville NC

 

The Rain Director may not be at VIR this weekend however he has sent his assistant to help with the weather. I may not be as all powerfull as George but I am learning fast. By the way if you can bring the wheel I would be happy to look it over. Again I have a little experence with this kind of thing.
Buford

 

Buford! I need to talk to you! 610-278-3148

 

Enroute

 

THe wheels are stock rims no prowder coating on them....bought new from suzuki...

 

Re: I've seen this

Yeah that's what I thought the first time I looked at it...that part of the rim there is no impact marks and also the way the outer part of the rim was bent around the inner spoke was caused by the tyre going inside the wheel and bending it....

 

Impact damage done when the bike barrel rolled......The rear wheel didn't hit anything but the track no walls objects etc in the way...(race in Ireland at the moment, and no not on the street circuits that's next year).....my first impression was the wheel impacted the ground, broke causing the damage....well when I brought the bike back in on the crash truck the rear tyre was sticking through the rear wheel tyre was comletely off the rim....like the right side of the wheel collapsed and the tyre rolled into the wheel...mind you at the time I was spinning the rear quite hard....The wheel was not cleaned nothing was cleaned off the wheel at all....I have about 11 other shots of it if you want to see more I'll email them to you for a look....

When you look closely at the marks at 9-10 o'clock they are consistant with an impact not a slide picture doesn't really show that that well...but the way the rim is bend an single impact would not have been able to do that....As I said the bike flipped and barrel rolled...The tyre was pretty much in chewed up from being puched into the rim.......What the rider said he saw was the tyre roll up inside the wheel, like the wheel folded in on itself.......the marks left on the track where a black mark for about 25 ft then what looked like a foot wide by 6in thick black mark and the marks in the track from the bike impacting it.....The tyre was spinning under acceleration, yes...................When you look at the wheel the way it's bent is consistant with the right side of the rim collapsing and the tyre rolling into the rim...hence the tyre marks on the track..and the lack of marks on the wheel.......in picture one that part of the rim is sticking about 1 inch out the left hand side of the rim...an impact is not going to cause that specialy with a cast wheel....the wheel is in Ireland at the moment...

Thanks guys for your comments just trying to get another view on this....