[nuttypoolog]

has anyone ever seen a frame crack HERE??? it's just a very odd place to split open... anyone got an idea? I havent crashed in the past three months and I dont use this for drops at all, so abuse cant be an option. the crack is about 3" down from the headtube and at the beginning of the bend of what would be a top tube. i stripped off a little paint to see what's going on. looks like a buckle in the frame to me.

so if i cant find someone to weld it closed, or Intense doesnt warranty the frame, I'm pretty much S.O.L....

and I was sooo looking forward to this race season.

PS- you can supersize these photos if you care to...

 

[crashnscar]

Looks bad to me.

Call up intense and ask about it. Tell them the address to this thread and have em take a looky at the pics.

I'm not too sure how good welding it would be, but then again I know nothing about welding.

 

[nuttypoolog]

ive sent them an email with these pics in it. I've just got to wait it out.

my thinking is that it's not in a stressed area, so the split was probably caused by a defect of some kind. a weld in a low stress spot should be enough to keep it from spreading ... probably even stronger than before.

 

[vitox]

looks really ugly, but youre right its not your classical crack, but then again monocoques have their own ways.

 

[Rik]

Laying a bead of weld over it won't do anything to help your cause. Send it off and get it inspected. Can they X-Ray that sort of thing? That'd be the way to go.

 

[zedro]

looks really ugly, but youre right its not your classical crack, but then again monocoques have their own ways.

yeah, usually stress cracks would be in the other direction no? I would guess there was an existing crack or perhaps deep scratch on the inside and its starting to unzipper.

 

[thruster]

Hey that bare spot looks like the United States.

 

[mplutodh1]

Hey that bare spot looks like the United States.

uh....right

 

[grimm]

Well, although im not a master welder ive had some experience, and i wouldnt weld there as i believe it would just weaken the structure even more. Wait for Intense to get back to you and good luck!

 

[spoke80]

That sucks Mike! Are you still coming to race this weekend?

 

[Jeremy R]

Hey that bare spot looks like the United States.

Yeah, that is Intense's new logo.
A made in the USA sticker with a big crack through it.
That sounds about right.

That stinks Mike,
Considering where that crack is, Intense should take care of you.
Good Luck, man!

 

[nuttypoolog]

i'm still waiting on a reply from intense, but I'll be there. either on a cracked M1 or my mtnX bike. I dont know which would be more dangerous... either way, I'm in.

 

[profro]

That sucks Mike.

The MTNx has been massaged and it is MUCH better now. Juan has really worked magic. See you Saturday. Good luck on the Intense.

 

[Zark]

Bummer, weird crack too. Intense will take care of you.....eventually. I saw an ad for a CS/warranty position there a while ago, hopefully they have someone in that position now.

 

[WestCoastHucker]

has anyone ever seen a frame crack HERE??? it's just a very odd place to split open... anyone got an idea? .......................

top-tube/top crown interface.........

 

[jon-boy]

Yeah it looks like the kind of damage that could occur if you'd crash and slammed the forks against the head tube. Is the brand new to you? Do you run the bumpers on your fork legs?

 

[Kornphlake]

I thought it looked like it got clamped too tight in a workstand or on a bike rack, although I've never seen a workstand or a rack with a clamp that would clamp that hard or in that area. Sounds like a bonafied JRA story to me.

 

[nuttypoolog]

it wouldnt be possible to clamp it in a workstand on the top tube. the bike would stick out like a picnic table if you did... and the crack is much too far down the frame to have come from the fork. i run the stoppers that came with the fork too.

 

[WestCoastHucker]

............... and the crack is much too far down the frame to have come from the fork. i run the stoppers that came with the fork too.

are you the original owner......
my monster is really wide, i bet it would smack right there......

 

[Eigil]

That's weird. There are no joints or anything there.

The fork hitting it would be my first guess.

 

[nuttypoolog]

well, Intense doesnt seem to care that my frame split. I can send it in and wait 4-6 WEEKS during which they decide to send me a new one free or charge me. then they make what they need and ship it. So a HUGE thumbs down to that! I have already orderd a new DHR from Turner. I'm going to send the M1 off after I get my new frame to ride for the season.

and no, the crack did NOT come from a wreck or a big pair of forks hitting it. It's nowhere near a stress point either. I had a Jr.T and now a Slider +. even if, it's not a dented in crack. the crack comes out of the frame like a mountain ridge, and there's no dents anywhere near it.

 

[kidwoo]

well, Intense doesnt seem to care that my frame split. I can send it in and wait 4-6 WEEKS during which they decide to send me a new one free or charge me. then they make what they need and ship it. So a HUGE thumbs down to that! I have already orderd a new DHR from Turner. I'm going to send the M1 off after I get my new frame to ride for the season.

and no, the crack did NOT come from a wreck or a big pair of forks hitting it. It's nowhere near a stress point either. I had a Jr.T and now a Slider +. even if, it's not a dented in crack. the crack comes out of the frame like a mountain ridge, and there's no dents anywhere near it.

.........and the crowd gets wiser

Judging by the shape of that crack, it's a very real possibility that there was a flaw in forming the sheets for the monocoque shape. You'd almost have to cut the thing open to be sure. Sounds pretty typical of intense though. Stuff breaks, you need them, they don't need you. The only quick repairs I've seen from them is replacement seatstays just because it's a smaller part they can mail you and they know they break regularly. Cracked headtube junctions I've seen on freind's bikes take the same, long investigative period. At least they were willing to keep you riding by sending you another front triangle. That's better than what I've seen from them previously.

At least you've got a new frame coming without the fear of coming across the same hassles from the same company.

 

[Zark]

That is standard warranty procedure, they have to see it in person first before deciding on whether to warranty or not. They probably mean 4-6 weeks for turnaround time on a new frame, not just for looking at the problem.

Downtime sucks man, I hope its quick for your sake.

 

[Jeremy R]

.........and the crowd gets wiser

Judging by the shape of that crack, it's a very real possibility that there was a flaw in forming the sheets for the monocoque shape. You'd almost have to cut the thing open to be sure. Sounds pretty typical of intense though. Stuff breaks, you need them, they don't need you. The only quick repairs I've seen from them is replacement seatstays just because it's a smaller part they can mail you and they know they break regularly.

Ha, No Doubt.
Jeremy 3
Intense chainstays 0
I won.

Great choice Mike!
Sounds like we took the same path.

 

[kidwoo]

Ha, No Doubt.
Jeremy 3
Intense chainstays 0
I won.

I think that may be a record for the same front triangle. Impressive. How many different colors did they send you? Anything more exotic than white?

 

[jon-boy]

I'm currently waiting about 4 weeks to have my mech hanger sorted out. Apparently they don't have any stock of ANY M1 parts... 'as they no longer make this frame'. Now it seems a little weird that after selling LOADS of M1 frames you'd not keep some spares in stock. Disapointing.

 

[kidwoo]

I'm currently waiting about 4 weeks to have my mech hanger sorted out. Apparently they don't have any stock of ANY M1 parts... 'as they no longer make this frame'. Now it seems a little weird that after selling LOADS of M1 frames you'd not keep some spares in stock. Disapointing.

Is it something you can put a t-bolt in? I've saved two karpiel frames this way. I can't remember exactly what the m1 hangers look like.

 

[Hrelp]

Hey please let me know how the two frames m1 vs turner compare in 04 i'm very curious.

well, Intense doesnt seem to care that my frame split. I can send it in and wait 4-6 WEEKS during which they decide to send me a new one free or charge me. then they make what they need and ship it. So a HUGE thumbs down to that! I have already orderd a new DHR from Turner. I'm going to send the M1 off after I get my new frame to ride for the season.

and no, the crack did NOT come from a wreck or a big pair of forks hitting it. It's nowhere near a stress point either. I had a Jr.T and now a Slider +. even if, it's not a dented in crack. the crack comes out of the frame like a mountain ridge, and there's no dents anywhere near it.

 

[nuttypoolog]

i rode the turner last weekend... VERY nice ride. it has a more progressive feel to it and I didnt blow through the travel like on the M1. it's a bit longer and I F'ed up all my manuals, but I like it a lot. in other aspects, they're similar. I dont have the $$$ or time to ride an Intense. Turner cares about YOU, Intense doesnt. you'd think with allllll the M1's out there, and the rate they come back to them, they'd have a few on hand for warranty. wait 4-6 weeks for them to make a new front end??? no thanks! I had my new DHR in my hands in two days!!!

 

[zedro]

you'd think with allllll the M1's out there, and the rate they come back to them, they'd have a few on hand for warranty.

thats probably why they dont have any in stock, the replacements keep flying off the shelves....

 

[Kornphlake]

replacements keep flying off the shelves....

They're so light you need to anchor them down to keep them from flying away.

 

[kidwoo]

They're so light you need to anchor them down to keep them from flying away.

Certainly not bogged down with any of that proper aluminum thickness BS.