HELP!!! Steering STEM!!!

[flying400ex]

Hey guys I just bent my steering stem while I was out ridding the track. It bent right at the steering stem clamp and is straight after that. I tried to use a cresent wrench to bend it back but it will just bend the handlebar clamp. I don't know if I should try to bend it back or if I should just get a new steering stem? How much are the cheepiest aftermarket steering stems? Or should I just get an oem stem? I aso bent the renthal bars that I had on it but I will get some new ones.

[400exJOE]

take it out and pound it back with a sledge hammer and heat it up with a torch a little if you have to. I can'y see spending $60 on a new one when it will just bend again.

[nakomis0]

LOL a cresent wrench?!lol You would have to be one heck of a huge dood, to bend that sucker back with a wrench. :)

Remove the stem and Take it to a shop, have them press it out , on a press. Probably cost under $20. You can beat it with a hammer, but thatn its gonna get a flat spot if not done real careful.
I bent my stock stem 3x before I got an aftermarket. they run ya just under 300bucks.

[Smoker]

You can get an Arens steering stem for $239.95 with the clamps included from Nacs. It's a nice stem the only thing is you will have to adjust your toe in/out, it's a little wider on the bottom than stock. :p

[chris29]

I have been through two stock steering stems. Don't buy another one they are junk. I got a Houser +1inch steering stem and clamp now I have have not bent it yet and I have had a bad crash since then.

[beerock]

Hey guys, do you think a 250r stem would work on a 400ex?
I have onf for sale on ebay for $175 its a stock length lsr chrome stem.

I have installed both r and 400ex bearings and seals and I am using seals from a 400ex in my stem on my 250r and they seem to be the exact same, I would ponder if the bearing is the same size too.

if this is true would you all think that a 250r stem would work on a 400ex and vice versa?

[Jekyl_22]

My steering stem was bent recently , so my dad and I heated it up with a torch until it was orange and we both pulled and pushed on it as much as we could.... we couldn't bend it. We ended up taking it out to my grandpa's shop and used his 100 ton press (not sure how much it took to bend it though). It's dead straight now though.

[Sick0]

If you heat it up and bend it back you will weaken alot. Or even just bending back will weaken it. So weld some type pipe to fit into the tube to make it stronger.
Or do what I did and make your own like I did.

[JB's 400ex]

I bent my steering stem on my 250x and couple weeks back. I ended up buying a new stock stem for 144. They said you could straighten it one time but the strength gradually deteriorated every time you try to straighten it. Could luck!

If you heat it up and bend it back, it will loose all its temper, making it weaker. The stock stems are strong enough I would stick with stock. I like stock because I have Pro Taper bars and they do not bend! So the stem bends its $60. The problem with the aftermarket stems is when the stem won't bend because its too strong what will bend next? A-Arms? Tie-rods? Who knows. For me the cheapest thing to replace is the stem so I stick with stock. The chrome stems sure do look nice.

Just take your stocke stem and have a welder cut the the ends off and weld in a new chromoly tube. If you want you can have it chromed. Shouldn't cost much more than $100. It would cost you $60 just to buy a new oem stem. I have it and it works great!

[xtrememxrider]

I bent mine all the way back to the tank. I took it off took it to a car garage for 2.00 they heated it up bent it back the i drove a long solid chisel/punch into it from the top. its pretty solid now.