Schwinn and Kent have really upped their game in the past few years when it comes to quality, features, specs & components on their entry-level bikes. It’s unfortunate to see Huffy hasn’t done the same and is getting left in the dust. Keep in mind Kev rides mainly green and blue trails, so it’s a bit shocking to see the frame fail after relatively light use. 😱
@@janeblogs324 Yes. My Ex has a much older Schwinn Mountain Bike from about 20 years ago, much better than my Axum. My Axum is better than my kid's Schwinn from 10 years ago.
That could've been catastrophic and painful (I'm very glad that it wasn't). Like I said in a previous comment, they either tested these bikes pre-production and just didn't care, or they didn't because they don't. Either way, I'm foreseeing words like "liable for serious injuries" and "lawsuits" in their future. Regardless, Huffy just went from "soft pass" to "hard pass" in my stable (entire brand).
Man, I remember commenting on its not worth to ride or upgrade a bike at this price-point with that flexible of a frame. I am so glad you weren't on the thing when it snapped!
YIKES. Had that happened on the trail, that could have been *fatal* . Considering the upper rack mounts on that frame, Huffy clearly indicates this frame should be able to take plenty of weight on that tube section in particular. Racks add quite a bit of tourque if you have them loaded down (enough that my fender-mount-to-upper-rack-arm adapter, which is hardened steel, is bent on the AL-Comp). This particular frame would have buckled in glorious fashion with my groceries on the back. That said, I'll give Huffy credit for offering to send a replacement frame or even bike out rather than just saying 'heh, your fault'.
A thing I noticed in the first video is the rear dropout on the right side looks noticeably misaligned with the seatstay and chainstay tubes, while the left side is much better. Hambini had a recent video with a Ribble frame with a cracked seatstay and similarly misaligned dropout and cited that as a major contributing factor.
These Dakari went from am overpriced ok bike to just a disaster within such a short time. Sad to see, but at least there are some good other options still available.
I wonder if it may have something to do with the extended higher seatpost to accommodate the additional height on a small frame. Just thinking about it from a physics standpoint. A longer lever can cause more frame flex possibly leading to the issue you are experiencing.
Thanks for the reveal, I learn from your efforts and component upgrading. Last year I would have purchased the Schwinn Al Comp, the local Walmart had two assembled. However there were so many obvious defects I rejected both at the store and asked if they would get repairs before the sale (neither bike was in rideable condition). A Walmart manager promised me a response but I never heard another word. The Polygon Xtrada 6 fit my budget and wish list; I've learned to navigate some challenging trails. Your adventures in bike builds helped me to see the tradeoffs! I really love hydraulic disc brakes - strong control for someone who prefers keeping the tires on the ground ;-)
It's definitely a design flaw. I'm not sure why some of the commentators here are discounting any and all aluminum bikes just because of what happened with the Dakari. I've heard of plenty of people shredding both green and blue trails on vintage aluminum bikes -- all without an issue; so, although aluminum may not have the compliance that steel and titanium have respectively, I don't think this means that aluminum is a poor choice for frame construction. This seems to be more of an issue with quality control than with the concept of using aluminum.
Not sure if it's a design flaw, but certainly a manufacturing defect. Now if this area cracks regularly on these frames then that would definately be a flaw. As a material though? Aluminum is fine if the engineers properly control the welding process (and don't get overruled by the bean counters when it comes to material quality and quantity). I can only think of a handful of frame failures in recent memory and the vast majority involved landing poorly on jumps. My Al Comp's been abused pretty ruthlessly (both in pure and E-bike Conversion form, particularly the latter) and it only has a few scratches to show for it.
@DFX2KX The chosen manufacturing techniques and/or quality of the selected material are arguably part of the initial design process, but I understand that KevCentral's experience may have been an isolated incident. In any case, I admittedly was choosing my words hastily when I said "definitely"; for all we know, this particular example of Dakari was simply not manufactured to the brand's design specifications / standards - which would not necessarily suggest that the entire line of bicycle frame is impacted.
I wonder if Huffy is skipping out on the annealing and heat treatment steps that are normally done for quality frames? After the frame is welded, it is annealed to a state of low-hardness, to eliminate stresses due to the welding. Then it is heated to age/harden the frame.
Even name brands have cracks. I am part of the large group who have had cracks in the Marin Team Marin frames (see post on MTBR under Marin area). Marin has now gone through 2 different redesigns to try to fix the issue. Looks like Huffy didn't reenforce that area enough, or used to small of tubing. Did this Huffy come with the "Do not use this bike on trails" sticker that some WalMart bikes come with?
@@KevCentral Get it TIG by a good TIG welder who knows what he's doing & will try to use lowest heat possible.....Ride frame hard & see if it'll re-crack again.....I could see trying to MIG weld it and overheating it. But ask yourself this- If heat/welding weakens the Aluminum, how do they weld the frame together when they make it? Wouldn't all the welds crack from welding/overheating if this was true?
Well Kevin I’m going in for surgery February 9 for my right knee total replacement but one day I’ll get back on the bike maybe next summer not this year if I would be 2024
Do you still have the stock pedal crank and pedals you may have to re-install it to get a warranty Reinstall the crank in the petals that came with the bike and then take a picture of it and send it to the email the warranty yet
Glad you didn't get hurt. FWIW, I'm a fan of aluminum frames from Kinesis, which come on a lot of brands - I realize it's unlikely to see that on a Huffy, though.
For 300$ I could see taking a walmart frame and upgrading it. 600$ is entry level bike shop hardtail money. Like could have gotten a low end trek which at least then you have a lifetime warranty on the frame. Hell a trek marlin frame only is 300$.
Yeah I bought a new Scott Aspect hardtail in 2019 for 540 €, around 600$ (today with the actual exchange rate even less than 600$. It's already a cat 3 rated frame and it has decent parts (a Deore derailleur, XCR fork, a hollow tech 2 bottom bracket)
I've seen alot of broken frames, but I've never seen one break at the seatstay. Back in the early 90s I saw ALOT of broken frames on one particular brand. So many that I renamed the brand CrackNFail. I'm sure you can figure out the actual brand, it rhymes with CrackNfail. Even their highest end models were snapping like twigs after just a few rides. They were of course covered by warranty.
They definitely try to cut manufacture cost, if you see the seat post is thicker aluminum then where you see the crack. Not sure if it is because of the angle of the camera but sure looks like that. It would be smart if they do the opposite specially on hard tails
@@KevCentral I've seen other videos where these crazy guys take some of the cheap Walmart 'mountain" bikes out on rough trails and they fall apart easily.
They say this on the cheaper Decathlon bikes on their website, it's smart because they are covered and when it does overachieve (and i have seen many cheap Decathlon on my trails) it's a bonus for the brand.
I think the bike was jealous of the Lefty but didn’t know it was lefty on the front fork. This could be good advertisement for Huffy, it’s the bike with a pre cracked frame!!!
Yet another reason to avoid. Overpriced for what you get and if the frame can't take all that much abuse? Huffy. You were my childhood. Nowlook at you.... Why?
after aluminum is welded there is a process that has to be done to soften the metal around the weld that has become brittle from welding, most cracks that happen next to a weld and not the weld is caused by this
My 2017 is going strong. The previous was working fine, but some kids threw rocks onto the roof. I traded a 2015 for it - gained 4hp and a better suspension 😁
I think when you use a long saddle post with a small frame for a larger rider you will put more stress on the frame as the rider shifts his weight about the seat tube is under more stress and this will be passed over to the seat stays. Basically the seat tube needs to be more overbuilt to compensate for this but the seat tube doesn't look particularly strong on that frame. Also as a cost cutting measure you can skip heat treatment. I seem to remember reading children's aluminium frame bikes often don't have heat treatment because they don't need that extra strength, partly because their weight is much less and also there is shorter length tubes. I think it was quoted at the time of having 60-70 percent of the strength of a heat treated frame. Lack of heat treatment could mean a weaker frame. I personally don't think cheaper frames are typically weaker I would say overall more expensive frames are weaker as they typically reduce material to make a lighter frame. Many cheap frames are overbuilt with plain gauge tubes and an overall much heavier weight. I think the Kona Hoss had more in common with a cheaper frame than a more expensive frame. Also the famous US made Crack'n'fail Cannondales which had very early failures were very competitively light frames. I think there is a statistic somewhere that there is a much higher failure rate on frames for more expensive bikes so they have to allow for a higher percentage of replacement frames in their pricing. This could be due to people who spend more on bikes are more likely to use them for more miles so they fatigue faster or it could be simply they will fail faster even with comparable use. Also a real mountain bike used off-road will fail faster, sometimes they will still have to warranty such frames.
I wonder if they do any ndt (non destructive testing) If you're making things like this day in and day out, they should have a quick rundown that could see this
Too bad. Another player in the $500 range would be great. Huffy has the right idea, but they just keep shooting themselves in the foot. I hope they sort it out. Thanks for the video.
Also it looks like they definitely overheated the weld. Meaning that tube is basically scrap metal. And who know what else they messed up. On my new frames ill go test their metal by slamming down off curbs, small jumps, whatever I can to try and break it. If it doesnt hold up on a small curb it would never been good for mtb.
I had a Huffy Lou’s Beach cruiser the back of the bike rack that goes down to the rear wheel separated on each side they’ve covered it and set a new bike it was a upgraded bike❤Covered under warranty and give me an upgrade but no additional fee
Your welder friend is correct, it’s called the Heat Affected Zone (HAZ). Grain structure in the base metal is changed due to the high heat and rapid cooling. Most failures in welded structures happen in the HAZ. The frame flex from pedalling will cause metal to fatigue, which is unavoidable with any structure. Aluminum will eventually fatigue and fail with repeated loadings (ie pedalling). Cracks also tend to form on areas under tension, which that area of the tube would be from pedalling. I wonder if that is a bit of undercut/ over heating at that junction, but it’s hard to say. It could also be the result of faulty/ non existent heat treating. Could just be a crib death, but I also wouldn’t exactly trust Huffy’s engineering either.
interesting that most of the failures I'm aware of on aluminum bike frames come from landing jumps poorly. Most of them have lifespans that, while ultimately limited like everything, vastly exceed every other component on the bike. There are frames from the late 80's and 90's still going strong. So there's something definitely wrong with this bike, either the individual frame, or the model as a whole. My Mongoose XR-200 from over a decade ago *got hit by a car* and didn't crack like that. it was bent, but the welds held up.
@@DFX2KX so what your talking about with a jump failure is more so exceeding the yield strength of the material, but probably helped along via fatigue. The idea behind fatigue is that the material collects damage over time, with small loads doing less and large loads doing more damage. That damage is essentially collective and the material can only handle so much. A stronger frame will be less affected by a given force (like pedalling or landing a jump), and have a longer life span. I believe the standard in the bike industry is to design to a 10 year lifespan for the kind of riding that frame is intended for. I don’t know enough about this frame to make a judgement on if it’s just hilariously weak, or something is messed up in its manufacture that led to an early death. It might also just be designed really well to meet the lifespan that Huffy designed. The Huffy ceo admitted a number of years ago that they only expect their average bike to go about 70 miles in its lifetime.
@@fraserdavidson6900 considering a design lifespan of 10 years being the industry standard, and how long bikes seem to last when they're made well, I suspect some significant headroom is built into a lot of them. But you are right, engineering is a lot of 'not if, but when, and how much will it cost to make that 'when' answer suitably far off'.
At the end the lifespan of aluminium parts depends on the stress they have to withstand. Aluminium has no fatigue threshold, it starts to fatigue even under low stress. The number of load cycles however depends on how much stress you put into it relative to the yield strength. If you only put a fraction of the maximum force at yield strength into a component you have plenty of load cycles and a long life span. If you use the whole yield strength however you have drastically less load cycles until failure. If a frame is badly designed it may have points which are stressed near the yield strength, in this case it can fail at these points during a relatively short time. Heat affected zones are another factor which may lower the yield strength at some points of the frame
Huffy has a 10-year warranty on their aluminum frames. Huffy customer service, stated that they will send out a replacement frame at no cost, if they get proof such as a photo that it's been cracked.
Sorry this happened, Kev, but ... Ain't you got no duck tape, boy? That and a little used Juicy Fruit will fix anything! (I'm kidding!) Good for Huffy for standing behind their product! And good for you for giving them a shout-out for it! A sincere "Well Done" to both of you!!! As long as a company makes right their failed product, all is good, AFAIC. Let us know what option you choose!
I snapped my Norco charger in half. I was wearing a trail helmet so I ended up spitting my teeth out. You're lucky you didn't take that bike out and just send it
@@suspicioustumbleweed4760 ride steel or titanium. Aluminum and carbon will always eventually stress crack from repeated flex. If titanium or steel crack it's alot less likely to end in disaster. I've only road steel for the past 6 years and haven't had a problem
A friend of mine got a Schwinn Axum and bent the frame on it. They replaced the bike under warranty. He did upgrade to a nice trek though and uses the Schwinn as a lender
@@KevCentral normal use on a rocky rutted trail. It was the rear chain stay. Seemed to be a defect in the metal, not near a weld, and it didn't crack...
Maybe cold weather caused it very bad complain to store and to company. it might maybe make you worried and start checking all bikes daily before a ride. usually they would ask for serial number to check batch in case they all are the same.
The Huffy if 6061. 6061 definitely needs a heat treatment after welding, 7005 can be stored for 3 months and is self hardening in this period to a certain point. 7005 was specially developed to self harden after welding, so the bikes could be shipped after assembly without a heat treatment of the frame and the frame hardened during the time in the shipping container
Could it be possible that someone, unbeknownst to Kev, took this bike for a very rough joy ride, threw the chain and stressed the frame to the point of cracking? I would check if the wheels are still true ...
Maybe. Just maybe a fluke but maybe changing the crank added to flex sometime the specs they use are for a reason. Maybe not. But. Sometimes when you swerve on a bike the flex happens but budget bikes. Have some kind of weirdness in cracks
Odds are when Huffy saw you changed the crank arms, they would blame you for the crack, under an "improper modification" or somehow related to how you held the bike during the process. From where I sit, I'd say it is really bizarre and Huffy definitely needs to step up and deal with it.
Thanks for commenting. My impression from my call with their support is that they were 100% ready to stand behind their product. No wait times to reach someone either. Fast and friendly customer service
@@KevCentral It’s concerning to me that this did not happen under any stress, just very casual riding. But yes, hopefully it’s just this particular frame.
Hey man im a welder and that is 100% a stress crack...your frame flexed to hard and the wheel was most likely mounted too tight the fact that the frame sprung inward when you removed the wheel proves you had too much force/ flex applied to the drive side
@@KevCentral I know prices depend on location, to me locally the base Trek Marlin goes for 486€ (521$). I assume the prices would drop, considering all the stock sitting in warehouses. Maybe in two years from now one will be able to get NOS 2022/23 bike frame or complete 30% to 40% off. As a proud owner of a 2012 NOS freeride rig I can appreciate mtb on a budget, keep up the good work man 🤟
I got hit on mongoose very lightly but enough to push me in the bike, I wrote it for Good year. I even took it to get tuned up two times in that year and I kept getting this chain drop, or change slip maybe there's a better way to say it. I couldn't figure it out! I'd looked at the chain tension and I it was fine when I was sitting, but now every time I went at a stoplight when it was my turn to go you put some weight either one of the crank crank arms it would slip. At times I would have to stop and put it back on. The one day just before I was about to ride it I tested out the gears and it slipped?!?! And I wasn't sitting on any pressure at this time it would start. After looking over the bike way back there by the wheel where the quick release there was a crack in the frame what's caused it to flex anyway I didn't think you could be fixed because of his in the such a bad.
At the price point yes it is shocking. I think it's just notoriety of the brand. I know you get what you pay for and in this case $600 isn't cheap but the brand makes up that statement. Maybe?? I guess I'm not that shocked. Either way if they make it right, good on them.
Another way to tell how much compression your getting out of a fork is to snug a zip tie around one of the sanctions while you're riding. It will let you know how much compression you've shock is giving you.
It's possible that section of tubing had an internal flaw and the welding made it even weaker, another channel I watch had his chain stay break on his Specialized Fuse, I wouldn't necessarily let that push me away, now if it happens again then I would stay away
Any frame/bike/whatever can have a random flaw. The issue for me is how easy I know this was ridden and how many other issues I’ve had with the bike: factory crank arms too long, 15” frame adapted to fit taller riders, etc.
I literally drilled two large holes in the same tube on my AL Comp to mount a small engine to make a friction drive bike and even with the torque of the engine have not one concern about the frame cracking like that - of course now that I said that....🤔
Just got a cracked 1991 specialized allez for free all stock with a 105 groupset had my father weld it and its been perfect sometimes that's fixable just depends where it cracked.
Probably just reprogramming a dodgy machine most likely requires a reset button those welds can not be done by hand they melt through in the same places ive had a walgoose with the top half of the rear triangle welded off to the right
The Huffy if made of 6061, it would need a heat treatment after a repair welding. Older frames are often made of 7005, here you can just weld and it hardens over a 3 month time period
I know this sounds snobby but huffy does not equal quality. Neither does schwinn or any box store bikes. These bikes are intended for light riding and not for aggressive trails. Someone may, if not already get seriously injured on one of these bikes. I wouldn’t put my wife or child on one of these heavily massed produced bikes.
I’m not surprised by this. Huffy seems to be trying to make a Mountain bike with seemingly no knowledge about what they are trying to build. The frames are weak, the geometry sucks, and the price is insanely high. You can’t charge bike shop prices for a bike that would be the worst bike at a thrift store.
At the end Huffy also just buys the components, like a lot of brands. Even Canyon gets their bikes from Giant, they have no own manufacturing. But obviously Canyon and other brands order better designed frames and better components
These bikes presumably come with a 10 year warranty on the (aluminum) frame (the least likely thing to break). You'll have to keep us posted on how that goes. They have covered well themselves: An except from the warranty What does this Limited Warranty cover? This Limited Warranty covers defects in workmanship and materials for all parts of the product except those indicated below as not warranted. What must you do to keep the Limited Warranty in effect? This Limited Warranty is effective only if: Product is completely and correctly assembled. Product is used under normal conditions for its intended purpose (see the following section for excluded activities). Product receives all necessary maintenance and adjustments. Product is used for general transportation and recreational use only. What is not covered by this Limited Warranty? This product is designed for recreational use only. This Limited Warranty does not cover normal wear and tear, normal maintenance items, or any damage, failure, or loss that is caused by improper assembly, maintenance, adjustment, storage, or use of the product. This Limited Warranty does not extend to future performance. This Limited Warranty will be void if the product is ever: Used in any competitive sport Used for stunt riding, jumping, aerobatics or similar activity Modified in any way Modified with the addition of a motor Ridden by more than one person at a time Rented, sold, or given away Used in a manner contrary to the instructions and warnings in the Owner’s Manual
@@brianwalker9793 I would think so. They put all these exclusions in the text as a get out of warranty free card. My guess though is they know who Kevin is and will treat him well.
For the price tag, i'd expect at least the aluminum wheel spokes to break, not the frame. Some poor kid is going to end up in an accident, because his parents got him this trash bike for xmas. $600+ is an entry level price tag, meaning, that's where price starts to meet quality or in some cases, a trash bin with wheels. Moral of Kev's story, is to stay away from Huffy bikes..
I had a frame cracked on an old bike and it cracked at the bottom bracket where the seat tube was welded. I wasn’t too upset because I only paid $5 for it
This is one of the reasons I stay away from Aluminum frames. Rigid material on a flexy changeable surface....never a good combination. Besides, welding aluminum without stress is almost impossible.
That is the night mare of any cyclist: His beloved bicycle broken. But the post -service works fine and all the bad mood goes when you know that you will be able to ride againg in few days. ell done Hffy, but check the frames to avoid cracks.
No one else rode the bike between the last trail ride where I have documented footage it didn’t have the crack and the short neighborhood ride that must have done it in
Schwinn has a lifetime warranty at least on the frames for the original buyers... Break it, just get a free one in the mail. $600 for a huffy is insane. Who would want a new one of those though😂
That's why you buy bikes from places that have QR procedures in place kids. If this happens bumbling slowly around green trails just imagine if some kid brings it to a real trail. Frames crack all the time. Even high end ones. I have seen bikes crack from baby head sized rocks striking the frame with 20mph. But I have never ever seen a frame crack from rolling slowly around green trails. These bikes are garbage.
@@KevCentral Wow! That's a real shame. I'd been wondering for a while if it would make sense to own one to be used as a basic town car. I wonder if any dealerships still have some left in their inventory, seeing as it seems it's only been about 6 months since the model was discontinued.
guess thats why walmart has both huffy bikes you have pointed issues with on practically blowout sale prices right now ... which is how I found this video and the other huffy video.... good thing I searched, I had both in my shopping cart and was like ... better check some reviews.
@@ericdolby1622 I ended up going with a mongoose ledge x2 mtb and a mongoose grit gravelbike (long story why both). I haven't had any of the issues with those that people pointed out in reviews so hopefully you have the same experience. Granted I've only been able to ride both bikes about 10 times each but so far so good.
Schwinn and Kent have really upped their game in the past few years when it comes to quality, features, specs & components on their entry-level bikes. It’s unfortunate to see Huffy hasn’t done the same and is getting left in the dust. Keep in mind Kev rides mainly green and blue trails, so it’s a bit shocking to see the frame fail after relatively light use. 😱
So you're telling me Schwinn quality went down and now back up?
@@janeblogs324 Yes. My Ex has a much older Schwinn Mountain Bike from about 20 years ago, much better than my Axum. My Axum is better than my kid's Schwinn from 10 years ago.
HUFFY Heavy Until Frame Fails You. Im not surprised 😂😂😂😂
@@bindingcurve What year is ur Axum?
Schwinn > Hyper > Huffy
That could've been catastrophic and painful (I'm very glad that it wasn't). Like I said in a previous comment, they either tested these bikes pre-production and just didn't care, or they didn't because they don't. Either way, I'm foreseeing words like "liable for serious injuries" and "lawsuits" in their future. Regardless, Huffy just went from "soft pass" to "hard pass" in my stable (entire brand).
Man, I remember commenting on its not worth to ride or upgrade a bike at this price-point with that flexible of a frame. I am so glad you weren't on the thing when it snapped!
I wonder what grade aluminum that is. The camera may be making it look this way, but it looks thin around that area.
Huffy really dropped the ball with these new bikes.
YIKES. Had that happened on the trail, that could have been *fatal* . Considering the upper rack mounts on that frame, Huffy clearly indicates this frame should be able to take plenty of weight on that tube section in particular. Racks add quite a bit of tourque if you have them loaded down (enough that my fender-mount-to-upper-rack-arm adapter, which is hardened steel, is bent on the AL-Comp). This particular frame would have buckled in glorious fashion with my groceries on the back.
That said, I'll give Huffy credit for offering to send a replacement frame or even bike out rather than just saying 'heh, your fault'.
A thing I noticed in the first video is the rear dropout on the right side looks noticeably misaligned with the seatstay and chainstay tubes, while the left side is much better. Hambini had a recent video with a Ribble frame with a cracked seatstay and similarly misaligned dropout and cited that as a major contributing factor.
That really is an unnecessary design that does nothing but add stress. I would be willing to bet some money that is a contributing factor in this.
These Dakari went from am overpriced ok bike to just a disaster within such a short time. Sad to see, but at least there are some good other options still available.
I wonder if it may have something to do with the extended higher seatpost to accommodate the additional height on a small frame. Just thinking about it from a physics standpoint. A longer lever can cause more frame flex possibly leading to the issue you are experiencing.
Thanks for the reveal, I learn from your efforts and component upgrading. Last year I would have purchased the Schwinn Al Comp, the local Walmart had two assembled. However there were so many obvious defects I rejected both at the store and asked if they would get repairs before the sale (neither bike was in rideable condition). A Walmart manager promised me a response but I never heard another word. The Polygon Xtrada 6 fit my budget and wish list; I've learned to navigate some challenging trails. Your adventures in bike builds helped me to see the tradeoffs! I really love hydraulic disc brakes - strong control for someone who prefers keeping the tires on the ground ;-)
It's definitely a design flaw. I'm not sure why some of the commentators here are discounting any and all aluminum bikes just because of what happened with the Dakari. I've heard of plenty of people shredding both green and blue trails on vintage aluminum bikes -- all without an issue; so, although aluminum may not have the compliance that steel and titanium have respectively, I don't think this means that aluminum is a poor choice for frame construction. This seems to be more of an issue with quality control than with the concept of using aluminum.
Not sure if it's a design flaw, but certainly a manufacturing defect. Now if this area cracks regularly on these frames then that would definately be a flaw.
As a material though? Aluminum is fine if the engineers properly control the welding process (and don't get overruled by the bean counters when it comes to material quality and quantity). I can only think of a handful of frame failures in recent memory and the vast majority involved landing poorly on jumps. My Al Comp's been abused pretty ruthlessly (both in pure and E-bike Conversion form, particularly the latter) and it only has a few scratches to show for it.
I still ride a 1996 Cannondale rigid mtb on my trails. Only limitations are on me!
@DFX2KX The chosen manufacturing techniques and/or quality of the selected material are arguably part of the initial design process, but I understand that KevCentral's experience may have been an isolated incident. In any case, I admittedly was choosing my words hastily when I said "definitely"; for all we know, this particular example of Dakari was simply not manufactured to the brand's design specifications / standards - which would not necessarily suggest that the entire line of bicycle frame is impacted.
T6 4 life 🤟💯
I love that you left in all your mistakes. That flame flex though 🔥
I wonder if Huffy is skipping out on the annealing and heat treatment steps that are normally done for quality frames? After the frame is welded, it is annealed to a state of low-hardness, to eliminate stresses due to the welding. Then it is heated to age/harden the frame.
Good question
Even name brands have cracks. I am part of the large group who have had cracks in the Marin Team Marin frames (see post on MTBR under Marin area). Marin has now gone through 2 different redesigns to try to fix the issue. Looks like Huffy didn't reenforce that area enough, or used to small of tubing. Did this Huffy come with the "Do not use this bike on trails" sticker that some WalMart bikes come with?
The usual Suntour fork sticker that says no downhill/dirt jumping/extreme riding
Yup, expensive name brand aluminum frames have cracks, so I have no idea why people keep paying name brand sky high prices for them.
@@KevCentral Get it TIG by a good TIG welder who knows what he's doing & will try to use lowest heat possible.....Ride frame hard & see if it'll re-crack again.....I could see trying to MIG weld it and overheating it. But ask yourself this- If heat/welding weakens the Aluminum, how do they weld the frame together when they make it? Wouldn't all the welds crack from welding/overheating if this was true?
Well Kevin I’m going in for surgery February 9 for my right knee total replacement but one day I’ll get back on the bike maybe next summer not this year if I would be 2024
Do you still have the stock pedal crank and pedals you may have to re-install it to get a warranty Reinstall the crank in the petals that came with the bike and then take a picture of it and send it to the email the warranty yet
For $598, it had better come with a no questions asked warranty.
Glad you didn't get hurt. FWIW, I'm a fan of aluminum frames from Kinesis, which come on a lot of brands - I realize it's unlikely to see that on a Huffy, though.
For 300$ I could see taking a walmart frame and upgrading it. 600$ is entry level bike shop hardtail money. Like could have gotten a low end trek which at least then you have a lifetime warranty on the frame. Hell a trek marlin frame only is 300$.
Yeah I bought a new Scott Aspect hardtail in 2019 for 540 €, around 600$ (today with the actual exchange rate even less than 600$.
It's already a cat 3 rated frame and it has decent parts (a Deore derailleur, XCR fork, a hollow tech 2 bottom bracket)
I've seen alot of broken frames, but I've never seen one break at the seatstay.
Back in the early 90s I saw ALOT of broken frames on one particular brand. So many that I renamed the brand CrackNFail. I'm sure you can figure out the actual brand, it rhymes with CrackNfail. Even their highest end models were snapping like twigs after just a few rides. They were of course covered by warranty.
LEFTY
They definitely try to cut manufacture cost, if you see the seat post is thicker aluminum then where you see the crack. Not sure if it is because of the angle of the camera but sure looks like that. It would be smart if they do the opposite specially on hard tails
Perhaps it's time for Walmart to stop calling these "Mountain bikes" and more like "Mountain-style bikes"
Some of the modern Walmart mountain bikes are quite good for the money, in my opinion.
@@KevCentral I've seen other videos where these crazy guys take some of the cheap Walmart 'mountain" bikes out on rough trails and they fall apart easily.
They say this on the cheaper Decathlon bikes on their website, it's smart because they are covered and when it does overachieve (and i have seen many cheap Decathlon on my trails) it's a bonus for the brand.
I was going to say the same thing. Start putting those stickers back on the bike. Not for off roading!!
Except even non mtbs back in the day didn't fail like that.
Nice to hear Huffy is standing behind the bike But...after all the prior shortcomings and the high price it seems like one to avoid.
I think the bike was jealous of the Lefty but didn’t know it was lefty on the front fork. This could be good advertisement for Huffy, it’s the bike with a pre cracked frame!!!
Which return option did you choose?
Yet another reason to avoid. Overpriced for what you get and if the frame can't take all that much abuse?
Huffy. You were my childhood. Nowlook at you....
Why?
after aluminum is welded there is a process that has to be done to soften the metal around the weld that has become brittle from welding, most cracks that happen next to a weld and not the weld is caused by this
Would temperature fluctuations be also a factor?
how long did each Misubishi last? years and miles
My 2017 is going strong. The previous was working fine, but some kids threw rocks onto the roof. I traded a 2015 for it - gained 4hp and a better suspension 😁
Have you built a motorized bicycle kit for a video? If not I'd love to see that! 😁
I bought a kit, but lost interest when eBikes became more affordable and reliable then the motor kits
I think when you use a long saddle post with a small frame for a larger rider you will put more stress on the frame as the rider shifts his weight about the seat tube is under more stress and this will be passed over to the seat stays. Basically the seat tube needs to be more overbuilt to compensate for this but the seat tube doesn't look particularly strong on that frame. Also as a cost cutting measure you can skip heat treatment. I seem to remember reading children's aluminium frame bikes often don't have heat treatment because they don't need that extra strength, partly because their weight is much less and also there is shorter length tubes. I think it was quoted at the time of having 60-70 percent of the strength of a heat treated frame. Lack of heat treatment could mean a weaker frame.
I personally don't think cheaper frames are typically weaker I would say overall more expensive frames are weaker as they typically reduce material to make a lighter frame. Many cheap frames are overbuilt with plain gauge tubes and an overall much heavier weight. I think the Kona Hoss had more in common with a cheaper frame than a more expensive frame. Also the famous US made Crack'n'fail Cannondales which had very early failures were very competitively light frames. I think there is a statistic somewhere that there is a much higher failure rate on frames for more expensive bikes so they have to allow for a higher percentage of replacement frames in their pricing. This could be due to people who spend more on bikes are more likely to use them for more miles so they fatigue faster or it could be simply they will fail faster even with comparable use. Also a real mountain bike used off-road will fail faster, sometimes they will still have to warranty such frames.
Why do you think trek and mongoose used 34.9 OD seat tubes with 31.6 seat posts for their 2000s MTBs with short seattubes
I wonder if they do any ndt (non destructive testing)
If you're making things like this day in and day out, they should have a quick rundown that could see this
You are awesome! I enjoy your videos. Thank you. Do you like dropper posts? Can't think of Mountain biking without one. Anyway, Happy new year Kev.
Droppers have grown on me
$600? That’s terrible quality. Hopefully, you can get your money back or a replacement frame.
Unfortunately after the frame cracks it's a total loss the parts can be swapped out or put in a bin the frame should be put on a wall
Too bad. Another player in the $500 range would be great. Huffy has the right idea, but they just keep shooting themselves in the foot. I hope they sort it out. Thanks for the video.
Also it looks like they definitely overheated the weld. Meaning that tube is basically scrap metal. And who know what else they messed up. On my new frames ill go test their metal by slamming down off curbs, small jumps, whatever I can to try and break it. If it doesnt hold up on a small curb it would never been good for mtb.
I had a Huffy Lou’s Beach cruiser the back of the bike rack that goes down to the rear wheel separated on each side they’ve covered it and set a new bike it was a upgraded bike❤Covered under warranty and give me an upgrade but no additional fee
Yeah you know, Flame Flex. 😂 Seriously though, holy crack,Batman! Glad you found it now instead of later,Kev!
Your welder friend is correct, it’s called the Heat Affected Zone (HAZ). Grain structure in the base metal is changed due to the high heat and rapid cooling. Most failures in welded structures happen in the HAZ.
The frame flex from pedalling will cause metal to fatigue, which is unavoidable with any structure. Aluminum will eventually fatigue and fail with repeated loadings (ie pedalling). Cracks also tend to form on areas under tension, which that area of the tube would be from pedalling.
I wonder if that is a bit of undercut/ over heating at that junction, but it’s hard to say.
It could also be the result of faulty/ non existent heat treating.
Could just be a crib death, but I also wouldn’t exactly trust Huffy’s engineering either.
interesting that most of the failures I'm aware of on aluminum bike frames come from landing jumps poorly. Most of them have lifespans that, while ultimately limited like everything, vastly exceed every other component on the bike. There are frames from the late 80's and 90's still going strong. So there's something definitely wrong with this bike, either the individual frame, or the model as a whole.
My Mongoose XR-200 from over a decade ago *got hit by a car* and didn't crack like that. it was bent, but the welds held up.
@@DFX2KX so what your talking about with a jump failure is more so exceeding the yield strength of the material, but probably helped along via fatigue.
The idea behind fatigue is that the material collects damage over time, with small loads doing less and large loads doing more damage. That damage is essentially collective and the material can only handle so much. A stronger frame will be less affected by a given force (like pedalling or landing a jump), and have a longer life span. I believe the standard in the bike industry is to design to a 10 year lifespan for the kind of riding that frame is intended for.
I don’t know enough about this frame to make a judgement on if it’s just hilariously weak, or something is messed up in its manufacture that led to an early death. It might also just be designed really well to meet the lifespan that Huffy designed. The Huffy ceo admitted a number of years ago that they only expect their average bike to go about 70 miles in its lifetime.
@@fraserdavidson6900 considering a design lifespan of 10 years being the industry standard, and how long bikes seem to last when they're made well, I suspect some significant headroom is built into a lot of them.
But you are right, engineering is a lot of 'not if, but when, and how much will it cost to make that 'when' answer suitably far off'.
At the end the lifespan of aluminium parts depends on the stress they have to withstand. Aluminium has no fatigue threshold, it starts to fatigue even under low stress. The number of load cycles however depends on how much stress you put into it relative to the yield strength. If you only put a fraction of the maximum force at yield strength into a component you have plenty of load cycles and a long life span.
If you use the whole yield strength however you have drastically less load cycles until failure. If a frame is badly designed it may have points which are stressed near the yield strength, in this case it can fail at these points during a relatively short time. Heat affected zones are another factor which may lower the yield strength at some points of the frame
Huffy has a 10-year warranty on their aluminum frames. Huffy customer service, stated that they will send out a replacement frame at no cost, if they get proof such as a photo that it's been cracked.
Sorry this happened, Kev, but ...
Ain't you got no duck tape, boy? That and a little used Juicy Fruit will fix anything! (I'm kidding!)
Good for Huffy for standing behind their product! And good for you for giving them a shout-out for it! A sincere "Well Done" to both of you!!!
As long as a company makes right their failed product, all is good, AFAIC.
Let us know what option you choose!
JB Weld and Gorilla!
@@usmc29er44 That'll work!
I snapped my Norco charger in half. I was wearing a trail helmet so I ended up spitting my teeth out.
You're lucky you didn't take that bike out and just send it
Ouch 🤟🤠👍hope you're OK 👌 🙏
@@ianmangham4570 yeah. It's all good. The dentist fixed what they could. Did a pretty good job
My worst nightmare. I’m a heavy rider and the bike I ride has already had two warranties for cracked frames
@@suspicioustumbleweed4760 I'm 6'2 240 so I always make sure I have a nice fat at least 2.3" wide tyres on to soak up the load 🤟🤠💯
@@suspicioustumbleweed4760 ride steel or titanium. Aluminum and carbon will always eventually stress crack from repeated flex.
If titanium or steel crack it's alot less likely to end in disaster.
I've only road steel for the past 6 years and haven't had a problem
Like someone else commented, I wonder what aluminum grade was used and wall thickness? Great on Huffy to offer you 3 options.
6061 is the only supplies spec
I love these companies who think that they should raise prices and lower quality, what a great combination. What could possibly go wrong?
A friend of mine got a Schwinn Axum and bent the frame on it. They replaced the bike under warranty. He did upgrade to a nice trek though and uses the Schwinn as a lender
What happened that the frame bent? Crash or on the course of normal use?
@@KevCentral normal use on a rocky rutted trail. It was the rear chain stay. Seemed to be a defect in the metal, not near a weld, and it didn't crack...
Well day ummm!!! I haven't seen a cracked frame since my BMX days. Sheesh!
Maybe cold weather caused it very bad complain to store and to company. it might maybe make you worried and start checking all bikes daily before a ride. usually they would ask for serial number to check batch in case they all are the same.
It shouldn’t have, but we have had record cold in Alabama. It was 1F around Christmas
I will admit, I was one of the ones thinking it might have been the commonly used Al Comp of yours.
Hell i had a frame crack on a KHS fxt trail which was never jumped or ridden hard. And they refused to warrant it.
Hi I have a Kent flexor 29 inch anybody know the size for me to change from quill to thread less? 1 inch or 1 1/8 inch?
700 series aluminium needs to be heat-treated after the welding has been finished so that the welded areas don't crack like your bike
The Huffy if 6061. 6061 definitely needs a heat treatment after welding, 7005 can be stored for 3 months and is self hardening in this period to a certain point.
7005 was specially developed to self harden after welding, so the bikes could be shipped after assembly without a heat treatment of the frame and the frame hardened during the time in the shipping container
In the bike biz they call this JRA. Just riding along
I had to show proof of the receipt and took pictures of the damage and I have this email them to them
I cracked the bottom bracket part of the frame on a Pacific 850 while I was riding on the sidewalk.
Could it be possible that someone, unbeknownst to Kev, took this bike for a very rough joy ride, threw the chain and stressed the frame to the point of cracking? I would check if the wheels are still true ...
Lol. Nobody would have access to it without triggering alarms
Can you check out aliexpress bikes please?🙈
wow.i hope u can take it back
Maybe. Just maybe a fluke but maybe changing the crank added to flex sometime the specs they use are for a reason. Maybe not. But. Sometimes when you swerve on a bike the flex happens but budget bikes. Have some kind of weirdness in cracks
I would think the shorter crank would create less stress
@@KevCentral right.
Odds are when Huffy saw you changed the crank arms, they would blame you for the crack, under an "improper modification" or somehow related to how you held the bike during the process. From where I sit, I'd say it is really bizarre and Huffy definitely needs to step up and deal with it.
Thanks for commenting. My impression from my call with their support is that they were 100% ready to stand behind their product. No wait times to reach someone either. Fast and friendly customer service
@@KevCentral Definitely keep up updated on this one.. Hoping they tell you exactly what happened!
Ufff- I see a recall in Huffy’s future
I don’t know about that. As far as I know this is the only Dakari frame that has failed. Hopefully, it is a random fluke.
@@KevCentral It’s concerning to me that this did not happen under any stress, just very casual riding. But yes, hopefully it’s just this particular frame.
Hey man im a welder and that is 100% a stress crack...your frame flexed to hard and the wheel was most likely mounted too tight the fact that the frame sprung inward when you removed the wheel proves you had too much force/ flex applied to the drive side
Thanks for commenting. I believe the inward movement was due to the one side of the seat tube having no inward support due to the break
Bend just before a weld, most likely has not been stress-relieved. At 598 might as well save for entry level bikeshop bike.
It does start to blur lines a bit pricing wise - although the recent prices I’ve seen at bike shops is higher than what we’re used to seeing.
@@KevCentral I know prices depend on location, to me locally the base Trek Marlin goes for 486€ (521$). I assume the prices would drop, considering all the stock sitting in warehouses. Maybe in two years from now one will be able to get NOS 2022/23 bike frame or complete 30% to 40% off. As a proud owner of a 2012 NOS freeride rig I can appreciate mtb on a budget, keep up the good work man 🤟
I broke a huffy frame in half it was some bmx style back in the 80’s. That was my last huffy lol
And all you smucks were so quick to assume that it was the hyper. Y’all don’t have a clue.
Umm... don't buy a Huffy. Cheap bikes end up costing you more in the long run.
I got hit on mongoose very lightly but enough to push me in the bike, I wrote it for Good year.
I even took it to get tuned up two times in that year and I kept getting this chain drop, or change slip maybe there's a better way to say it. I couldn't figure it out!
I'd looked at the chain tension and I it was fine when I was sitting, but now every time I went at a stoplight when it was my turn to go you put some weight either one of the crank crank arms it would slip. At times I would have to stop and put it back on.
The one day just before I was about to ride it I tested out the gears and it slipped?!?! And I wasn't sitting on any pressure at this time it would start.
After looking over the bike way back there by the wheel where the quick release there was a crack in the frame what's caused it to flex anyway I didn't think you could be fixed because of his in the such a bad.
Thanks for sharing
The prices were already enough to make me avoid the huffy section.............Shame about the frame......She was a looker.
At the price point yes it is shocking. I think it's just notoriety of the brand. I know you get what you pay for and in this case $600 isn't cheap but the brand makes up that statement. Maybe?? I guess I'm not that shocked. Either way if they make it right, good on them.
That thing just became belt drive ready. Belt drive bikes are actually different l.
That's a "Sam Pilgrim Abuse" crack ;)
Another way to tell how much compression your getting out of a fork is to snug a zip tie around one of the sanctions while you're riding. It will let you know how much compression you've shock is giving you.
It's possible that section of tubing had an internal flaw and the welding made it even weaker, another channel I watch had his chain stay break on his Specialized Fuse, I wouldn't necessarily let that push me away, now if it happens again then I would stay away
Any frame/bike/whatever can have a random flaw. The issue for me is how easy I know this was ridden and how many other issues I’ve had with the bike: factory crank arms too long, 15” frame adapted to fit taller riders, etc.
It's a huffy from Walmart. What did you expect🤷♂️
I literally drilled two large holes in the same tube on my AL Comp to mount a small engine to make a friction drive bike and even with the torque of the engine have not one concern about the frame cracking like that - of course now that I said that....🤔
Lol
Just got a cracked 1991 specialized allez for free all stock with a 105 groupset had my father weld it and its been perfect sometimes that's fixable just depends where it cracked.
One thing I won’t do is do Huffy’s welding work for them 🙃
Probably just reprogramming a dodgy machine most likely requires a reset button those welds can not be done by hand they melt through in the same places ive had a walgoose with the top half of the rear triangle welded off to the right
The Huffy if made of 6061, it would need a heat treatment after a repair welding.
Older frames are often made of 7005, here you can just weld and it hardens over a 3 month time period
I know this sounds snobby but huffy does not equal quality. Neither does schwinn or any box store bikes. These bikes are intended for light riding and not for aggressive trails. Someone may, if not already get seriously injured on one of these bikes. I wouldn’t put my wife or child on one of these heavily massed produced bikes.
Thanks for commenting, but the bike was ridden on smooth packed green trails only.
@@KevCentral and that says a lot about the quality.
I’m not surprised by this. Huffy seems to be trying to make a Mountain bike with seemingly no knowledge about what they are trying to build. The frames are weak, the geometry sucks, and the price is insanely high. You can’t charge bike shop prices for a bike that would be the worst bike at a thrift store.
At the end Huffy also just buys the components, like a lot of brands. Even Canyon gets their bikes from Giant, they have no own manufacturing.
But obviously Canyon and other brands order better designed frames
and better components
Frames are made of 55% aluminum 45% plastic bottles,,,,hard to weld
These bikes presumably come with a 10 year warranty on the (aluminum) frame (the least likely thing to break). You'll have to keep us posted on how that goes.
They have covered well themselves: An except from the warranty
What does this Limited Warranty cover?
This Limited Warranty covers defects in workmanship and materials for all parts of the product except those indicated below as not warranted.
What must you do to keep the Limited Warranty in effect?
This Limited Warranty is effective only if:
Product is completely and correctly assembled.
Product is used under normal conditions for its intended purpose (see the following section for excluded activities).
Product receives all necessary maintenance and adjustments.
Product is used for general transportation and recreational use only.
What is not covered by this Limited Warranty?
This product is designed for recreational use only. This Limited Warranty does not cover normal wear and tear, normal maintenance items, or any damage, failure, or loss that is caused by improper assembly, maintenance, adjustment, storage, or use of the product. This Limited Warranty does not extend to future performance.
This Limited Warranty will be void if the product is ever:
Used in any competitive sport
Used for stunt riding, jumping, aerobatics or similar activity
Modified in any way
Modified with the addition of a motor
Ridden by more than one person at a time
Rented, sold, or given away
Used in a manner contrary to the instructions and warnings in the Owner’s Manual
I wonder if they would say shorter crank arms is modifying bike and voids warranty 🫣
@@brianwalker9793 I would think so. They put all these exclusions in the text as a get out of warranty free card. My guess though is they know who Kevin is and will treat him well.
For the price tag, i'd expect at least the aluminum wheel spokes to break, not the frame. Some poor kid is going to end up in an accident, because his parents got him this trash bike for xmas. $600+ is an entry level price tag, meaning, that's where price starts to meet quality or in some cases, a trash bin with wheels. Moral of Kev's story, is to stay away from Huffy bikes..
I cracked a 2019 Trek Marlin and Optout Cycle Hooky frames.
I had a frame cracked on an old bike and it cracked at the bottom bracket where the seat tube was welded. I wasn’t too upset because I only paid $5 for it
$5 Is a lot....
to pay for a crack....
This is one of the reasons I stay away from Aluminum frames. Rigid material on a flexy changeable surface....never a good combination. Besides, welding aluminum without stress is almost impossible.
Thanks for sharing. I’ve had good lucky with most Al frames
Huffy must be sourcing Trek frames. 🤣🤣🤣
My trek frame was bulletproof!!
@@MichaelRei99 I broke a Roscoe 8. My friend had two broken Remedys and a broken Slash. I've met a couple others over time.
That is the night mare of any cyclist: His beloved bicycle broken. But the post -service works fine and all the bad mood goes when you know that you will be able to ride againg in few days. ell done Hffy, but check the frames to avoid cracks.
Do you have kids? Did they take the bike out?
No one else rode the bike between the last trail ride where I have documented footage it didn’t have the crack and the short neighborhood ride that must have done it in
@@KevCentral that sucks
Flame flex definitely caused that last time you rid it.
That’s the direction my thoughts tend to go
Correction he Rod it!!
@@MichaelRei99 ..rode
Schwinn has a lifetime warranty at least on the frames for the original buyers... Break it, just get a free one in the mail. $600 for a huffy is insane. Who would want a new one of those though😂
Lifetime for Huffy as well. Only $350 now. I want one
Perhaps, by buying cheap big-box bikes we don't save that much $ after all....
Did Huffy ever make a good bike, Evan as a kid, they were considered garbage
While my 20yr old $25 GT MTB still rides like new.
i think im gonna go look my bike over
That's why you buy bikes from places that have QR procedures in place kids. If this happens bumbling slowly around green trails just imagine if some kid brings it to a real trail. Frames crack all the time. Even high end ones. I have seen bikes crack from baby head sized rocks striking the frame with 20mph. But I have never ever seen a frame crack from rolling slowly around green trails. These bikes are garbage.
Maybe they welded the frame together with toothpaste, and they just missed a spot.😂
Huffy frames come with a lifetime warranty.
Kev is the type of guy to buy two Mitsubishi Mirages
Absolutely! An intelligent choice: best mpg of any non-hybrid, affordable, super reliable.
@@KevCentral What about the Chevy Spark?
Discontinued. It was between the two back when I bought my first mirage. After lots of comparing I decided on the Mirage
@@KevCentralMake a video of the Mirage.
@@KevCentral Wow! That's a real shame. I'd been wondering for a while if it would make sense to own one to be used as a basic town car. I wonder if any dealerships still have some left in their inventory, seeing as it seems it's only been about 6 months since the model was discontinued.
guess thats why walmart has both huffy bikes you have pointed issues with on practically blowout sale prices right now ... which is how I found this video and the other huffy video.... good thing I searched, I had both in my shopping cart and was like ... better check some reviews.
I plan to get the bike anyway. $350 for everything you get is awesome.
@@ericdolby1622 I ended up going with a mongoose ledge x2 mtb and a mongoose grit gravelbike (long story why both). I haven't had any of the issues with those that people pointed out in reviews so hopefully you have the same experience. Granted I've only been able to ride both bikes about 10 times each but so far so good.
@@sharpridgehomestead that's awesome. Yes fingers crossed. Result may vary. Lol.
Silent comments kept to myself.
One time my friends brand new cannondale cracked the first day out
Thanks for sharing. Carbon or aluminum?
@@KevCentral aluminum, on the seat stay as well