Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech oh man I think I killled my bike. please help me.

feel free to tell me how stupid I am as long as you accompany the insult with some advice.
I don't know what happened. I'd been rebuilding after a wreck back in 2016. I got her roadworthy again after fixing the front suspension and pegs. the pegs are definitely out of alignment even after replacing the footrest hangers. the bike took a definite whack, but when i got her back up, everything except the front end was looking good.
I have adjusted the chain one time since rebuilding, in January.
yesterday i went to adjust thw chain again, and found my right tensioner to be a twisted scary mess. upon further inspection I saw the shock absorber on that same side not seated flush where the bolt connects. tried tightening and the bolt snapped right off. Havent been to the garage since.
Is it out of alignment? did i improperly tighten the chain back in Jan? the bike was dropped on that side, is it possible all the riding since rebuild jacked up the right side? bent frame or swingarm? When I last adjusted the chain, the tensioner was fine, and i havent noticed anything else out of alignment until now. the bike rolls just fine. Definitely over my head again but too stupid to be scared away. Could You tech monsters give me some advice? this os currently my only ride...

I could throw suggestions at you as tio causes but thye smart move is to have some one put eyes on it that can tell you for sure what is bent or not bent and what is in alignment or out.

A few pics sure would help.

A pro is coming to check it out on Saturday. I am definitely at a loss though. Any suggestions would help. I know it could be a few things, and is probably the result of being laid down after whacking a car, but that was almost 2 years ago. My bike's been on the road for a year, and the tensioner was straight a few months back. So I'm a little freaked about what made it look like someone hit it with a sledgehammer. Also, the Shock absorber coming loose has me freaked as well. This is my only vehicle and I really love this bike. I will be pretty sad if she goes.

PS pics on this site are a pain. I have some, working on it...

to bend the tensioner the axle has to move - right? Is it visibly out of place?

The axle doesn't look crooked, and the bike has been riding fairly sooth, but with a loose chain. I torqued the rear axle last time I adjusted the chain but maybe I did a bad job and it came loose. I can't think of anything else that would jack up the right side of my bike like that. I'll never push a chain's life again. When they're done they are done.

Measure the distance between the swinging arm spindle and the rear wheel axle on both sides, if your wheel is straight, they should measure the same.