only way to tell for sure, is to put your forks in whats called a "v-block" this will tell you if they are straight or not. Look again when you are riding, not at your bars, but at your upper triple tree, if that looks cocked during riding straight, then the forks are bent. Would not recommend trying to fix them, if you can cough up the cash, replace them.

Scott

 

The best way I know of to check them is to take the forks apart and check them on a surface plate. Or you could do it on a work bench with 2 v-blocks and an indicator. I remember having the same problem on dirt bikes and I was able to loosen the tripple clamps and straighten everything back up and the forks weren't actually bent. A street bike is a different animal though. Need to make sure it's right so you don't have a high speed tank slapper or something.

 

What Dave said is true. Sometimes loosening the forks and tightening up again could fix the problem. You can also try to loosen and retighten the nut on the tripple tree. In fact, it may not be your forks that's bent, but the tripple (upper and/or lower) that's crooked. Good luck.

 

Can I ask something, since your forks are clamped to your upper and lower triple trees, how could they be out of alight ment, and the forks straight. Its impossible, if they are shifted the forks must also be shifted, because they are clamped directly to the trees. So if your upper triple tree apears to be crooked while riding straigh, then your forks are bent, because remeber, your bike is still tracking straight, the wheel you know is straight, so if your upper trees are off, so is your entire front suspension. Which in terms means the forks are tweaked.

Just my knowledge

Scott

 

What your saying makes perfect sense. But past experience tells me they can be off as described and not actually bent. I'm thinking what happens is one or both forks is twisted in one or both tripple clamps, which in turn flexes the fork or the tripple clamp, but may not be so far that they are actually bent. If you loosen and straighten them up they will come back in. Then again one or both could be bent. No way to know for sure without taking it apart.

 

Actually I don't think I described that very well. What I think happens is the tripple trees are out of align with one another, and both of the forks have been twisted in them. This causes the bars to be turned slightly one direction when going straight.

But on a street bike, for this to happen it would have to take a pretty good hit and there is a good chance something is bent. Not safe to ride it until you are sure it's right.

 

thanks for the advice it looks like I have a project this weekend

 

Motolover, take it to a reputable frame/chssis person. they will give you the right answers. Asking anyone here is like hanging out in a bike shop asking every Joe Shmoe that walks in, how to fix it.
One way I found that one fork was bent (and the other wasn't) was to support the front end on a front stand. The one that goes under the steering stem. take off the front wheel/calipers. Loosen the fork caps (you probably want to do this before even raising the bike). Completely unthread the fork caps. Now you can slide each fork inner tube completely through the stroke. If it is bent, it will bind and not go through the whole stroke smoothly. You'll notice it even if it is off by just a little bit. I'm not saying this is the most accurate way, but it should be close enough.
Sounds more like your triple clamps are "twisted". You can probably just "kick it back" into place. Like I said, check with an expert, not the "experts" here.

Good luck!

 

KimDN said:
Motolover, take it to a reputable frame/chssis person. they will give you the right answers. Asking anyone here is like hanging out in a bike shop asking every Joe Shmoe that walks in, how to fix it.
One way I found that one fork was bent (and the other wasn't) was to support the front end on a front stand. The one that goes under the steering stem. take off the front wheel/calipers. Loosen the fork caps (you probably want to do this before even raising the bike). Completely unthread the fork caps. Now you can slide each fork inner tube completely through the stroke. If it is bent, it will bind and not go through the whole stroke smoothly. You'll notice it even if it is off by just a little bit. I'm not saying this is the most accurate way, but it should be close enough.
Sounds more like your triple clamps are "twisted". You can probably just "kick it back" into place. Like I said, check with an expert, not the "experts" here.

Good luck!

Sounds like basically the same thing I said other than I recommend actually checking them instead of just kicking it back into place, and minus the insults.

 

KimDN said:
Motolover, take it to a reputable frame/chssis person. they will give you the right answers. Asking anyone here is like hanging out in a bike shop asking every Joe Shmoe that walks in, how to fix it.
One way I found that one fork was bent (and the other wasn't) was to support the front end on a front stand. The one that goes under the steering stem. take off the front wheel/calipers. Loosen the fork caps (you probably want to do this before even raising the bike). Completely unthread the fork caps. Now you can slide each fork inner tube completely through the stroke. If it is bent, it will bind and not go through the whole stroke smoothly. You'll notice it even if it is off by just a little bit. I'm not saying this is the most accurate way, but it should be close enough.
Sounds more like your triple clamps are "twisted". You can probably just "kick it back" into place. Like I said, check with an expert, not the "experts" here.

Good luck!

As much respect I have for you, Kim, it's funny you insult everybody on the board and then move on to becoming one of the people in the group you just insulted. Funny stuff indeed