Front Fork Realignment

[mesmeridicus]

Hello again!

After finally getting my bike back on the road once the final drive was fixed (thanks guys), I decided to take this afternoon to put my new clip on bars on the bike. I planned on allowing the forks to come up through the triple tree about an inch, and clamping them on up there. However, I accidentally allowed the whole damn bike to sink down into the forks. Didn't put it up on the centerstand. My brother ended up helping me out, and it's up on the center stand now, but I'm stuck trying to figure out what height I should realign the forks to. Additionally, whenever I clamp the lower tree bolts the front fender warps (even with the forks aligned to the same height).

So, what am I doing wrong? And how should I go about determining the correct fork height?

Or, I suppose, what is the proper procedure for aligning the forks from "scratch?"

[bikerphil]

The correct height should be top of the fork tubes flush with the top triple tree. You can slide them up some if you want the bike a bit lower or want quicker steering. Make sure they are both equal measurement. With the top TT clamp pinch bolts tight and the lower ones loose (no weight on the front), the alignment can be straightened out. I use a plate glass against the fronts of the two tubes, when it lays perfectly flat without rocking, the front is aligned. Standing in front of the bike with the tire between your knees, twist the handlebars in the direction you need to go. Tighten everything up before riding of course.

[motoman]

I presume the front wheel is still aligned with the wacky tapered brake pads and bolted in place correctly? If so, I would remove the fender, tighten and torque tripple clamps to forks, then tweak the fender as needed so it bolts up freely and is aligned over wheel center.

[D0wn5h1ft]

My forks are dead on and wheel is perfectly centered but my fender is off a tad after slide down my forks ~1" if that makes you feel any better.

Can't figure out why the fender wants to do it's own thing...probably because I don't run a fork brace and it's a little bent. Nice part is you can only tell if you're standing up while riding, looking down at the front wheel

[mesmeridicus]

Alright. I'm off work at four, I'll try that. Remove fender, then tighten the lower triple tree, then upper. I'm still unsure how much space I should have between the lower triple tree and fork boots though?

[D0wn5h1ft]

Alright. I'm off work at four, I'll try that. Remove fender, then tighten the lower triple tree, then upper. I'm still unsure how much space I should have between the lower triple tree and fork boots though?

That will change because that's the part of the fork that compresses.........

Align the caps with the top tree and you're good...

[mesmeridicus]

That will change because that's the part of the fork that compresses.........

Align the caps with the top tree and you're good...

Okay. thanks. I'll post back with confirmation.

[D0wn5h1ft]

Okay. thanks. I'll post back with confirmation.

If you can, take pictures too! Everyone loves pictures and they'll help clear up any discrepancies.

[mesmeridicus]

Followed procedure, reassembled everything. Turns out the damn clip ons won't fit due to the shape of the triple tree, put on the old bars. Oh well, I'll order that universal headlight clamp and put them on another time.

Seem to have fixed fender warp and most other issues. My only remaining concern is, and I could be imagining this, the feeling of the front end being lower than before. I'm assuming that if this is the case it's likely due to the fact that the whole front end compressed the forks when I messed up and loosed the triple trees with the bike on the side stand (dumb). It stayed compressed for an hour or two before I could get it up on the center stand. I'm hoping it just needs some more air (no oil leaked).

Thanks guys.

[mesmeridicus]

Just rode 'er again. Feeling easier to turn than before. Wobbled my bars a bit at about 30-40 mph to see how it would feel, seemed less stable. Again, could be imagination but as a mistake at speed here would be serious worth investigating. Both forks are set to the same height. Everything is torqued properly. Is it possible I set the lower triple tree incorrectly? Too high or low?

What should the distance between the upper and lower triple tree be?

[motoman]

Just rode 'er again. Feeling easier to turn than before. Wobbled my bars a bit at about 30-40 mph to see how it would feel, seemed less stable. Again, could be imagination but as a mistake at speed here would be serious worth investigating. Both forks are set to the same height. Everything is torqued properly. Is it possible I set the lower triple tree incorrectly? Too high or low?

What should the distance between the upper and lower triple tree be?

It's a fixed cast piece, there is no 'setting of it'.
Also, your forks didn't compress, tripple tree slid down the sliders.
If you wanna see how much flex of the forks there is without a fork brace, put bike on centerstand, stand beside it jerking the one bar back and forth while watching front of tire and fender.

[mesmeridicus]

It's a fixed cast piece, there is no 'setting of it'.
Also, your forks didn't compress, tripple tree slid down the sliders.
If you wanna see how much flex of the forks there is without a fork brace, put bike on centerstand, stand beside it jerking the one bar back and forth while watching front of tire and fender.

So the lighter steering is all in my head? That's good.

[James England]

It probably is. With all tweaks and adjustments, it is possible to focus much more consciously on the thing that's just been done and 'notice' all sorts of things that seem to have resulted from the tweak which were, in actual fact, there before but which went unnoticed because they weren't under scrutiny....if you see what I mean?

On one occasion I found the handling of a bike to be slightly different after I'd done a particular adjustment. It was only when I got back home that I remembered that, whilst I'd been thinking about just how I was going to do the job, and what tools I'd need, I hadn't actually done it!