Question Fork/Handlebar twist?


Elmojo

Member
Hi all,
I apologize if this has been covered previously. I did a search and didn't see anything about this specific issue.
I'm considering buying a 2010 FZ6R. It's in decent shape, other than some cosmetic damage due to (according to the current owner) a tip over in a parking garage.
I took it for a test drive today, and noticed that the handlebars seem to be twisted to the right by about 3-degrees. I also noticed that the 'peak' on the front fender doesn't quite line up with the centerline of the front tire.
While driving, I didn't notice any real headshake, and the bike seemed to track pretty true.
Am I looking at a bent fork, or could there be something else that's causing the misalignment?
Is there any sort of adjustment anywhere that would allow me to correct this?
 

bigddy263

Member
Hi all,
I apologize if this has been covered previously. I did a search and didn't see anything about this specific issue.
I'm considering buying a 2010 FZ6R. It's in decent shape, other than some cosmetic damage due to (according to the current owner) a tip over in a parking garage.
I took it for a test drive today, and noticed that the handlebars seem to be twisted to the right by about 3-degrees. I also noticed that the 'peak' on the front fender doesn't quite line up with the centerline of the front tire.
While driving, I didn't notice any real headshake, and the bike seemed to track pretty true.
Am I looking at a bent fork, or could there be something else that's causing the misalignment?
Is there any sort of adjustment anywhere that would allow me to correct this?
Layed mine down when I had it. The handlebars are rubber mounted. Loosen the mounts, retighten... and voila! Where the mounts attach to the upper tripletree, and where the risers grab the handlebar.
 

Elmojo

Member
Cool. I hope it's that simple. :)
I decided to take a chance on the bike, so I'll have it tomorrow. I can check it out once I have it in my shop. As long as nothing is damaged, I should be able to straighten it back up, maybe.
 

bigddy263

Member
Best of luck to you. My clutch lever, and shifter were bent in my lay down also, you might want to check those out if it went left. I re-bent the shifter on mine, but had to replace the clutch lever (cheap)
 

Elmojo

Member
Yeah, thanks. I think the clutch lever is bent, not sure about the shifter. I plan to replace the brake and clutch levers anyway, mostly for looks and adjustability.
I'm surprised at the lack of traffic on this site. Is there another place where everyone discusses these bikes more actively?
 

Elmojo

Member
So I found a video online about how to align forks that have been tweaked by an impact. That seemed to be my issue, so I followed the instructions.
I loosened everything up - the mid-clamp, right leg pinch bolt, brake caliper bolts, fender screws (basically everything except the top tree clamps) and did the "CPR" motion. It's basically just putting repeated sharp downward pressure on the top of the tripletree, to allow the forks to auto-align. Sounds reasonable, except it didn't seem to make any difference on my bike.
I'm wondering now if I have actual fork damage. :confused:
What's the easiest way to find out? I don't have any sort of stands to support the bike, so completely pulling one or both of the tubes could be tricky. I also don't have any friends to help, so I'm doing it all solo.
Any advice?
 

Elmojo

Member
I think I have most of the twist worked out of the forks. The procedure noted earlier about just loosening things up and pumping the forks to let them auto-align did not work for me. I ended up having to loosen every bolt and nut I could think of (except the top 2 triple tree clamps of course), bracing the front wheel with my legs, grabbing the handlebars, and really cranking on it. It took quite a bit of force, but I pretty much got all the twist out. There's still a tiny bit of misalignment, but it's not enough to worry about. Just posting this in case someone else run into the same issue later.
 

Jerzee55

Active Member
You might measure the amount of fork through the top triple clamp, to see if they are identical. I think if one moved 'up' when the forks were twisted, it would throw off your alignment. If you have a way to support the frame while you do it, it might pay to loosen the top triple clam as well, loose fit the front end, and re-torque your bolts at that point? Just my 2 cents . :) Jerry
 

Elmojo

Member
Thanks Jerry. That was actually one of the first things I checked. Yes, they have the same amount of protrusion on each side through the triple tree.
I looked into loosening the top clamps yesterday, but this bike doesn't seem to have any way to place a jack or supports from the underside. It's a really strange design.
You'd have to hang it somehow from the top, and I don't have any sort of overhead crane. ;)
 

Jerzee55

Active Member
I understand. I use a front triple tree stand, from venom which doubles as a front stand that hooks under the suspension as well. I do know guys who have suspended the front to the garage roof with straps, or use a jack stand with a board on top under the engine, after removing fairings... not the best solution. It 'may' be worth looking at the triple tree stand, so you can check each side of the fork for 'true', to make certain nothing is bent up, which you should be able to do with a good straight edge as well. :) Best of luck, and I hope you sort it out safely. :) Jerry
 

Elmojo

Member
I have the Venom front and rear stands, but not the triple tree version. Do you have a link? I'd be interested to check it out maybe.
I don't think I have anything to hang it from, none of my garage supports are exposed, and I don't the the wife would take kindly to me screwing eye bolts into the joists.
Besides, prefab roof trusses aren't rated for bottom loading. That's a good way to end up with an expensive home repair bill. o_O
 

Jerzee55

Active Member
Venom Triple Tree 'attachment' That attaches to your Front stand, rather than the fork lifting parts. I cannot remember the diameter of the triple tree, so check that out before ordering. They sell two versions, the same stand, but with a differing range of 'adapters' to fit Triple trees. I will warn you in advance that the TT stand 'may' put pressure on your headlight assembly, so you may need to kludge something. It caused no damage on my bike, but was concerning. If you order directly from the manufacturer, rather than their Ebay or Amazon location, use code Giveme10 for a 10% discount. https://www.kapscomoto.com/ca/garage-equipment/motorcycle-tools/stands/venom-motorcycle-triple-tree-headlift-lift-stand-attachment-for-motorcycle-front-wheel-lift-stand.html
 

Rman

New Member
I know this is late and of no help to you- but I got about 200$ knocked off the top of the buying price for mine for the same reason. I thought I was going to have to either replace the handlebar, replace some of the clamps that hold it to the fork, or maybe just loosen the clamps, realign it, and retighten. However, on the ride home from buying it, while sitting at a light, I just oversteered in the opposite direction, gave it a hard jerky push/pull and it re-aligned perfectly... similar to what you do with a bmx or dirt bike when the wheel/handlebars become misaligned.
 

Elmojo

Member
Thanks for the feedback guys!
I've done the loosen/twist/tighten process a couple times, and gotten it mostly back straight, but not totally. I'm not sure if one of the tubes is slightly bent or not. One of these days when I can get some room in my shop, I'm gonna try to support it overhead and remove the forks to check. Until then, I'll just have to live with it being a tiny bit cockeyed... lol
 


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