Front End Alignment

Hi All,
New guy here and just introduced myself. I live rate near a racetrack here in Ontario Canada in Shannonville. Many of you may know it. I hear the bikes all the time :smile:

I am on a very tight budget and just picked up a slightly damaged 86 VF500. I got it home charged the battery and it started rate up. Damage is mostly causmetic (sp).

Except for the steering. I thought it was just a bent or out of alignment left steering arm. Now that I have stripped it down it appears to be more than that. Steering arm, triple tree and forks look straight BUT steering alighment is out on the left side(Bike was dropped on Left). Not sure how to move forward now?? Can I loosen the from end to realign? should I take it to a bike shop? (low funds). If it was a bent part I would ebay it and replace it. I will try and post a few picks.
Side note...I paid $500..not a bad deal I think...runs smooth.

 

What do you mean it is out of alignment?


It doesn't ride straight?

It doesn't look straight?

Did you check the alignment of the front tire in relation to the rear tire?

 

Slowbird,
I havn't driven the bike on the road, just up and down the driveway. It seemed fine.
It doesn't look staight....handle bars in relationship to the tire. I'm not sure how to check the alignment of both tires.
I was reading online last night and am going to try and loosen the triples (seperately) and see if it will "spring back into alignment". May try a little bit of force. Nothing looks bent , twisted or damaged.

 

Cormad,

It is quite easy for the front end to get twisted in a fall. It's just as easy to sort out though as long as nothing is actually bent.

I would do the following,

"The quick and dirty" just like your bicycle when you were a kid.

1. Support the bike so the front end is in the air.
2. Loosen the upper and lower tripples.
3. Stand with the front wheel between your knees and grab the handle bars with your hands.
4. Twist the front end back so that the tire and the bars align
5. Tighten the tripples, starting with the two lower pinch bolts first
6. Ride the bike

If the bike still feels strange you need to investigate deeper for bent triples, damaged forks or steering head damage.

 

Could it be a bent frame as well?

 

Thanks Jethro,
That is what I am going to try tonight. I doubt the frame is bent, the guy told be he dropped it when he went to take off and the bike went side ways on him.

 

Jethro,
pretty sure that worked...hard to tell with the bike stripped. Will update when put back together. I did notice the headlight bracket is slightly bend and I think it gave an illusion the stearing was off a bit. I have a bit of OCD when it comes to things being straight and perpendicular :smile:

 

Super, that's good news!