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23rd March 2010
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Senior Chief Know It All
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 857
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Crooked steering
this is a totally dumb question but why are my handlebars slightly kicked upwards on the left side after intalling new forks. The trees are perfect yet when driving down ther road the handlebars are not straight. The risers are new the bars are new the trees are new yet it seems a tad crooked. Ive pondered this for a long time but for the life of me I cant figure it out short of tearing it all off again.
Spring needs to come here soon, ive been inside to long.
randy
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23rd March 2010
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Senior Custom Bike Builder
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Spartan Country - Michigan
Posts: 2,619 Sportster/Buell Model: 1200 XLH Sportster/Buell Year: 2002
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put it up on the jack, loosen up everything and let it "settle" in and retighten. remember you have two round tubes that come up through round clamps...held together by a couple of bolts. plus the risers are held by one bolt and fit into a around bar. Lots of round things that can move. even slightly. i have been known to take my dirt bikes to a tree and wedge the front tire and tweak the bars to straighten them out. it could be something not quite straight.
or it could be an optical illusion??
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Denny
"If you're looking for sympathy, you can find it in the dictionary between shit and syphilis."
Old Bubba of the Booze Junkies MC
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23rd March 2010
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Senior Master Custom Bike Builder
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Cornelius, OR
Posts: 3,987
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The last thing you tighten is the tube clamps on the lower tree (after wiggling the bars back and forth to relieve any binding)
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Ryder Rick "If life doesn't kill me, nothing ever will."
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23rd March 2010
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Senior Chief Know It All 2nd Class
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Cabin
Posts: 1,445 Sportster/Buell Model: 1200R Sportster/Buell Year: 2007 Other Motorcycle Model: Honda XL 125 Other Motorcycle Year: 1982
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You might also check to see if your grips are slid on the same if one is 1/2 inch off it will feel that way.
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23rd March 2010
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Rider Of The Iron Steed
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: London, ON Canada
Posts: 23,714 Sportster/Buell Model: XLH Sportster/Buell Year: 1978
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ryder rick
The last thing you tighten is the tube clamps on the lower tree (after wiggling the bars back and forth to relieve any binding)
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+1 on this. |
23rd March 2010
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XL FORUM TEAM MEMBER
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Sunshine Coast
Posts: 1,610 Sportster/Buell Model: XLB, XLCH, Sporton Sportster/Buell Year: 1962 Sportster/Buell Model #2: XLCH Sportster/Buell Year #2: 1966 Other Motorcycle Model: XLCH (Another one) Other Motorcycle Year: 1966
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Your bars only need to be "off" by a micky hair to appear more crooked than a Wall Street Banker. Before 73 the bars are two separate bars and one can be slightly forwards or backwards in relation to the other. If you have one piece bars and they are new Chinese copies, well, say no more.
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"I know only too well the evil that I propose. But my inclinations get the better of me."
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24th March 2010
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Senior Master Custom Bike Builder
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 7,860 Sportster/Buell Model: XLCH 1000 Sportster/Buell Year: 1977 Sportster/Buell Model #2: 75 motor in Norton frame. Other Motorcycle Model: 42WLA 45, Harton, Narley Other Motorcycle Year: 1942
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After doing all of the above, if your bars are still crooked, it is probably the rubber mountings on the handlbar clamps. Cure is to loosen off the nuts underneath the bar clamps under the top triple tree, and the allen bolts that clamp the bars. Then twist the bars around straight and hold them there while tightening the nuts and bolts up.
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In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.
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