Steering alignment

[andrew.johnston]

Is there a simple way to check handlebar/forks/front wheel alignment? I had a spill a while ago and it may have twisted the forks slightly. My schoolday geometry is struggling to suggest a way to check it....

[Mick D]

Hi

Clamp straight edges across the sliders and stanchions, (at the top), they should be parallel when viewed down the forks if the forks are aligned.

Regards Mick

[nevhunter]

You may have bent a staunchion. Loosen clamps and turn by the top hex and you will soon see if it's bent. IF it is you must remove it to straighten or replace one or both. If handlebars are at right angles to the wheel all is well..IF you're lucky it may just have twisted in the clamps and if you can hold the wheel firmly, force the bars the other way. If you hit something with a fair bit of force, or endoed it you may have bent the frame. Nev

[andrew.johnston]

Thanks for the advice! It was a very low-speed tumble exiting a roundabout - caused by the sump-plug loosening, falling out and dumping all the oil right onto the rear wheel...... How I managed to leave it loose I'll never know. So I think it most likely that if anything the stanchions have twisted rather than bent. I'll do the (deceptively simple) parallel bar test to find out.

[nevhunter]

They do twist relatively easily. The inverted thicker modern ones are much better in this regard. Nev