Forks poking through yokes - question

[ChrisCurvyS]

Managed to drop my new Fazer 1000 turning right across a dual carriageway in a hurry. Span up the rear on cold tyres - throttle control perhaps not perfect since my crash due to a wrist injury.

Luckily, the handlebar took the brunt and just ended up out of alignment with the front wheel and slightly bent, with the usual chewed-up bar end.

To fix the alignment, I slackened off all the clamps at the yokes (together with the clamps holding the bars in place) and pressed down on everything several times. This seems to have sorted it but I was daft enought to slacken off the clamps too much on one side so the right fork shot through the top yoke by about 2cm.

Problem is, it won't seem to go down again - tried slacking everything off, lifting up the front end by the handlebar and pulling down on the front wheel, but it won't budge. Am I missing something or is it just a case of more brute force needed, perhaps with an extra pair of hands?

If it makes any odds, bizarrely it seems to ride perfectly well like this, with no vibrations or pulling to one side.

[Red Herring]

HI Chris, If just one leg has slipped up it means that even with the front wheel off the ground there will still be some compression in the other one, and this tends to induce enough twist in the affair for the one you want to push back down not to want to move!

You need to get the front of the bike properly supported (Unfortunately I don't think the Fazer has a centre stand does it?) then slacken off all four clamps on the forks. They should then even up and you can move them up or down as a pair to get them where you want. Using a twisting motion on the leg helps as you try and move it.

[ChrisCurvyS]

Many thanks for the advice RH - much appreciated.

Thankfully the Fazer 1 does have a centrestand but it leaves some weight on the front wheel, so I gather from what you're saying that a carefully-placed jack under the sump or frame at the front would be in order?

Will try that with the twisting motion - was just expecting it to slide straight down when I picked up the front but good to hear that's not necessarily the case. I also wondered if slacking off the front wheel spindle would help as that presumably holds the fork legs in place to some extent?

[Red Herring]

That's good news about the centre stand, makes things SO much easier. Yes, either a jack or similar under the headers or just get someone to push down on the back of the bike, it's only going to take a couple of seconds to do. You shouldn't need to slacken off the spindle, just make sure the clamps are slack enough. Sometimes you need to use a screwdriver to "wedge" then a bit just to get them free initially (use it vertically not straight in towards the stanchion!).

[ChrisCurvyS]

Originally Posted by Red Herring

That's good news about the centre stand, makes things SO much easier. Yes, either a jack or similar under the headers or just get someone to push down on the back of the bike, it's only going to take a couple of seconds to do. You shouldn't need to slacken off the spindle, just make sure the clamps are slack enough. Sometimes you need to use a screwdriver to "wedge" then a bit just to get them free initially (use it vertically not straight in towards the stanchion!).

Good job you clarified as I'm probably mechanically inept enough to have done that! Thanks, will give it a go.

Yeah, centrestands make life so much easier. When I had to lift the front of the SV I took to erecting a medieval-style scaffolding made up of sticks, weightlifting bars and ropes tied to the garden fence.

Crude but effective.

[ChrisCurvyS]

Thanks RH - as you predicted, slight wiggle with the front wheel completely off the ground and it slid down no problem.

Took it for a ride and all seemed well with no vibrations or pulling to one side. Could I just ask a quick question drawing on your professional knowledge - could I be doing anything naughty by riding with a slightly bent handlebar until I replace it in a few days or so?

I imagine it would be very much a grey area - I can't see how it's dangerous. I suppose a bent piece of metal could be more likely to break under stress, like very hard braking, but since I've learned that motorcycle forks are held on by six Ikea screws I don't think I'll be doing any more of that.

[Red Herring]

Provided you still have full unrestricted movement of the steering and there are no sharp "dangerous parts" then there shouldn't be any issues.