I used this video after I dropped the bike.
Worked 100%!
Worked 100%!
I need an alignment shop in the New England area
- Thread starter The Mountain
- Start date
VRODE
Easy Does It
I loosen the lower pinch bolts on the bottom triple to align the front wheel. You can take a flat yardstick and tape it to the forks just above the fender. Then align the forks so the yardstick runs parallel to the upper triple. (Hold the wheel stationary and move the handlebars to align the forks) When it’s aligned, tighten the lower pinch bolts.
Is that a turbocharged XJR?
The Mountain
Active Member
Anyone know the triple-clamp stem and the axle torques? Might as well do everything right.
Also, after that video, I've now seen two variations on this process. Another one said to lock the front brakes before bringing the weight of the bike down onto the front wheel, and keeping them locked while working the fork. Obviously that can't be done if the front calipers are loosened up. Is that step more of a personal preference, or is there a justification for loosening up the calipers? To my mind, keeping the calipers tight, and holding the brakes, means you can get more power into pumping the forks to line everything up, but on the other hand, holding the brakes also reduces the amount of twist the fork legs can experience, because even with the axle loosened, the front wheel will still hold a set position relative to the fork lowers.
Also, after that video, I've now seen two variations on this process. Another one said to lock the front brakes before bringing the weight of the bike down onto the front wheel, and keeping them locked while working the fork. Obviously that can't be done if the front calipers are loosened up. Is that step more of a personal preference, or is there a justification for loosening up the calipers? To my mind, keeping the calipers tight, and holding the brakes, means you can get more power into pumping the forks to line everything up, but on the other hand, holding the brakes also reduces the amount of twist the fork legs can experience, because even with the axle loosened, the front wheel will still hold a set position relative to the fork lowers.
Last edited:
Use the serachbox above and type: useful torque figures. Its’s the 4th post that appears.
Stefan
patrickg450
Well-Known Member
And hey guys, let's give the OP a break.......
For all we know he is a kick ass accountant or a brain surgeon. Maybe he has little to no experience doing his own maintenance on his scooter. We all had to be told how to do this at one point in our life, most of us have years of experience, so we learned this when we were younger. And now it is "obvious" to us, this could be his first ADV or off-road bike.
Either way, he asked a question and was not to comfortable with the answer so he had some additional questions/responses. Do we want to keep him from asking the ST community next time because we flamed him? NO.
Give the directions a whirl bro, check your torques, test the brakes and make sure the bike is good and go for a ride
For all we know he is a kick ass accountant or a brain surgeon. Maybe he has little to no experience doing his own maintenance on his scooter. We all had to be told how to do this at one point in our life, most of us have years of experience, so we learned this when we were younger. And now it is "obvious" to us, this could be his first ADV or off-road bike.
Either way, he asked a question and was not to comfortable with the answer so he had some additional questions/responses. Do we want to keep him from asking the ST community next time because we flamed him? NO.
Give the directions a whirl bro, check your torques, test the brakes and make sure the bike is good and go for a ride
scott123007
Well-Known Member
Oldrider, you do have front end alignment tools. I think I saw them in your shop on the shelf next to the muffler bearing synchronizer and blinker fluid.
Donk
Well-Known Member
The sad part is all S10s come with the front end out of wack. Don't know if its how they crate them or some jig is wacked at the factory but never seen one out of the box that wasn't twisted.
jrusell
Well-Known Member
As mentioned by Bigguy, take the wheel off and check it like this.
When the glass plate lays flat and doesn't rock your forks are good.
When the glass plate lays flat and doesn't rock your forks are good.
With no fairing.
The Mountain
Active Member
Well, last weekend I bit the bullet and tried my hand at aligning the front end. I was able to obtain the use of a couple of torque wrenches for the work. Going by the video mostly worked, other than bouncing the front end. I don't have a stand or lift, so I had to have a second pair of hands to balance the bike, and between me and the weight of the bike, keeping everything balanced was difficult. I ended up doing a lot of the aligning by hand standing in front of the bike.
One of the biggest setbacks was having to find a shallow 36mm socket for the steering stem nut, and the torque wrench I started with only went to 75ft/lb so I had to do the final tightening by guesswork initially. I did get a larger wrench later, and retorqued everything properly. I went over a bit on the steering stem, and I got pretty close on the lower tree clamp bolts and the axle pinch bolts, but re-did them anyway too. They don't feel as though they're as tight as they would need to be, but apparently it's enough. The front wheel definitely tracks much better now, and the bars are straight.
One of the biggest setbacks was having to find a shallow 36mm socket for the steering stem nut, and the torque wrench I started with only went to 75ft/lb so I had to do the final tightening by guesswork initially. I did get a larger wrench later, and retorqued everything properly. I went over a bit on the steering stem, and I got pretty close on the lower tree clamp bolts and the axle pinch bolts, but re-did them anyway too. They don't feel as though they're as tight as they would need to be, but apparently it's enough. The front wheel definitely tracks much better now, and the bars are straight.