Fork Alignment

freqrider

So... I have to admit, since I put my 888 back together after a little upset. (OOpsie!) I noticed my bike would pull to the left slightly and the top yoke was off a little from center when going straight. I must say, I was worried I had bent the frame. I then found this youTube video on how to align the front forks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSunBRB6-r8

I performed said procedure, bounced up and down on the paddock stand a bunch, as advised, tightened everything back up and VOILA! It rides straight as a pin again! Aligning the skewed rear wheel didn't hurt either 😁
Glad to know it wasn't a bent frame! That would have been sad 🙁

Not sure how it could have been off so much? I measured from the top of the lower yoke to the top of each stanchion with calipers? (As per service manual.) I would think this would be the prevailing measurement? Either way, I can let go of the bars now and not have to lean to the right to keep it going straight! Oh JOY! 😎

brad black

i occasionally have bikes come in and you can see that too much axle is sticking out of the rh fork leg, and the disc will be grinding against the inside of the caliper. amazes me how people put stuff that was fine together so badly at times.

i'd always unbolt the calipers too - the pads and pistons will hold things in a given place to some extent. tighten everything else up before you put the calipers back on.

and, if there's an insert in the fork leg that the axle threads into, like the 41mm showa, don't undo those pinch bolts. well, make sure that insert is fully home in the fork, then don't undo them again. i see them offset, which again offsets evrything and can see discs into calipers.

freqrider

Yes, I undid the calipers, fender even. I just undid the axle pinch bolts on the rt side of fork and loosened the axle a bit, as well as the lower crown pinch bolts. Bounced the bike a few good times on the stand and torqued it all back up. My front axle is pretty flush with the fork leg. Left the inset side be.

freqrider

Followed the service manual to the T. Still came out off until I loosened everything and bounced it up and down.