When I'm riding down the road, the top triple tree is off to the right. I feel like my handlebars are pointing right also, but I have ruled out bent handlebars because the top triple tree is pointing to the right. If I even try to move it to where the top triple tree is alligned the bike feels like it is going to go out of control. If it is in the garage, I can put it on center stand, then point the top triple tree to where it is alligned and walk in front of the bike and the wheel is noticably off to the left. Also, if I'm sitting on the bike I can see that the forks are not alligned, the one on my right is out in front more than the one on my left.
I have had a bike mechanic to the house and he thought it might be the front end needed adjusting. Didnt work. I just got it back from the Suzuki shop and even though they said it was fixed, it is not. They said they just loosened up the front end and everything falls into place. That didnt happen. I asked if they had test driven it and they said they did. Regardless, it is still not fixed.
So here is my question. I want to keep this bike (GS500F yellow there are pics of mine on this site somewhere) and I would like to have this problem fixed, although it is something I can live with I suppose. I just dont want to put a bunch of money toward it again. Figure the mechanic and the shop have cost me about $300 and have not fixed this problem. I'm not sure what I'm asking. If someone knows somewhere here in Ohio, close to Dayton or the vicinity, that specializes in front end alligning/fork/triple tree stuff, I would appreciate contact information. If you guys have contact information or pricing on somewhere I can ship the front end to have whatever fixed, I would appreciate that. If someone here does somethign like that and would want to mess with it over the winter, I would appreciate knowing. Like I said, it is something I can live with, but it is my bike and so its kind of a pride thing. No one else rides it, but even though its just me, it is something that bothers me a bit.
If anyone wonders if I have wrecked it or dropped it, the answer is no. The previous owner that I purchased it from said that he put it down in gravel, which is why I posted the pics of the new paint job.
Are you sure the "butt dyno" is right? Maybe it is aligned correctly.
I get that same misalignment feeling from time to time, but then I notice the wind beating down on me or a slanted road or some such nonsense.
There's a metal plate on top of the fender that holds the forks together down there. Check that out, if it's bent I'd peg that as the culprit. Check to make sure it has all the little bolts too.
Check the top of the forks to see that they are level in the triples. (One might be further up than the other?)
Even though the bike shop said they did it I'd loosen the triples MYSELF (with the bike supported properly so it doesn't drop straight down the tubes! YIKES!) and see if that fixed it. (This is not hard AT ALL) and 300 bucks? You could have gotten a used front off somebody for that, and if nothing else works that might be your best bet.
put it on the center stand loosen off all the bolts holding the fork legs in place as well as the axle and mud guard, allign every thing bak to center and then retighten every thing,
thats all you can do and should solve your problem unless something is bent
I am not visualizing your misalignment problem.
It is possible to have the tubes corrrectly inserted into the clamps but rotated as a pair and causing misalignment. There is no connecting member between the clamp asssemblies other than the tubes. They share the steering stem, but only because of the stem nut.
The spacer plate -- actually nothing more than a fender mount -- adds little to front end rigidity or alignment. On my 90 project, I have two of them stacked up and may add a third before I'm finished. A proper aftermarket clamp/fender mount would probably sell well if the price could be made reasonable.
The handle bars and mount are held onto the top clamp with two bolts surrounded by rubber dampers. Make sure they are tight.
Pictures would help here is you can post.
Alright GET READY TO CRINGE!
I took this picture straight on in line with the body/frame of the bike....the front wheel looks like this if I have the triple tree on top (handlebars and triple tree) alligned straight w bike:
(http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/1599/dsc05884wo4.th.jpg) (http://img139.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc05884wo4.jpg)
(http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/4666/dsc05884mk0.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
And here is what I am seeing when I allign the handlebars/top triple tree....see the forks...the right one is out further than the left....YES, it is noticable
(http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/33/dsc05881sk6.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/33/dsc05881sk6.th.jpg) (http://img166.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc05881sk6.jpg)
So you see why the bike makes me ride w the steering mechanism turned to the right. Lined up straight (or what should be straight) it would send me in a bad angle off to the left.
I am replacing the cowling arm and windshield this week. I should be able to take better pics of the wheel thing, but that should make my situation pretty plain to see.
seems the left fork is up and the right one down twisting the wheel to the left. bad springs and or seals or even a bent fork. had it been down or hit any thing?
that guy lied he hit somthing with it, and the forks are bent, if you have full coverage i could clame you hit a dog and it needs to be fixed. other wise look for some new forks or used.
loosen up the bolts and do as i say, your bottom yolk isn't alligned with the top one, :d
Quote from: hmmmnz on September 26, 2006, 09:31:45 AM
loosen up the bolts and do as i say, your bottom yolk isn't alligned with the top one, :d
+1 with this idea. Thanks for the pics and wow is that misaligned! :o
How can you even ride like that?
What hmmmnz is saying make sense. I said that the tube can be rotated, but really meant that the two tube yolks -- clamps -- can be misaligned causing this. They are not locked together and only have the steering stem and fork tubes as connecting members. Since all three are round -- and I'm also +1 with rangerbrown on this -- I think the bike impacted something and torqued the assembly.
CLICK HERE (http://www.vtxstar.com/sitebuilderImages/OEM%20steering.GIF) for an OEM breakdown of the steering head with bolt torque values.
This is for the US pre-2003 model and if you had your body panels off, I suspect what you need to adjust would be more obvious. Sounds like you are onto it. Let us know if you need more information.
The front axle is in backwards, someone has had that apart. Looks like maybe too much twist to just spring back in place, something could be bent. I'd put on centerstand and put blocks under exhaust pipes to hang front end. Remove front wheel (check for bent axle), remove fork brace and fender, and loosen fork tube clamps and the bolt at top of steering stem. Then rotate fork tubes too see if straight or bent. They can be a bit tight in the loosened clamps but you can rotate with 1/2 drive ratchet in tube top cap socket.
If tubes are straight, tighten up and put back together. Be a good idea to look at parts fiche to make sure all parts are there and in right places.
Pics I took tonite after removing the fairing. It turns out the cowling arm (fairing support) is not bent, rather the part on the frame that it bolts onto. Here is the bike with the top triple tree alligned. Clear to see why I have to ride w bars facing to the right. Its scary I rode this thing at 80, 90, 100 mph.
(http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/7149/dsc05885bw1.th.jpg) (http://img83.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc05885bw1.jpg)
(http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/7149/dsc05885bw1.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Closer pic of how bad it is off.
(http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/5600/dsc05886tc0.th.jpg) (http://img132.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc05886tc0.jpg)
(http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/5600/dsc05886tc0.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
I took this at what should be the right angle when the top triple tree is alligned. I think the left (sitting on the bike facing forward) fork is bent. Just a theory right now.
(http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/9952/dsc05888kj5.th.jpg) (http://img177.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc05888kj5.jpg)
(http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/9952/dsc05888kj5.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Lastly, this is what is on the fork assembly at the bottom. Does anyone know what this symbol is? I'm thinking these forks are not even Suzuki! Motherfucker! I would like to sue the @$$hole I bought this bike off of.
(http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/4055/dsc05889mj1.th.jpg) (http://img177.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc05889mj1.jpg)
(http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/4055/dsc05889mj1.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Ok , I get it, the axle (bar that runs through the wheel, is probably bent. I hope that is what youre saying.
starwalt, those parts to the left and right of "G" in the link you provided do not appear to even be there....
I'll try to get the rest apart. It is seriously $%&$ up.
One more thing, what is the yolk? Sorry, I'm not good at bike part identification.
Thanks guys.
Front axle is the part the wheel rotates on, part 4 here:
http://images.powersportsnetwork.com/fiche/images/Suzuki/2004/Motorcycles/7247_46.gif
Those don't look like Suzuki forks, here's pic in parts fiche.
http://images.powersportsnetwork.com/fiche/images/Suzuki/2004/Motorcycles/7247_44A.gif
Find parts here:
http://www.mrcycles.com/fiche_select.asp?vcc=Motorcycles&mfg=Suzuki&year=2004
Cripes, so if they are not suzuki forks, the axle I may or may not need I have no idea, right? This really sucks now.
If anyone has an inkling on where to get a good set of new or used forks for less than an arm, please let me know. I couldnt even find them on the parts supplier web site, but I'm guessing they're pretty expensive.
gsJack, I see what you are talking about now. The axle really is backwards, I wonder if that makes a difference? How the HELL could they charge me at the Suzuki dealership for a front end "tweak" and this is what I have? How could they not see this crap??????????????????????
One last thing....is there any legal action I could take to get money back from the seller for this bullcrap? He said he had droppped it in gravel. Clearly a lie. I'm wondering what the insurance co, the title dept, the bmv, the bank, etc would have to say. Should I approach him or get a lawyer? I'm so pissed right now I cant see straight...........
those are factory foks guys i have the same grafic on mine.
i still say this bike has been down and or hit a curb at some point
That's good news, my newest GS500 is an 02 and the fork sliders don't have that grafic; they started assemblying the GS's in Spain about the time the F model came out and forks were purchased from a EU supplier after that.
middlem2 , don't get too upset till you check this out; I bought my 02 from a dealer with a twist in the forks like that but not as bad. Saw it when I test rode it and knew how simple the fix was since I had straightened up my 97 GS front by loosening up the parts as described above. It also had a bent foot peg on the left side and I had already straightened one on the 97 GS after the 03 crash and it was rather simple to do also.
The axle in backwards shouldn't cause the problem, just indicates it's been apart before. It's slightly possible the axle is bent but much more likely a fork tube is bent if anything. Gotta loosen it all up and check it out. Do that first to see how you stand on this.
I think its a bent tube, they usually bend at the weakest spot about an inch or so above the fork leg. A slight bend is very difficult to determine by eye. Get the forks off and apart and roll the tubes on a very flat surface, a sheet of glass is ideal but a flat table top will do just as well . Any bends or distortion will be obvious. Do the same thing with the axlebolt but if it is bent it will be difficult to remove as it will be out of line with the wheel bearings. At the same time check the clamps for hairline cracks and junk them if they are. Plenty of specialist firms will straighten forks for you, I did a quick search and found this outfit.
http://www.motorcycleframeman.com/sport001.html
ya the guy could have jumped a curb, it wouldnt cause him to go down but maybe enough to bend the forks. Hope you get it fixed some times soon.
Problem is found. We checked the forks, after pulling them...they are straight. The axle WAS in backwards AND it is horribly bent and twisted. This caused the forks to twist to accomodate it, I believe. This is great news, as it is a $25 part. I will be getting back into it today a little. Part is on order. Thanks guys!
I cant believe a supposedly experienced mechanic did not pick up on this when he made the initial examination. I would be demanding to know how and why he missed something as obvious as a bent axlebolt.
I'll shoot a short video and post the link to the host for it tomorrow. That axle is pretty amazing!
My bike waiting on front axle. I went ahead and put the new windshield on while I was at it. Looks great. I'm not sure how the front axle could be bent so badly without the forks or anything else going with it, but there really is no telling what has been done. The only thing I really need is some of those black plastic snap things for the underside of the fairing, if anyone knows where I can get them, please let me know. Suzuki shop said they do not take front wheel off when "tweaking" front end. I argued but its like talking to the wall. I'm tempted to take it and throw it through a window while I'm there.
(http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/958/dsc05895nm8.th.jpg) (http://img299.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc05895nm8.jpg)
(http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/958/dsc05895nm8.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
My wifes bike...while I'm posting photos...Kawasaki Vulcan 500LTD.
(http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/903/dsc05894cn0.th.jpg) (http://img369.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc05894cn0.jpg)
(http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/903/dsc05894cn0.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Here's the video of my front axle..it is pretty obvious it is bent (unless you work as a Suzuki mechanic)....about 1/2 inch bend....LOL....
http://video.tinypic.com/player.php?v=3310gvd
Finally, thank you all for your help!
Wow that was bent! Good eye GSJack! :thumb:
The service manuals all discuss checking the run out on the axle bolt. Spec is 0.25mm (0.010 in). I'd say yours fails that and then some.
No doubt the previous owner hit something. You should also check the front wheel for bends too...unless it is not the original wheel. :dunno_white:
Quote from: middlem2 on September 30, 2006, 09:29:07 AM
My wifes bike...while I'm posting photos...Kawasaki Vulcan 500LTD.
(http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/903/dsc05894cn0.th.jpg) (http://img369.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc05894cn0.jpg)
That's one of my favorite cruisers. :thumb: Facing the fact that I might be forced to lower myself to a cruiser one of these years, I check them out at the bike show every year.
The Vulcan 500 would be the closest thing to a GS500 in the cruiser world. Similar engine characteristics all around, rpm's, shift speeds performance curves, etc.
Could be I just like 500cc twins? :laugh:
You guys know where I can get the black plastic rivots besides Suzuki? I tried Ace and Auto Parts, but they didnt have them. I guess I could suck it up and get them from suzuki.
The Vulcan has a pretty cool sound to it. I believe it is the same engine as the Ninja 500. Needs a windshield, but that's another project for another day....maybe over this winter.
Got the new axle today....put it on....son of a Buddha Loves You if the steering is still off slightly to the right. I am in shock right now. I'm not sure what else I can do minus loosening up the trees again, putting the wheel between my legs and yanking it to hopefully get it to set right. This is really disappointing, to say the least.
Quote from: middlem2 on October 03, 2006, 02:11:56 PM
Got the new axle today....put it on....son of a Buddha Loves You if the steering is still off slightly to the right. I am in shock right now. I'm not sure what else I can do minus loosening up the trees again, putting the wheel between my legs and yanking it to hopefully get it to set right. This is really disappointing, to say the least.
That is the way it is done, you can't align everything properly until all the parts in at least "good" condition. ;)
Loosen the trees, get it straight, tighten it up, and you should be good to go. :cheers: (Unless something else is bent also. :icon_rolleyes:)
Alright, will loosen everything up today...see where its at. I'm hoping, really hoping this does it. You cannot imagine how bad I was freaking yesterday when I got the wheel on and started down the road....only to see it like that. I'll post an update hopefully later today or tomorrow.
Alright, need legal advice. I am thinking small claims court. Had mechanic over today and something is wrong. Looks like maybe the middle triple tree and perhaps the one under the top. We loosened up everything and cranked the wheel, then tightened everything up. Probably will go back since it seems to have a memory. Either way, it is not right, and it most definitely had been wrecked.
I have found emails from the seller saying that it had been dropped, and dropped only. I"m not sure what I should claim in court for what I want, but I would like to give the bike back or perhaps hammer him for $1k. What I have put in the bike is $100 at dealership, $170ish mechanic, 35 part + shipping, and a whole lot of tinkering, hair pulling, and stress. It really needs a new front end. I made a copy of the title today and stopped in sm claims ct to ask questions, to which they replied they cant give legal advice. Court cost to file is $50 for claims up to $1k.
Please can someone suggest course of action and how I need to document and how to ask for cost of work, stress, and it still not being right. I also would like to find a police report or hospital record that he was there, obviously there should be from such a major crash, although it is possible that he could have walked away I suppose. May I remind you he said, and documented in email, that the bike was only dropped. Man I'm glad I kept the emails.
Thanks for the help again.
Quote from: middlem2 on October 03, 2006, 02:11:56 PM
Got the new axle today....put it on....son of a Buddha Loves You if the steering is still off slightly to the right. I am in shock right now. I'm not sure what else I can do minus loosening up the trees again, putting the wheel between my legs and yanking it to hopefully get it to set right. This is really disappointing, to say the least.
What does "steering is still off slightly" mean, how much off? It was off a whole big bunch before so I assume you mean it's now off much less than shown in your pics. Mine's off a little bit, so little that it's about the same or less than many new bikes that I've sat on at the dealer showrooms or at the bike shows. They just don't turn out perfect. I don't know if there is a spec for it, but it wouldn't be 90* +/- 0* between the handlebar and the front wheel.
How's your rear wheel alignment, have you checked it? If the rear wheel is off slightly to the right, then you will be turning the front wheel slightly to the right to go straight down the road. Make sure your rear wheel is aligned as well as possible. I align with the swing arm marks making sure the plates with the index notches are turned to take out freeplay in same direction on both sides. Rotate the left side plate clockwise and the right side plate counterclockwise and snug down and then adjust square to the marks. I've been known to road test and go back and make a bit of correction in the rear alignment to straighten the bars a bit. ;)
What does it most definetly had been wrecked mean? Was there evidence of damaged parts found by the mechanic? Remember the dealer's mechanic looked at it and said it only needed tweaked a bit and it had a bent axle he didn't discover. Your guess is as good as the mechanics in many cases, that's why I do my own work and skip paying for the mechanic's guess.
It is about where it was before. Picture this, the front axle will not go in from the right to the left because the forks are so misalligned. It does go in backwards, from the left to the right because the spacer helps it line up a bit more. What we're seeing is a triple tree that is probably bent. I would say if I loosened up everything again it will go back to about 25* off to the right which is not acceptable.
Rear wheel allignment is fine. I have checked this but it does not pertain to the problem. The front wheel is cocked one way and the handlebars must be cocked the other to compensate when I'm going down the road. If you sit on the bike and look, the fork seals are not even across, but the right is wayyy out front of the left, hence the wheel is pointing left and I must point the handlebars right to get the bike to go straight.
I have taken pictures, I have emails. And I quote from December 7, 2005.
"Well, I paid $4,700 for the bike brand new this year, and the NADA (what Banks use to determine the value of cars kind of like Kelly Blue BooK) value is $3,500. I am only looking for $3,000 because i am buying my uncles truck, which hes only charging me $3,000 for. My reserve price is just a shade lower than $3,000 at $2,900. I should have my digital camera back tomorrow from my buddy to get better pics of the tires for you.
p.s. And nothing is bent that will affect the driving. Other than the fairing scratches youd never know the bike ever fell over."
The fell over part is where I am paying attention to. Basically, as proof, I have a bent axle, mechanic receipts (from Suzuki and independent mech.), and a bike that is not right. I dont like stressing about this bike when I'm going down the road and even though it is straight now, there is no telling when it will go back because of the bent tree(s) which stresses me out in the back of my head.
What am I looking at in court?
When you took it apart to check it you found the bent axle and said you checked the fork tubes and they are straight, not bent. Don't see how a drop or collision could bend the trees without bending the fork tubes. What makes you think the trees are bent, can you see a bend in them? They could be twisted out of alignment with the top tree rotated a bit about the steering stem. This can happen from a simple drop and when everything is loosened up and springs back in place and then you tighten it back up it should remain aligned unless you have another drop. You said:
"I dont like stressing about this bike when I'm going down the road and even though it is straight now, there is no telling when it will go back because of the bent tree(s) which stresses me out in the back of my head."
If it is straight now and if you weren't applying some twisting force to it while you tightened it up again, then why would it go back to twisted again? It went to it's relaxed position when you loosened it up.
Did you loosen the large chrome plated bolt head that clamps the top tree to the steering stem when you had it all loosened? If so and if the fork tubes aren't bent, then the trees should be in alignment now since they are located from the tubes.
If you can put the axle in backwards, then you should be able to put it in the right way. Are you taking the brake caliper off while putting in the axle? I would take the wheel off again and move it aside and see if the axle will slip freely thru the holes in the fork sliders without the wheel. If so it will go thru the right way with the wheel in place. Loosen the clamp bolt at the bottom of the disc side fork tube and remove the adjustment sleeve from it while you put the wheel and axle in place; should go easy that way with the big hole to aim for and then slip the sleeve onto the axle and into the hole in the slider. Tighten the axle nut before you tighten the pinch bolt and it will set the right space for the wheel assembly.
I don't know anything about small claims court except it surely would take a lot more time and trouble than it would to finish up the job now unless you know the trees are somehow actually bent.
The only reason things are alligned right now is because both of us physically had to hold and tighten things up. If you can imagine one guy in front, wheel between legs cranking handlebars as hard as he can while the other guy is then tightening up the center screw and all the triple trees. Even with the new axle it was as bad as it was in the first picture. Minus a whole new front end, maybe even then, I cant fully trust my bike. I rode it for 1/2 an hour today and it is moving back to the way it was before we physically manipulated it and tightened everything down.
I'm going to consult a lawyer, we or I will probably do some police record searching (to find record of his crash), and I will go from there. I believe a simple letter would probably get my problem settled, and if not, then I will do whatever it takes to get it resolved the hard way. It shouldnt be like this, plain and simple. If you buy a bike, there is a difference between being told it was dropped vs flat out wrecked.
Assuming you are still moving towards resolving this, the procedure here may help.
http://w6rec.com/duane/bmw/fork/title.html
The examples are all BMW, but the process is identical. You may be able to persuade the lower tripple back into line. The procedures shown will at least tell you how far out of line things are.
Best luck,
Eric
The fork tubes have to be bent, it only takes a few tenths of 1 millimeter before the effect becomes noticable and you just cant see that sort of distortion by eye over the length of the tube. They need to be placed in vee-blocks and the run-out checked with a DTI, something best left to a specalist. I cant see how the axlebolt could bend so severly and leave the forks undamaged. They must have moved to allow the bolt to bend. BTW it doesnt take an accident to cause this sort of damge, it could just as easily have happened if it fell over of the stand.
I just checked the manual. Suzuki quote a max allowable run-out of 0.25mm (or about 0.010") for each fork tube. Anyone who can spot that by eye is good!
This picture was shown way back in post #4 showing the misalignment of the upper and lower trees:
(http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/33/dsc05881sk6.jpg)
Looks like a few degrees to me, maybe 5* at most.
What does it look like now, still misaligned like this? If the front wheel and the fork brace are removed and the steering stem bolt and the triple tree clamps are all loosened, the top and bottom trees should come back into alignment as viewed this way from above. If they don't, then the fork tubes must be bent in this upper area.
Think of what happens when the GS is dropped. The bike falls to the left side and hits on the ground against the left end of the handle bar. The steering turns to full lock right and the handlebar backed up by the weight of the falling bike and rider wants to keep turning to the right while the lower triple tree comes to an abrupt stop when it hits the steering stop producing the twist in the trees and forks which are held in the twisted position till the parts are loosened and it all springs back into place if nothing is bent.
Way back in the first post we are told: "the previous owner that I purchased it from said that he put it down in gravel" and the pictured misalignment is consistant with this. The only part that is inconsistant with this is the bent axle, that is hard to relate to such a drop.
All this sure makes me glad I do all my own repair and service work, the mechanics consulted here sure haven't been very impressive so far, only rather expensive.
We measured the forks and one was .010 and the other was .030 off. I wouldnt call that major and definitely not major enough to cause such major allignment problems. I still believe it is the middle tree. I have been thinking about this a lot. I'll wait till it starts snowing and then tear back into her.
My picture you reposted, please look at it again and check out the major difference in where the fork seals are down there. Yeah, wayyy off.
Now, check out this picture again and I think I see a downward bend in the left triple, it also apprears to be back further than the right. This might/would explain the whole situation. Hmm...
(http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/5926/dsc05887kk9.th.jpg) (http://img140.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc05887kk9.jpg)
(http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/5926/dsc05887kk9.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Jacks right, must be some crap rip-off mechanics around there, I guess they are cherry-picking their jobs and dont want to get involved with this one. Also like Jack I too just cannot see how even a modest accident can damage the axlebolt and/or clamps yet leave the tubes undamaged. Why are you so certain the tubes are servicable?
Tubes are the weakest items in the link and are almost always the first things to suffer in a front end accident, the weak point being the section between the leg and the lower clamp. In my view those run-out figures are excessive. Its not so much the individual amounts but the 0.020" difference between the tubes that I would be concerned about. Depending on where that runout is in the tube it will be exagerated when fitted into the leg resulting in the axlebolt holes being out by a lot more.
You have already said that lining the bolt up and fitting it was difficult. If one tube is bent forwards and one is bent backwards or fitted this way you could be out by as much as 0.050" without even considering the leg and its effect. Try this......dismantle the forks get them in vee-blocks and clock the tubes again over the entire length, I assume thats how you came by the original figures as there is no other satisfactory method to check and measure run-out. Mark the highspots in the tubes, refit them so that they point in from the sides of the bike, opposite direction as the indicators. This will result in the tubes being more or less parallel but the runouts facing each other. At the same time it should bring the axlebolt holes into line but it will increase the distance they are apart. If it works you may get better results but with 0.020" difference between tubes your handling is always going to be wooley. Just get them off and checked out by a specialist...it really isnt a big issue, its easy, and it doesnt cost a lot to straighten them out if they are found to be bent. If they are found to be servicable, you know then for certain the problem can only be related to the clamps and the forks have to come off anyway if you have to remove the clamps. Lets be honest about it, you need to move in another direction and try something else as you dont seem to be getting anywhere by adjusting the clamps and the tubes.
Alright, I need a little more info and then I'll let this thread expire into cyberspace...
When winter hits, I will take her apart once again OR I can take her somewhere. I thought about a salvage shop? Maybe they normally deal w fork/triple type things? I think there is one about 60 miles from here in Hamilton, Ohio. I could take the forks off again, and where would I take them to find runout? I guess that is the big dilemna....where to take the parts or the bike. I'm not looking to spend more than $300 more on this bike to make it right though. I think that is my final limit. If there is somewhere to send the forks (wondering if shipping would be $$$$ also) or somewhere (minus the dealer) that I could probably take it, I'm open to suggestions.
Again, thanks for your help.
Quote from: middlem2 on September 26, 2006, 09:45:42 PM
--snip-- starwalt, those parts to the left and right of "G" in the link you provided do not appear to even be there....--snip--
By the way, from back on the first page, the missing parts are the headlight bracket on a "naked" GS, you are not supposed to have them.
Jim
Wow, I feel your frustration middlem2. I'm experiencing similar dissatisfaction with the person who sold it to me, except my problem is the rear of the bike.
A salvage shop is not the place to go unless you want a 2nd-hand set. Get on the net or get the yellow pages out, start looking for "Motorcycle frame straightening" find somewhere local, speak to them and get their advice..........thats what I would do.