Handle bar fixed after crash. steering triple still off centered?

[Loki]

I put my new handle bar in to fix my bent one. But my whole steering system is off centered. I dont know why and nothing it bent (not the axle, forks, fairing stay, steering stops), and the front of the bike didnt impact anything head on.

What do you guys think? Are motorcycles slightly like bikes where i can loosen the top triple, align it, tighten it back down?

The bike doesnt pull to one side or anything bad. Its just annoying to me and i can feel the length difference with each hand.

The pics are pretty much what the bike looks like while moving. The bars werent moved with any picture, its just the angle i took the pictures at.

Here are the pictures of the forks.

Also this is something that i noticed when i bought the bike. but the two forks arent mounted the same length. Im guessing this is such a small difference that i wouldnt be able to notice in a ride? Just knowledge of it bugs me.

Left

Right

See the difference in the number of rings showing. 6 vs 3


Well anyways. Any ideas and help you guys can offer me?
Thank you!

 

[Midnight82]

I'm sorry, but I'm having trouble following you here.

What do you mean by "But my whole steering system is off centered."?

 

[oh9bolt]

Loosen the upper and lower triple straighten out and re tighten.

 

[Bueller814]

[up]oh9bolt
you can just move the forks up or down to match one another.. they should be the same.

 

[Loki]

So the shiny nut on the top triple, and the one that sticks out on the bottom of the bike? Loosen those, align, retighten?

 

[oh9bolt]

No jack up the front of the bike a little, put a scissor jack under the front tire with little pressure applied to the tire, loosen the four pinch bolts 2 on the upper and 2 on the lower triple (they are the allen screws that are under each fork if looking down at the top of the trees) this will free the forks. Straighten your handlebars to where they should be and then make the wheel straight with the forks, then tighten everything back up I used blue loctite on mine.

 

[Loki]

So the ones you are talking about are the ones circled in red correct? Wouldnt that be what i would loosen to align the length (problem #2 up top)? But the one circled in blue shouldnt be touched?

Sorry im making this a bigger deal then it probably should be. I just dont understand how some of this moving relates.

 

[squidbuellie]

here are a couple of other things to look at. the bottom triple has frame stops look to see if the right one is broken off.
also when you loosen up the front end make sure that the snap rings are seated in there grove and make sure they bottom out in the top triple tree. you can also measure (best if you have calipers) from the shoulder of the shock to the top triple tree to get a idea if the shocks are off.
there might be another ways to check. you might want to ask xtremelow how he measured his front end.

 

[oh9bolt]

Yeah just loosen the ones in red and the same goes for the lower triple. You will see how everything works when you loosen the forks. Its just like when you wrecked your bike as a kid, you would have to hold the tire while you banged the handlebars straight, its the same just different mounting.

 

[Loki]

I understand now oh9 Thanks a ton! Right when i started reading your post it hit me lol. I just wasnt thinking about both forks being attached to the wheel so when you move the wheel you move the position.

But loosening theses will also allow me to level the forks correct?

+1 to you.

O and squid the stops are fine. I thought i said that but i might notof.

 

[gunut75]

From my phone, so pardon the shorthand. Loosen the top and lower triple fork tube clamp bolts. check snap rings in bottom of top triple. Torque steering stem nut on top triple. Snug the clamp bolts and bounce the fromt suspension a few times to let the tubes "set". Torque the lower then upper pinch bolts. Same amount of fork tube should be showing above the top triple. Use blue loctite on everything. im not sure of the torque values as I am stating this from memory while drinking a beer. Cheers!

 

[wolfo68]

to level the forks you'll need to loosen the lowers also

 

[Loki]

Got everything fixed. Thank you guys!

 

[oh9bolt]

[up]

 

[maronz]

Stupid question, but I've gotta fix a handle bar on my bike this weekend. Do I just need an allen wrench to loosen the bolt on the end of the bar to get the handle bar off?

 

[Loki]

Just the clip on bar? You can just take everything off the bar (throttle, brake) then use the allen screw to take the clip on off. Its easy no worries.

 

[sotrab]

do I have to remove anything on the triple tree of xb12r to put the GPR stabilizer on?