Three years ago I tweaked my forks riding off-road in Moab Utah (a little bit of rain turned the red dust to slimy, slippery goo). It was 102 degrees and I stopped in a MacDonald's parking lot under a tree with the only shade in town, borrowed my girlfriend's iPad, reviewed your first Fork Alignment video and worked the Delboy Magic. I always meant to thank you for that and I figure - since this video is even better - than only never is too late. So...thanks!
Currently watching this after a bad crash in Moab lol broken wrist and twisted fork. This video is going to get me back on the bike in a few weeks. Thanks!
You ARE the perfectionist mechanic. Thank you for helping. Check rear wheel alignment first (not many people know that) then do the front later. You just remind me that I did Thrust Angle 4 Wheel Alignment for a living. Now I am retired and missed my workplace so much, 48 years, and love it. God Bless America.
Wow, what a wonderful career, you must be very proud of such an achievement... sometimes what we miss I think is the workplace banter, specially in garages... Thank you for your kind words, really appreciate that.
I know this video is 4 years old, but I saw you use your measuring caliper in a weird way when aligning the rear wheel. You can use the thin part coming out at the back as well to measure depth of holes for example. Now you were eye balling the 2 teeth to the end on the swing arm and the block, turn the caliper around, flat surface it to swing arm then open up the caliper until the piece shoving out hit the axle block for precise measurement. Thanks for the video, had a gap at my front spacer after installing new fork seals, thought one of the tunes was bent, didn't know about the alignment.grts
Wow, this is probably the best front end alignment tutorial I’ve ever seen. I’ve been working on motorcycles for a long time and I’m always looking to learn. Great tutorial.
Delboy is my first "go to" choice for any DIY motorcycle job! Very detailed and thorough, so you get it right the 1st time and save a $$$ trip to a dealership.
I always to one more step with the calipers before putting everything on torque spec: Rotate the wheel a couple of times and squeeze the brakes. That way the brake pads will be 100% aligned with the disk.
Thanks. I have a 2001 Fazer 1000 that came back from a Yamaha dealer after having new tyres fitted and it was immediately obvious on the ride home that the forks were skewed. I have watched many videos on how to correct this and this is the only one that worked for me. It's not just the position of the handlebars but the efficiency of the front brakes. Thanks again 🙂
I'm sure he was only using the calipers that way so people didn't get confused but I really wanted him to flip them around and use the depth gauge! Awesome tutorial, thanks so much, I plan on doing this this afternoon. I appreciate how you explained it so that it could relate to most motorcycles, not just one specific model like some videos do.
Did the same procedure on my Honda shine sp and completed the fork alignment successfully rectified the wobbling issue thank you so much for the video as am Daily office commuter which was a huge problem for me tried everyone starting from local mechanics as well as bike show room mechanics none rectified it, I did on my own
I tried the same but no success.can you explain the way you did according to this video? Mine is having a slight tilt towards the right in the handle bar.
Watched this and did it. Bike is a 1982 Suzuki GS550L. Bike would "wander or wallow" slowly when riding in a straight line. Could not keep the bike straight. Not a high speed shimmy but at any speed from 15 mph on up it would "fall off" to the right then correct and do it over and over. This absolutely took care of the issue no doubt about it. Thanks for a well done video.
If you are using calipers to measure the distance, you can you the tail of caliper as a depth gauge from the end of the swingarm to the alignment plate.
Just getting back into bikes, was gonna call for someone to repair mine but I figured... why don't I actually LEARN and PROPERLY look after my own bike. Thanks for making it so easy for the rookies
I just fixed my front fork alignment with your video after another video ruined it. The key was the bolt order, the top center bolt really made a difference. Thanks!!
Thank's so much for this Del, My son came off his bike and was saying it felt like it was pulling to one side. He asked the garage and they couldn't get it in for a week. We thought what's the harm in youtubing it, to happily find your very well explained video. Simple to do and he's more than happy as it's saved him a few quid too
Nice one buddy, glad the video could help, and keep your son safe on the road, we hope he wasn't hurt in the spill? Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated.
@@Moonfleet41 luckily not, had only been 2 mins out the house, he hit the break as someone pulled out on him and the back wheel just went from under him. Slight bruise on the knee, nothing too bad
Delboy.. I am VERY late to comment but I have watched you over a fair few years now. I always enjoy and respect your content. This Fork alignment video was just what I needed for my 2007 Suzuki GSX1400 after I had replaced the fork oil and greased the head bearings.. I see you now own one of these BRILLIANT machines.. These are truly a hidden gem of bikes.. In the last 7 years (since i got back into Biking) I have owned 13 Bikes!! For all around every day use the GSX1400 suits me perfectly.. I describe it to my mates as a "Gentle Giant" Please DO keep up the good work sir.. Very best wishes from Lancashire.
Thank you so much for your kind message Simon, You are right, i can't believe what a gentle giant these bikes aye, so easy to ride every day and in any situation, what a perfect description of them..! We're glad the videos can help you out, and really appreciate your support.. take care and stay safe mate.. D&Px
Thanks for taking the time to do this mate. I own a brand new MT09SP and it felt going sideways when I got to ride the first time. Sure enough the rear wheel was out of alignment but it wasn’t easy the check as you instructed in the video as this bike has a European style number plate holder hanging off one side of the rear swingarm, so both sides aren’t the same. The added piece does have some marks on it but they are not that accurate. To get my measurements right I fitted in some pointers into the rear axle and measured the distance from those to the swingarm pivot axle. When all this was done the bike still steered slightly left if left to its own devices. Checking the bike with the string method looked like the front was aligned but through experience sometimes even a small degree could influence a bike’s handling. I decided to loosen the lower fork brace only and push down the bike a couple of times with the rear wheel off the ground on a strong pit stand. And it worked! So happy now. I’m not saying that your method is wrong, in fact it is a more sure way of getting a good result but all I’m saying that it’s worth just loosening the lower brace only at first and see if that sorts it.
I bought a new bike and when I rode it away from the showroom I thought It wasn't straight and just got used to it. So I had a look like you explained on the Busa and the forks weren't aligned. I've now gone through this procedure and all looks good. It turns out the handlebars weren't centered either! Looking forward to trying it out now once this lockdown is over. Thanks for these vids well presented, to the point and well explained.
Can't tell how gratefull i am you made this video,thanks so much,you saved my ass,i tought after a crash my bike was totaled,aligned the fork exactly after watching your video 2 times in a row and found that the problem was the handlebars and it's actually rideable.I'm looking for new ones to buy soon.THANK YOU SIR !
Most welcome mate, we're glad the video helped you, good luck with your restoration on the bike, and we do hope you weren't hurt in your crash, ride safe.
I honestly thought my forks we're bent because i was not aware you could knock the front end out of line and then i chanced upon this Tutorial and thought i would try it so i followed it word for word on my bandit 1200 k3 and Wow,,all fixed and back in a straight line,Cheers mate,great tutorial
Excellent video on the perfect subject I'm having an issue with on my son's Indian Cheiftan Limited. I've never seen an alignment done this way and I've been riding and doing my own maintenance for 42 years. I can't wait to try this method. Thank You, Ric
Video info. still solid as ever and still helping people like me to this day. Just used this procedure to align the front forks on my 2000 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Classic. Bike/parts may be different but the core info easily translates across platforms. This video a true public service to motorcyclists around the world. Thanks again. 🤟🏼
Glad the video helped you, it is generic to any hydraulic fork set up, so it's wonderful it can help a diverse range of bikes... and btw, what a beautiful bike!
Thanks Delboy! I just performed this operation this morning on my CBR400RR. It worked like a dream and the bike is running true and so much better now 👍👍
I see! This is the correct way to do front forks alignment. My 2010 FZ1S and 2012 GSXR1000L2 are both out of alignment. I am going to try it out. Thanks. Your video is very informative.
Today I tried it on the Gixer. I put the bike on a swing arm stand. Then I aligned the rear wheel axle first by using vernier caliper. After that I just follow your instructions by releasing all the required nuts from top to bottom inclusive of the brake calipers ones. I released the upper triple tree clamp nut by at least one turn, is that enough? I go on top the bike and pump the upper triple tree like you did. That was scary because there was once the bike moved forward! I should have cable tied the brake lever. Fortunately my friend was behind and he hold onto the swing arm stand. After that I tighten all nuts back from top to bottom 3 times using low mid and high strength. The results is still not perfect but there is improvement. Should I do it again? Anything I need to take note?
Liked the video. Came off my Honda cbf250 into a ditch. Fortunately, It was low speed. So need to do exactly what you've demonstrated here. Thank you so much.
Sorry to hear that Craig, hope you weren't injured... I guess that's what CRF's are for, having fun in the dirt! Glad the video could help, ride safe mate.
Thank you Delboy you're a legend. After riding the ruttiest of byways and ditching my Tenere 700 3 times, the forks were way out. They're now perfectly straight after your A class tuition.
My Honda CB500S went down on its left hand side and slid about 10 yards, cracking the stator case in the process, fixed that issue and put new X ring chain and sprockets on, but when test riding; the bike wanted to go left a lot and i had to constantly adjust the handlebars to stop the pull effect. Not a chance I would have ridden it in that state, far too unsafe - turns out it was twisted forks, this video does the trick. I have also had garages tell me that it can be done by holding the front wheel between your legs, tightly, and adjusting the handlebars as you would a childs pushbike. Essentially they told me twisted forks is a misaligned front wheel. May need to make slight adjustments while eyeing it from the front, but it does work
Hi Del & Pen.. Thanks so much for these videos. You guys have saved me a fortune.. I watched the video on head bearings on the ZX7r, Huabussa Tokico 6 pot caliper rebuild and this one all to strip my Zx6r J2 2001. I removed forks and sent to Maxton, replace head bearing, replace seals in calipers then once back together use this video to straighten things up. Thank you thank you thank you. Kind regards Tim.
Brilliant, thanks very much. I've torn my 2007 Dyna down to replace the steering neck bearings. This video will be of immeasurable help as I put everything back together properly.
Oh man I’m glad I saw this. You just saved me a lot of money I didn’t have. I’m not a bike mechanic but I’ve managed to do my own clutch and other more simple stuff but I was at my wits end with these forks. Seriously THANK YOU!
Thanks for this! My 1200 Bandit handlebars were a bit off after I had some work done, I followed your directions and presto! Much thanks for the great videos!!
Brought my new second hand bike to my mechanic today and mentioned that the steering felt off and that I was like slightly counter steering it - he said it could be the tires - right 😱. Thanks for a super video, I am now armed with some knowledge and I don’t feel like a twat
Thank you for your informative video. All I have to do now is purchase the correct tools so I can do this the next time my fork is out of alignment. Great video.
I had my front off my vfr800 crossunner last week, thought i had everything straight when reassembled, but i now get a weave down the road, going to try this now and see if it helps. I watched this when you first posted it. Lets hope this gets that confident feeling back!
Appreciate this. Last year I replaced my steering head bearings and was not aware of the proper way to align front forks when I reassembled everything. It's been feeling unstable going down the highway and recently a friend following me on his bike told me he could tell I was out of alignment. Hopefully this takes care of it.
@@Moonfleet41 I couldn't check the swing arm with your method as the design is different between the axle and swing arm. So instead I measured from the center of the axle bolt to the center of the swing arm bolt on both sides. It's right on as far as I can tell, probably within a millimeter (hard to tell exactly because I would have to bend the tape measure around some things). Another thing I discovered) is that when I raised my forks 1 inch to lower the suspension, one fork was sticking up about a millimeter higher than the other one. So I adjusted those to match. I still need to test drive it. Even if not perfect, it's got to be better than it was.
Dude! I watched your first video and then this more recent one. Followed your steps to the letter. After dropping my Yamaha Super Tenere the other night my steering has been off. I thought I'd have an expensive workshop repair, but no. I was able to fix it myself. Just got back from my test ride as the sun is setting. Awesome ride and feeling stoked that all is good with my bike now. You rock, Del! Thank you, mate.
Ha ha, nice one mate, glad you got it sussed.. that strikes fear into everyone after a small drop.. but 99.9% of the time it's just knocked off alignment.. thats why bikes have pinch bolts that just grip by squeezing pressure, it's designed to slip and prevent expensive things from getting bent..!
@stormfalcon72 I have super tenere as will 2018 model ES, needed some aligment also, i drop it in my garage the kick stand wasn't fully deployed. What wrench did you use to loosen the big knot near the ignation key, and how much torque settings to tighten it?
Good video Delboy, when working with spanners over the fuel tank I would advise that you protect the tank with a very thick cloth. nothing pisses you off more than dropping a large spanner on a BEAUTIFULy painted fuel tank. Cheers
good vids del.ive been riding and working on my bikes 30years and ive learnt a few things,specially about harleys.didnt have a clue about them as its my first one.youre helping a lot of people save money and enjoy their bikes.you actually make sense and easy to understand.thanks
That’s a cool video! When i swing the bike during a ride it behavior isn’t the same on the left side, it feels if it falls down heavier when i swing it to the left. I will do the procedure as you explained and are already happy with such a good instruction.
Delboy, I am can attest to your method. It is fast and effective, works. You did the video on your Hayabusa and since I saw it, I have not been able to improve on your technique or come up with a more reliable, quick, and easier method. It just makes life a lot easier and safer if you have to do so much work on a bike. A fork rebuild can take an entire week or 1 day. I do not know any other method other than a laser, a string works also. Nice exhaust. Yeah you said you would love to teach shop or be a teacher. I checked your method by letting my hands go at low and high speed, stable as a cat. I check this every week for tire pressure or any fork irregularity; just let go of your bars and turn the bike using your knees. The brakes will make them pinch also.
Oh I love the interweb sometimes. Thank you so much for this, dropped my bike and thought it was only the bars but still didn't feel right. Now I know it was bars and this. Will fix this afternoon. Once again thanks for taking the time to film, produce and upload, bloody awesome.
Fn brilliant ! Thanks to you guys I now do almost every job on my own cb1000r and my lovely lady's street triple. Love the show and hope you keep doing it. Your talant and know how is gold to us all / cheers from Sweden
I was ready to bring my bike to a shop, convinced that this was something requiring the weight being taken completely off the front wheel. Now I just hope it's actually twisted forks and not bent!
Another outstanding video here. I had previously dropped my bike. The only major damage was that the forks became terribly misaligned in the accident. I thought I was going to have to pay hundreds of dollars to get it fixed, but fortunately I saw your video and was able to fix it myself. Thanks for the great instruction.
Thank you for the great videos . I still refer to all the ones you did on changing oil and brake fluid on the Harley . They have really helped me to service my bike on my own plus saved me alot of money .
Hands up those who want to see this beauty blasting down a road ... at the speed limit of course ! lol This is a very cool bike you've got yourself here buddy. I'm very interested in LED indicators and headlights but I'm not sure how they are installed. I've seen aftermarket kit which looks fantastic but i'm totally clueless of how to make it work as it should. Looking forward to learning just how it should be done. Cheers
That's handy mate, next video I am gonna sort out the flast blinking indicators, it's a really simply fix with a couple of resistors, but then she's off for a few days to have a new exhaust created, a new set of headers and a 10" open outlet pipe, it's gonna be a proper screamer ! I will do a ride video once all the work's done, gonna re-gear it, change the shocks and a re-paint, then it'll be ready !
Thank you for this! I have to do this on my bike before the season and I went to a shop! The mechanic told me how to do it but didn't mention some of the things you did. I appreciate the visual!!!
I appreciate the this vid, I am hoping it will solve my issue following someone trying to steal my bike by ripping up the steering lock. Note: to be absolutely accurate with the caliper, use it the correct way, in this case you should be using the pin coming out of the back, lining up the case to the back and push to pin to the block and read off.
Many thanks for your time making the updated video. This is one of those easy jobs that i used to get stressed about if, what, how? New riders please pay attention, easy means if you feel confident in your own abilities as Del says often. You can save a fortune, listen to Del. :-)
man I love your videos, as a bonus you look like my brother that died decades ago in a motorcycle crash so its like I get to see him again everytime i watch one of your videos :-) Really enjoy how complete your videos are and your kind and supportive nature as well, Stay safe out there my friend, and thanks for the hard work to benefit the bike community
Billy first can i say how sorry i am to hear about your Brother Sir, and it is an honour that I'm able to bring those good memories back to you. Thank you for your kind and generous words about the videos, we're glad you enjoy them.. and can i also say that you have one Beautiful Heritage there my friend, that is so pristine and with the style you've chosen it looks almost Razza Style, but classy because it's not so radical.. Congratulations on a perfect result... Take care and keep safe sir. Del.
@@Moonfleet41 Thanks so much Del :-) The Heritage is my last bike, almost got it where I want it. Planning on putting on a Darkhorse comp eliminator and Baker primary chain tensioner, as well as a Thundermax ECM and some Big City Thunder baffles and the rest is just odds n ends. I saw your last video on adjusting the forks, and need to do that on my bike, this video is about as complete as you can get. I know how hard it is to shoot and edit these videos and sincerely appreciate you sharing your great knowledge with us my friend, your detailed explanations are amazing. Thanks again, for the kind words
Thanks buddy, I actually did this with my Switchback when I got it home, cos that was out too, and the only extra you have to do (which will apply to your Roadking also) is loosen off the screws on the side of the headlight nacelle , so that it allows the trees to re-align underneath, there's no need to take it all off, just loosen the screws ! And, again, do them up last, because that nacelle is just for decoration, it's not structural !
Magic del boy, i knee how to ruffly real8gb the forks, but your video, may it 100 times easy. Just aligned my forks and the bike feels amazing. Been watching all your videos. Absolutely great!
Thank you - extremely helpful - I have a Gen 1 Fazer 1000, and was riding back down from the lakes, and couldn't help notice that to get the bike riding straight I had to keep the bars slightly turned to the right. My first thought was bent bars but then the triple clamps also looked off to the right when riding so my next thought was rear wheel alignment as I'd just done my chain tension before travelling and used the exact method you used - used a caliper and measured up to the rear of the swingarm. I'm gonna do the fork alignment thing tomorrow and hopefully get this sorted - after 200 miles of riding with the bike crabbing the way it was causes a nasty pain in the mid back lol
Good luck with it my friend, Its not clever to ride it like that..! you could also look at the actual clamps that bolt into the top yoke if they are free fitting ones.. they often have nylon or rubber bushings.. check that the bars are aligned with the top yoke with this.! Good luck with it, and let us know how it goes..! Del.
Moonfleet41 did it last weekend and it definitely improved things - although just yesterday discovered the culprit, I’m in the process of installing a new chain and sprocket kit and notice I can only push my rear wheel forward on one side - turns out my rear brake torque arm was completely seized to the rear caliper bracket, making it impossible to get a correct chain adjustment done, spent hours trying to unseize the stuck bolt and free up the torque arm - finally got it out today and will be copper greasing everything before reassembly - now to get the rear wheel alignment perfect as I don’t trust the marks on the swing arm
Cheers for all your wee vids. I’ve now done easily £500 worth of basic maintenance to my bike and wouldn’t have had the confidence to do it with out your detailed advice. After any work I’ve done I simply rewatch /check my own work at the same time just to make sure it’s all correct.
Thanks so much for this video I've got a 95 Yamaha Virago and was going to change the steering bearings and was wondering how to align the forks!! Thanks!!!!!
Nice turbo Cant wait to see a riding vid. Caliper usage.. Use the thin pocky bit at the bottom of the caliper to measure depth. No eyeballing. Keep up the good work.
Great tutorial very nice step-by-step! Going to do this on my ST because I cannot figure out how I’m getting cupping on one side of the front tire and I think it’s my alignment!
Okey Dokey going to try this out on my 73 Suzuki GT185. Handle bars are about 3 degrees out of true when riding which while not a lot is enough to drive me crazy. I'll do the rear wheel first as suggested and onto the front. I'll report back when complete.
OMG Del thank u for this ...my honda CB400 have the same problem ...didnt see what could be the problem and how to fix it and almost ending to buy hole front end ...and not easy to find parts for bike so old ( 1982 ) ...thank u for making "HOW TO" videos because watching your videos guy like me did hole restauration on my Honda CB 400 ´82 ( not engine) under winter 2016/2017
Thanks for the video. Thought for sure my forks or triples were bent after a big high side , did this and everything “popped” back in place. No more binding etc!
Great one Del! Thanks for sharing man ;-) I enjoyed it as always. Just a little point in using the caliper and you probably know it. You can use the little thingy that sticks out of the end of it, when you open it, to measure depth really accurately ;-) So, it can measure three things: 1-outer diameter, 2- inner diameter, 3-Depth!
Quite right Abouzar, I should have used that as a demo, between you and me, I know the back wheel is straight, I was emphasising that you should just check it by whatever means... thanks buddy
Great video my bike brand new fell over on side stand nothing looks bent but it doesn’t feel right I’ll try this b4 I take it to my bmw and he charges me a mint to do the same thing many thanks again 👍👍
High sided my bike on the way to work in the wet this morning. Having never had to realign forks this has been a massive help to fixing the bike.
Sorry to hear that mate, i hope you weren't hurt.. and hope you can get it all fixed up soon... Ride safe mate.
Thank you God this video is still up. Its Still helping me align my forks in 2024. Thank you!
Glad to hear it's still helping after all these years, thanks for your feedback!
Three years ago I tweaked my forks riding off-road in Moab Utah (a little bit of rain turned the red dust to slimy, slippery goo). It was 102 degrees and I stopped in a MacDonald's parking lot under a tree with the only shade in town, borrowed my girlfriend's iPad, reviewed your first Fork Alignment video and worked the Delboy Magic. I always meant to thank you for that and I figure - since this video is even better - than only never is too late. So...thanks!
hell yeah, this!! I've had the iPad out watching his videos getting me out of a pickle 😊
Hi Mike. May I ask how did you stabilize the rear tire?
Currently watching this after a bad crash in Moab lol broken wrist and twisted fork. This video is going to get me back on the bike in a few weeks. Thanks!
You ARE the perfectionist mechanic. Thank you for helping. Check rear wheel alignment first (not many people know that) then do the front later. You just remind me that I did Thrust Angle 4 Wheel Alignment for a living. Now I am retired and missed my workplace so much, 48 years, and love it. God Bless America.
Wow, what a wonderful career, you must be very proud of such an achievement... sometimes what we miss I think is the workplace banter, specially in garages... Thank you for your kind words, really appreciate that.
I know this video is 4 years old, but I saw you use your measuring caliper in a weird way when aligning the rear wheel. You can use the thin part coming out at the back as well to measure depth of holes for example. Now you were eye balling the 2 teeth to the end on the swing arm and the block, turn the caliper around, flat surface it to swing arm then open up the caliper until the piece shoving out hit the axle block for precise measurement. Thanks for the video, had a gap at my front spacer after installing new fork seals, thought one of the tunes was bent, didn't know about the alignment.grts
Thanks it worked for me
Wow, this is probably the best front end alignment tutorial I’ve ever seen. I’ve been working on motorcycles for a long time and I’m always looking to learn. Great tutorial.
Delboy is my first "go to" choice for any DIY motorcycle job! Very detailed and thorough, so you get it right the 1st time and save a $$$ trip to a dealership.
I always to one more step with the calipers before putting everything on torque spec: Rotate the wheel a couple of times and squeeze the brakes. That way the brake pads will be 100% aligned with the disk.
Thanks.
I have a 2001 Fazer 1000 that came back from a Yamaha dealer after having new tyres fitted and it was immediately obvious on the ride home that the forks were skewed.
I have watched many videos on how to correct this and this is the only one that worked for me.
It's not just the position of the handlebars but the efficiency of the front brakes.
Thanks again 🙂
Glad it helped, you're most welcome!
I'm sure he was only using the calipers that way so people didn't get confused but I really wanted him to flip them around and use the depth gauge! Awesome tutorial, thanks so much, I plan on doing this this afternoon. I appreciate how you explained it so that it could relate to most motorcycles, not just one specific model like some videos do.
Thinking the same thing 😂
Still great video though 👍
Did the same procedure on my Honda shine sp and completed the fork alignment successfully rectified the wobbling issue thank you so much for the video as am Daily office commuter which was a huge problem for me tried everyone starting from local mechanics as well as bike show room mechanics none rectified it, I did on my own
I tried the same but no success.can you explain the way you did according to this video? Mine is having a slight tilt towards the right in the handle bar.
@@thirdlevel27 name of your bike
@@raghavrahul3659 hunk
Watched this and did it. Bike is a 1982 Suzuki GS550L. Bike would "wander or wallow" slowly when riding in a straight line. Could not keep the bike straight. Not a high speed shimmy but at any speed from 15 mph on up it would "fall off" to the right then correct and do it over and over. This absolutely took care of the issue no doubt about it. Thanks for a well done video.
I dump my 6r a few years back a and swore I bent my triple. I'm gonna give this a go and hopefully it works. Appreciate the knowledge
howd it go?
Yeah, was it ok after all???
If you are using calipers to measure the distance, you can you the tail of caliper as a depth gauge from the end of the swingarm to the alignment plate.
Just getting back into bikes, was gonna call for someone to repair mine but I figured... why don't I actually LEARN and PROPERLY look after my own bike. Thanks for making it so easy for the rookies
Most welcome Aaron, glad it could help you... and we aprpeciate your support!
Thanks. You have given me confidence that I straightend my forks properly.
I just fixed my front fork alignment with your video after another video ruined it. The key was the bolt order, the top center bolt really made a difference. Thanks!!
Most welcome mate. Glad it helped!
Arr them were the days, always enjoyed the comments of what you are doing and why. Great video thanks
Thank's so much for this Del, My son came off his bike and was saying it felt like it was pulling to one side. He asked the garage and they couldn't get it in for a week. We thought what's the harm in youtubing it, to happily find your very well explained video. Simple to do and he's more than happy as it's saved him a few quid too
Nice one buddy, glad the video could help, and keep your son safe on the road, we hope he wasn't hurt in the spill? Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated.
@@Moonfleet41 luckily not, had only been 2 mins out the house, he hit the break as someone pulled out on him and the back wheel just went from under him. Slight bruise on the knee, nothing too bad
@@snowbos Thats good news at least, Glad it was minimal and no real harm done.. Ride safe buddy, and have a good week.
Delboy.. I am VERY late to comment but I have watched you over a fair few years now. I always enjoy and respect your content. This Fork alignment video was just what I needed for my 2007 Suzuki GSX1400 after I had replaced the fork oil and greased the head bearings..
I see you now own one of these BRILLIANT machines..
These are truly a hidden gem of bikes..
In the last 7 years (since i got back into Biking) I have owned 13 Bikes!! For all around every day use the GSX1400 suits me perfectly.. I describe it to my mates as a "Gentle Giant"
Please DO keep up the good work sir..
Very best wishes from Lancashire.
Thank you so much for your kind message Simon, You are right, i can't believe what a gentle giant these bikes aye, so easy to ride every day and in any situation, what a perfect description of them..!
We're glad the videos can help you out, and really appreciate your support.. take care and stay safe mate.. D&Px
Thanks for taking the time to do this mate. I own a brand new MT09SP and it felt going sideways when I got to ride the first time. Sure enough the rear wheel was out of alignment but it wasn’t easy the check as you instructed in the video as this bike has a European style number plate holder hanging off one side of the rear swingarm, so both sides aren’t the same. The added piece does have some marks on it but they are not that accurate. To get my measurements right I fitted in some pointers into the rear axle and measured the distance from those to the swingarm pivot axle.
When all this was done the bike still steered slightly left if left to its own devices. Checking the bike with the string method looked like the front was aligned but through experience sometimes even a small degree could influence a bike’s handling. I decided to loosen the lower fork brace only and push down the bike a couple of times with the rear wheel off the ground on a strong pit stand. And it worked! So happy now. I’m not saying that your method is wrong, in fact it is a more sure way of getting a good result but all I’m saying that it’s worth just loosening the lower brace only at first and see if that sorts it.
I bought a new bike and when I rode it away from the showroom I thought It wasn't straight and just got used to it. So I had a look like you explained on the Busa and the forks weren't aligned. I've now gone through this procedure and all looks good. It turns out the handlebars weren't centered either! Looking forward to trying it out now once this lockdown is over. Thanks for these vids well presented, to the point and well explained.
Thank Chris, glad you enjoyed it and that it helped you out mate.. Keep safe and well, lets hope this will be over soon aye.
@@Moonfleet41 Lets hope so. I think we have a few weeks to go though.
Very respectable mechanic, has helped me personally with my fork alignment without even knowing me :) Top man
From K...
You're welcome K, and once again, good luck with it!
This is exactly what I needed. I've just serviced the steering head bearings and fork seals and things were out of alignment. Thanks so much!
Glad it helped!
Can't tell how gratefull i am you made this video,thanks so much,you saved my ass,i tought after a crash my bike was totaled,aligned the fork exactly after watching your video 2 times in a row and found that the problem was the handlebars and it's actually rideable.I'm looking for new ones to buy soon.THANK YOU SIR !
Most welcome mate, we're glad the video helped you, good luck with your restoration on the bike, and we do hope you weren't hurt in your crash, ride safe.
I honestly thought my forks we're bent because i was not aware you could knock the front end out of line and then i chanced upon this Tutorial and thought i would try it so i followed it word for word on my bandit 1200 k3 and Wow,,all fixed and back in a straight line,Cheers mate,great tutorial
Nice going Shane, glad it helped you mate..
Excellent video on the perfect subject I'm having an issue with on my son's Indian Cheiftan Limited.
I've never seen an alignment done this way and I've been riding and doing my own maintenance for 42 years. I can't wait to try this method.
Thank You,
Ric
Video info. still solid as ever and still helping people like me to this day. Just used this procedure to align the front forks on my 2000 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Classic. Bike/parts may be different but the core info easily translates across platforms. This video a true public service to motorcyclists around the world. Thanks again. 🤟🏼
Glad the video helped you, it is generic to any hydraulic fork set up, so it's wonderful it can help a diverse range of bikes... and btw, what a beautiful bike!
Thirty years of doing it the wrong way on my Norton Commando. Thank You Delboy. Your videos are undeniably the best.
Wow, thanks, most welcome Sir.
Thanks Delboy!
I just performed this operation this morning on my CBR400RR.
It worked like a dream and the bike is running true and so much better now 👍👍
I see! This is the correct way to do front forks alignment. My 2010 FZ1S and 2012 GSXR1000L2 are both out of alignment. I am going to try it out. Thanks. Your video is very informative.
Thanks buddy, glad you've found the videos useful, let us know how you get on with the results!
Today I tried it on the Gixer. I put the bike on a swing arm stand. Then I aligned the rear wheel axle first by using vernier caliper. After that I just follow your instructions by releasing all the required nuts from top to bottom inclusive of the brake calipers ones. I released the upper triple tree clamp nut by at least one turn, is that enough? I go on top the bike and pump the upper triple tree like you did. That was scary because there was once the bike moved forward! I should have cable tied the brake lever. Fortunately my friend was behind and he hold onto the swing arm stand. After that I tighten all nuts back from top to bottom 3 times using low mid and high strength. The results is still not perfect but there is improvement. Should I do it again? Anything I need to take note?
Liked the video. Came off my Honda cbf250 into a ditch. Fortunately, It was low speed. So need to do exactly what you've demonstrated here. Thank you so much.
Sorry to hear that Craig, hope you weren't injured... I guess that's what CRF's are for, having fun in the dirt! Glad the video could help, ride safe mate.
Thank you Delboy you're a legend. After riding the ruttiest of byways and ditching my Tenere 700 3 times, the forks were way out. They're now perfectly straight after your A class tuition.
Most welcome Tommy, glad it helped you out mate.
My Honda CB500S went down on its left hand side and slid about 10 yards, cracking the stator case in the process, fixed that issue and put new X ring chain and sprockets on, but when test riding; the bike wanted to go left a lot and i had to constantly adjust the handlebars to stop the pull effect. Not a chance I would have ridden it in that state, far too unsafe - turns out it was twisted forks, this video does the trick. I have also had garages tell me that it can be done by holding the front wheel between your legs, tightly, and adjusting the handlebars as you would a childs pushbike. Essentially they told me twisted forks is a misaligned front wheel. May need to make slight adjustments while eyeing it from the front, but it does work
Hi Del & Pen..
Thanks so much for these videos. You guys have saved me a fortune.. I watched the video on head bearings on the ZX7r, Huabussa Tokico 6 pot caliper rebuild and this one all to strip my Zx6r J2 2001. I removed forks and sent to Maxton, replace head bearing, replace seals in calipers then once back together use this video to straighten things up.
Thank you thank you thank you. Kind regards Tim.
Most welcome Tim, Glad the video could help you out mate..
Brilliant, thanks very much. I've torn my 2007 Dyna down to replace the steering neck bearings. This video will be of immeasurable help as I put everything back together properly.
You are welcome!
Oh man I’m glad I saw this. You just saved me a lot of money I didn’t have. I’m not a bike mechanic but I’ve managed to do my own clutch and other more simple stuff but I was at my wits end with these forks. Seriously THANK YOU!
you exsplane everything better than anyone ive found here in the states.
You are the best.
Thanks for this! My 1200 Bandit handlebars were a bit off after I had some work done, I followed your directions and presto! Much thanks for the great videos!!
Glad it helped buddy, thank you for the feedback!
Brought my new second hand bike to my mechanic today and mentioned that the steering felt off and that I was like slightly counter steering it - he said it could be the tires - right 😱. Thanks for a super video, I am now armed with some knowledge and I don’t feel like a twat
Thank you for your informative video. All I have to do now is purchase the correct tools so I can do this the next time my fork is out of alignment. Great video.
Glad it was helpful!
I had my front off my vfr800 crossunner last week, thought i had everything straight when reassembled, but i now get a weave down the road, going to try this now and see if it helps. I watched this when you first posted it. Lets hope this gets that confident feeling back!
Appreciate this. Last year I replaced my steering head bearings and was not aware of the proper way to align front forks when I reassembled everything. It's been feeling unstable going down the highway and recently a friend following me on his bike told me he could tell I was out of alignment. Hopefully this takes care of it.
Sure thing, make sure you check rear wheel alignment in the swing arm as well, as they both contribute to overall alignment!
@@Moonfleet41 I couldn't check the swing arm with your method as the design is different between the axle and swing arm. So instead I measured from the center of the axle bolt to the center of the swing arm bolt on both sides. It's right on as far as I can tell, probably within a millimeter (hard to tell exactly because I would have to bend the tape measure around some things). Another thing I discovered) is that when I raised my forks 1 inch to lower the suspension, one fork was sticking up about a millimeter higher than the other one. So I adjusted those to match. I still need to test drive it. Even if not perfect, it's got to be better than it was.
Dude! I watched your first video and then this more recent one. Followed your steps to the letter. After dropping my Yamaha Super Tenere the other night my steering has been off. I thought I'd have an expensive workshop repair, but no. I was able to fix it myself. Just got back from my test ride as the sun is setting. Awesome ride and feeling stoked that all is good with my bike now. You rock, Del! Thank you, mate.
Ha ha, nice one mate, glad you got it sussed.. that strikes fear into everyone after a small drop.. but 99.9% of the time it's just knocked off alignment.. thats why bikes have pinch bolts that just grip by squeezing pressure, it's designed to slip and prevent expensive things from getting bent..!
@stormfalcon72 I have super tenere as will 2018 model ES, needed some aligment also, i drop it in my garage the kick stand wasn't fully deployed. What wrench did you use to loosen the big knot near the ignation key, and how much torque settings to tighten it?
Good video Delboy, when working with spanners over the fuel tank I would advise that you protect the tank with a very thick cloth. nothing pisses you off more than dropping a large spanner on a BEAUTIFULy painted fuel tank. Cheers
good vids del.ive been riding and working on my bikes 30years and ive learnt a few things,specially about harleys.didnt have a clue about them as its my first one.youre helping a lot of people save money and enjoy their bikes.you actually make sense and easy to understand.thanks
Cheers John, glad it can reach out to you buddy, it's always good to share knowledge aye?? Appreciate your kind comments...
Absolutely superb video. Nice clear instructions, no intrusive music, easy to watch. Anyone can follow this stuff. Top job. Fabulous workshop too.
Thank you Steve. Glad you enjoyed it!
That’s a cool video! When i swing the bike during a ride it behavior isn’t the same on the left side, it feels if it falls down heavier when i swing it to the left. I will do the procedure as you explained and are already happy with such a good instruction.
Worked like a charm!!! No more veering to the left, thank you so much.......
Glad it helped!
These vids have giving me the confidence to work on my bikes and save me money
Glad you enjoy and they can help you Ronain, ride safe...
Delboy, I am can attest to your method. It is fast and effective, works. You did the video on your Hayabusa and since I saw it, I have not been able to improve on your technique or come up with a more reliable, quick, and easier method. It just makes life a lot easier and safer if you have to do so much work on a bike. A fork rebuild can take an entire week or 1 day. I do not know any other method other than a laser, a string works also. Nice exhaust. Yeah you said you would love to teach shop or be a teacher. I checked your method by letting my hands go at low and high speed, stable as a cat. I check this every week for tire pressure or any fork irregularity; just let go of your bars and turn the bike using your knees. The brakes will make them pinch also.
Thank you Alex, im glad it worked out for you my friend.
Oh I love the interweb sometimes. Thank you so much for this, dropped my bike and thought it was only the bars but still didn't feel right. Now I know it was bars and this. Will fix this afternoon. Once again thanks for taking the time to film, produce and upload, bloody awesome.
Did it fix?
I have never done any of this before but it sounds like a great quick and easy method to use judging off the positive comments.
Fn brilliant ! Thanks to you guys I now do almost every job on my own cb1000r and my lovely lady's street triple. Love the show and hope you keep doing it. Your talant and know how is gold to us all / cheers from Sweden
Thank you my friend, im really glad the videos can help you, thats a great comfort to know they are of use.. take care and keep safe.. Del.
nah mate thats the most complete learning video about this topic that ive ever seen. Thank you! my job will become way easier
u just saved my life, time and money!!! thanks !!!!
I was ready to bring my bike to a shop, convinced that this was something requiring the weight being taken completely off the front wheel. Now I just hope it's actually twisted forks and not bent!
Unless your front end has had a significant frontal impact, they are very unlikely to be bent, Good luck, hope it's all ok.
Straight layman's talking thank you for this advice
Another outstanding video here. I had previously dropped my bike. The only major damage was that the forks became terribly misaligned in the accident. I thought I was going to have to pay hundreds of dollars to get it fixed, but fortunately I saw your video and was able to fix it myself. Thanks for the great instruction.
Thanks buddy, am glad it worked for you !
Thank you for the great videos . I still refer to all the ones you did on changing oil and brake fluid on the Harley . They have really helped me to service my bike on my own plus saved me alot of money .
Thank you for your kind feedback, im glad you enjoy the videos and can use them too..
Great tutorial for us hobbyist mechanics, Thanks!.
Hands up those who want to see this beauty blasting down a road ... at the speed limit of course ! lol
This is a very cool bike you've got yourself here buddy. I'm very interested in LED indicators and headlights but I'm not sure how they are installed. I've seen aftermarket kit which looks fantastic but i'm totally clueless of how to make it work as it should. Looking forward to learning just how it should be done.
Cheers
That's handy mate, next video I am gonna sort out the flast blinking indicators, it's a really simply fix with a couple of resistors, but then she's off for a few days to have a new exhaust created, a new set of headers and a 10" open outlet pipe, it's gonna be a proper screamer ! I will do a ride video once all the work's done, gonna re-gear it, change the shocks and a re-paint, then it'll be ready !
Thank you for this! I have to do this on my bike before the season and I went to a shop! The mechanic told me how to do it but didn't mention some of the things you did. I appreciate the visual!!!
I appreciate the this vid, I am hoping it will solve my issue following someone trying to steal my bike by ripping up the steering lock.
Note: to be absolutely accurate with the caliper, use it the correct way, in this case you should be using the pin coming out of the back, lining up the case to the back and push to pin to the block and read off.
Im glad i watched this before takling changing forks
Cheers mate! Just aligned my trike forks using this method, spot on!!!
Most welcome Neil, glad it worked for you mate.
Many thanks for your time making the updated video.
This is one of those easy jobs that i used to get stressed about if, what, how? New riders please pay attention, easy means if you feel confident in your own abilities as Del says often. You can save a fortune, listen to Del. :-)
Thanks buddy, very kind of you, and glad the videos help you out !
Excellent! Thank you for posting. Now I hope that will finally take care of my Yamaha TW200 alignment problem.
Good luck!
The way u hv explained... Its awesome... A basketful tnxxxx to you!
Most welcome 😊
man I love your videos, as a bonus you look like my brother that died decades ago in a motorcycle crash so its like I get to see him again everytime i watch one of your videos :-)
Really enjoy how complete your videos are and your kind and supportive nature as well,
Stay safe out there my friend, and thanks for the hard work to benefit the bike community
Billy first can i say how sorry i am to hear about your Brother Sir, and it is an honour that I'm able to bring those good memories back to you. Thank you for your kind and generous words about the videos, we're glad you enjoy them.. and can i also say that you have one Beautiful Heritage there my friend, that is so pristine and with the style you've chosen it looks almost Razza Style, but classy because it's not so radical.. Congratulations on a perfect result... Take care and keep safe sir. Del.
@@Moonfleet41 Thanks so much Del :-) The Heritage is my last bike, almost got it where I want it. Planning on putting on a Darkhorse comp eliminator and Baker primary chain tensioner, as well as a Thundermax ECM and some Big City Thunder baffles and the rest is just odds n ends. I saw your last video on adjusting the forks, and need to do that on my bike, this video is about as complete as you can get. I know how hard it is to shoot and edit these videos and sincerely appreciate you sharing your great knowledge with us my friend, your detailed explanations are amazing. Thanks again, for the kind words
@@BillyBlaze7 Most welcome Sir... Ride safe and stay in touch.. 🙂
You make it look so easy and understandable
Awesome! Hopefully your video will get my Vulcan 750 realigned! Thanks
Good luck!
Strange that my Harley repair manuals never explain how to align the wheels. Thank you again .
Amazing video Del.
Thanks buddy, I actually did this with my Switchback when I got it home, cos that was out too, and the only extra you have to do (which will apply to your Roadking also) is loosen off the screws on the side of the headlight nacelle , so that it allows the trees to re-align underneath, there's no need to take it all off, just loosen the screws ! And, again, do them up last, because that nacelle is just for decoration, it's not structural !
It's probably been said but if you use the back of the calipers (pin extending side) then you don't have to eyeball the jaws to make the measurement.
Magic del boy, i knee how to ruffly real8gb the forks, but your video, may it 100 times easy. Just aligned my forks and the bike feels amazing. Been watching all your videos. Absolutely great!
Thanks mate, appreciate your kind feedback!
@@Moonfleet41 no problem del, thanks for taking the time to making the excellent vids there great
Thank you so much!!! I'm rebuilding my 95 Honda Pacific Coast front end, and this video is what I'm going to follow to align my front end!
Your videos are fantastic. I’ve learned a lot from you. Nice to hear very thorough common sense information. Thank you!
Thanks you. I appreciate that!
Thank you - extremely helpful - I have a Gen 1 Fazer 1000, and was riding back down from the lakes, and couldn't help notice that to get the bike riding straight I had to keep the bars slightly turned to the right. My first thought was bent bars but then the triple clamps also looked off to the right when riding so my next thought was rear wheel alignment as I'd just done my chain tension before travelling and used the exact method you used - used a caliper and measured up to the rear of the swingarm. I'm gonna do the fork alignment thing tomorrow and hopefully get this sorted - after 200 miles of riding with the bike crabbing the way it was causes a nasty pain in the mid back lol
Good luck with it my friend, Its not clever to ride it like that..! you could also look at the actual clamps that bolt into the top yoke if they are free fitting ones.. they often have nylon or rubber bushings.. check that the bars are aligned with the top yoke with this.! Good luck with it, and let us know how it goes..! Del.
Moonfleet41 did it last weekend and it definitely improved things - although just yesterday discovered the culprit, I’m in the process of installing a new chain and sprocket kit and notice I can only push my rear wheel forward on one side - turns out my rear brake torque arm was completely seized to the rear caliper bracket, making it impossible to get a correct chain adjustment done, spent hours trying to unseize the stuck bolt and free up the torque arm - finally got it out today and will be copper greasing everything before reassembly - now to get the rear wheel alignment perfect as I don’t trust the marks on the swing arm
I learned something new and actually enjoyed the video. Good presentation.
Cheers for all your wee vids.
I’ve now done easily £500 worth of basic maintenance to my bike and wouldn’t have had the confidence to do it with out your detailed advice.
After any work I’ve done I simply rewatch /check my own work at the same time just to make sure it’s all correct.
such a good detailed video, very good in depth explaining, you know what you’re talking about and make it clear what to and what not to do
Thanks mate, simple stuff, you're too kind... but glad it helped !
I've literally just watched your old vid of this on your Busa, then this pops up. Timewarp baby!!
Thanks so much for this video I've got a 95 Yamaha Virago and was going to change the steering bearings and was wondering how to align the forks!! Thanks!!!!!
No problem 👍, good luck with it!
Nice turbo
Cant wait to see a riding vid.
Caliper usage..
Use the thin pocky bit at the bottom of the caliper to measure depth. No eyeballing.
Keep up the good work.
Great tutorial very nice step-by-step!
Going to do this on my ST because I cannot figure out how I’m getting cupping on one side of the front tire and I think it’s my alignment!
A thorough, well presented video saved us a lot (time n money that is). Help extremely appreciated. Cheers Alex
Most welcome Alex, Glad it helped
Best maintenance video ive watched yet! Thanks, perfect amount of information we need.
Thank you very much for this tutorial, most precise video I've watch on this subject so far
You're very welcome!
Great video, just done it on my gsxr after someone tried to snap the stearing lock. Feels so much better now, thanks fella
Okey Dokey going to try this out on my 73 Suzuki GT185. Handle bars are about 3 degrees out of true when riding which while not a lot is enough to drive me crazy. I'll do the rear wheel first as suggested and onto the front. I'll report back when complete.
OMG Del thank u for this ...my honda CB400 have the same problem ...didnt see what could be the problem and how to fix it and almost ending to buy hole front end ...and not easy to find parts for bike so old ( 1982 ) ...thank u for making "HOW TO" videos because watching your videos guy like me did hole restauration on my Honda CB 400 ´82 ( not engine) under winter 2016/2017
Hi Vitomir, am so glad we could help you! It's often something simple and you can always drop us a line if you've never sure... always happy to help !
thx Del i will do that next time
Thank you for your help. The forks are perfect now. Cheers,
Glad it helped!
@@Moonfleet41 Please if you can keep it up.
Needing to do my XJR1300 this weekend after a slide off on diesel, thanks for the video.
Hope you weren't hurt mate.. good luck with getting your bike sorted, let us know how you get on.
@@Moonfleet41 pride mostly thanks.
you are doing a good job...
love to look what i can learn about fixing motorcycles
.greetings from Germany.
Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
loved the timelapse with the speeded up sound haha
Thanks for the video. Thought for sure my forks or triples were bent after a big high side , did this and everything “popped” back in place. No more binding etc!
Great one Del! Thanks for sharing man ;-) I enjoyed it as always.
Just a little point in using the caliper and you probably know it. You can use the little thingy that sticks out of the end of it, when you open it, to measure depth really accurately ;-) So, it can measure three things: 1-outer diameter, 2- inner diameter, 3-Depth!
Quite right Abouzar, I should have used that as a demo, between you and me, I know the back wheel is straight, I was emphasising that you should just check it by whatever means... thanks buddy
Great video my bike brand new fell over on side stand nothing looks bent but it doesn’t feel right I’ll try this b4 I take it to my bmw and he charges me a mint to do the same thing many thanks again 👍👍
I always thought that you first tighten the wheel axle then top yoke nut and then fork bolts ..I guess I was wrong ??! Thank you will try this 😜
Thanks a bunch for this! Very helpful.
Worked like a charm!!! No more pulling. Much obliged!