Topic: Wheel alignment (offset from each other) question

[DaveBarbier]

Stem is out, not the hole. It’s tilting the top clamp at angle not parallel to the bottom, and not square to the stem.

Before you go buying steel rod, just buy DOM tubing. It’s dead straight and probably less expensive (and heavy) than rod.

Going to have to send the triple back to Devin I fear. 

So the stem is angled but still ok for one tube? If the stem were crooked it seems likely that both tubes wouldn’t fit. I know it’s possible for one tube to still be good, but I can center the stem in the triple and choose either stem to fit in. It’s not necessarily the right one that’s always bad. But either way, the triple will have to go back. I’ll email him today and see what he says.

Seems difficult to press the stem in straight, then. Or you’d have to double check with the forks to make sure it’s good. Reassure me that an aluminum stem is fine and stainless isn’t an improvement.

[DaveBarbier]

Bing Bing Bing... you hit the jackpot there, the triple trees should line up perfectly, UNLESS one of the tubes is tweaked... If one is slightly bent, then you will have that angle also. Have you tried rotating that tube, or the other one, to see if that gap changes with the rotation... i.e. does it follow the tube around the triple tree hole. You would have to try one tube, then insert it and try the other tube to see if either tube is tweaked. It is either the tubes or the tree... leave the lower triple loose enough that you can rotate the tube that looks out, if the gap doesn't clock around the upper triple tree hole, the remove the other tube, lock the one you just tested into the lower tree and the upper, and rotate the other one too see if the gap is there and clocks around the top hole.
Another consideration is if the stem is out, and then neither tube should fit if it was centered.
Charlie

I held a straight edge along each tube and they’re perfect, but I’ll still rotate the tubes to be sure.

Thanks guys

[DaveBarbier]

Off today so I just went out and spun the fork tubes and the gap stays the same.

I’ll send Devin and email. If he could just press in a stem again that would be awesome. I have some holes drilled for my gauge so it would be nice to keep all that.

[DaveBarbier]

Got in touch with Devin, and I’ll be sending off the triples in a day or two. He’s going to verify everything is straight and true.

[DaveBarbier]

Just updating this. Stem was cocked in the triple and it’s being fixed and sent hopefully this week. Also hoping this will fix my issue.

[DaveBarbier]

Another update, think I’m making headway. I now think my frame is tweaked.

I assembled my old forks on the bike, kind of embarrassed I didn’t do this earlier, and the wheel is still angled. I got those cones as was suggested earlier in the thread and found a straight length of rod. In the below picture, I’m eyeballing the top of the rod to be centered with the spine of the frame backbone. The bottom part of the rod should then be bisecting the oil filter housing, but it’s not. It’s on the left side of it. If I eyeball the bottom part of the rod to bisect the oil filter housing then the top of the rod is to the right of the spine of the frame.

Assuming the filter housing is an ok alignment guide.

Thoughts?

[DaveBarbier]

So right now I’m looking for a 500/550 frame.

[DaveBarbier]

It seems like my frame is bent and if that’s the case then that means that I was riding on it this whole time without noticing it. I could just assemble and leave it as is. But, a good frame won’t cost more than a couple hundred bucks. It’ll take a weekend or maybe only a day to swap everything over. Kind of a no brained in my eyes.

[jgger]

Dave, pick 2 spots on the frame that you cam measure from, both sides of an engine mount bolt that goes all the way across (long bolt). Measure from each side to the end of your rod in the neck. If the rod is straight the measurements should be the same, think equilateral triangle. The swing arm pivot would be the best but that is not possible with the engine in the frame. Foot peg mounts might work too.

Bummer if it is tweaked, could you heat and twist it back? IDK just guessing.

[DaveBarbier]

Good idea, I’ll measure from some bolts instead of just eyeballing it. Heat and bend back? Oh man, I don’t know if I’m comfortable with that. I don’t have a torch anyway. Only propane and Mapp gas.

[rosewood]

Dave I had a similar problem here in New Zealand with a 550 I'm rebuilding...Took me ages to figure it all out.

My sprockets were out and after fitting a replacement swing arm got them sorted, then the front to back wheel alignment was way out...replaced with new fork tubes and still out. I then fitted some rod with the cone tapers in the steering stem like you and that pretty much concluded my steering stem was out probably from a good hit in the front.

I ended up having to take the whole bike to a guy here that has modified a car chassis straitening jig to fit bikes. He managed to tweak the stem back into alignment with hydraulic rams on his chassis frame....

Was quite an expensive exercise but I didn't have the luxury of replacing the frame here in NZ as parts are pretty scarce here.

Maybe this could be another option for you if there is someone local in your area offering these services?

[DaveBarbier]

So right now I’m looking for a 500/550 frame.

You want a stock, non-modified one?

Yeah I’m looking stock in good shape. Not pristine with perfect factory paint because I’m going to chop it up to fit my seat and stuff. I’d like to leave the perfect frames for someone who’s doing a factory restore. Marissa almost came through. She knows someone selling a 500 frame fairly close to me for $100 but it ended up having rust holes.

[DaveBarbier]

Dave I had a similar problem here in New Zealand with a 550 I'm rebuilding...Took me ages to figure it all out.

My sprockets were out and after fitting a replacement swing arm got them sorted, then the front to back wheel alignment was way out...replaced with new fork tubes and still out. I then fitted some rod with the cone tapers in the steering stem like you and that pretty much concluded my steering stem was out probably from a good hit in the front.

I ended up having to take the whole bike to a guy here that has modified a car chassis straitening jig to fit bikes. He managed to tweak the stem back into alignment with hydraulic rams on his chassis frame....

Was quite an expensive exercise but I didn't have the luxury of replacing the frame here in NZ as parts are pretty scarce here.

Maybe this could be another option for you if there is someone local in your area offering these services?

That’s an option I’d consider, but I bet that would cost me a pretty penny.

[DaveBarbier]

Dave, pick 2 spots on the frame that you cam measure from, both sides of an engine mount bolt that goes all the way across (long bolt). Measure from each side to the end of your rod in the neck. If the rod is straight the measurements should be the same, think equilateral triangle. The swing arm pivot would be the best but that is not possible with the engine in the frame. Foot peg mounts might work too.

Measured and I’m off by about a full cm. I had to measure from the front engine bolts because the motor is in the way. Also could be thinking the frame where the motor mounts to could be tweaked too. I guess a car hitting you laterally has a lot of force even at low speed.

[jgger]

If the difference is 1cm then it is bent 1/2 cm. In my pea brain that is abort +/- 3/16". IDK that doesn't sound like it is enough to cause too much trouble.

[DaveBarbier]

Just closing this one out. Got a new frame and swapped everything over. Still have to reconnect all the wiring, though. Did an alignment yesterday and all’s good. Rear wheel is centered in the frame and front wheel is centered in the forks. With strings on the sides of the rear tire coming up to the front tire, both wheels are almost dead nuts aligned and they both are plumb.

Thanks for the help guys.

[RAFster122s]

Dave, glad you managed to sort through that issue. What a pain to go through...going to be fun having to title a new frame.

If you have room to hang onto the old frame you could keep an ear to the ground for someone setup to straighten MC frames. If found you could then build another bike for the old frame.  It could be cut to provide repair sections for a rusty frame if you wanted to reuse an old frame for repair sections.

The build of the cb400 that is getting a CB500R motor (newest cb500r bike) could be an interesting restomod use of a repaired frame.  Would make a nice bike for a female rider to cut her teeth on. Or even a young male rider.  A wrecked cb500r or cb500x can be bought from a salvage place or on other sources to serve as donor.

Just some idle musing.

Or you could go even more radical and maybe transplant a baby VStrom or other bike's powerplant into the frame.  Just do not want to go crazy on HP with a restomod like that...the frame being a limiting factor.

David

[DaveBarbier]

Thanks David, glad I’ve got it sorted too. As for the old frame, I’m trashing it. I cut off my old hoop for this new frame and am not about to try and salvage it. Frames are cheap.

And regarding titling, CT doesn’t require a title for any motorcycle 20 years or older.

[RAFster122s]

Dave, I have seen the titled frames sell only the headstock and nearby section of tubes cut from the frame as a titled frame is difficult to impossible to find in some areas that have very restrictive laws
Fwiw