Aligning Motorcycle Fork Legs Properly After Mounting The Front Wheel
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- Опубликовано: 26 июл 2020
- www.DaveMossTuning.com
It is very easy to install or mount the front wheel of your motorcycle crooked. It all has to do with getting the fork legs straight based on which fork leg is "captive" and which is "free".
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It’s the little things like this that people miss. 27 years as a car mechanic and I’m still learning stuff like this. Love your work Dave
Thank you for watching!
Dammit i been doing this all wrong for so long. This makes alot more sense. I was locking in the calipers and not leaving them loose and I never tightened them down while holding the brake. I learn something new every video I watch.
I wonder how many bikes leave dealers without any of this being done properly, never mind those of us messing around at home or at the track? Yet another really useful video.....keep them coming Fella!
14.2 million
Most of them.
Been researching this for 2 years. Can tell you with 99% accuracy that the number is 11.3 million. You were close though!
2:14 "Don't you die on me!"
Ha.
Besides your owners manual and shop manual specific to your vehicle, this gentleman is a goto for how to work on and properly set up your motorcycle for maximum enjoyment.
Wow, thanks!
Finally - we waited for that to come now for serveral years, thank you for your service!
Ooopsie, I’ve learned something today
Same for me! Will be redoing mine soon... the right way. Would be nice to learn -why- this needs to be done.
@@stefan2meter If you do not do it the fork leg can be misaligned and bind giving 1. Stiction 2. Uneven brake pad contact 3. Angled braking forces 4. Wheel doesn't spin 4 or 5 times, maybe half a turns
Thank you so much! I replaced my rotors and pads, but for the life of me couldn't work out why I was getting uneven contact patches on my rotors... Subbed.
@@jamieadams9578 Thanks for subscribing! Next step is a toothbrush and soapy water for the caliper to make sure the pistons move evenly (yes, there's a video for cleaning brake calipers). Enjoy!
Thanks, will do. Got the seal kit ready to go
Dave did a video on this a long time back, I’ve been doing this ever since and it certainly makes your bike run true! 👍
I LOVE the simplicity of setting stuff like this up correctly.
Also thanks for highlighting the potential issue with the step I skipped when mounting my calipers
Dave is _the man!_ This is superb information. I just put new tires on my VFR and wasn't aware of this protocol, but now that I've seen it, it makes perfect sense. Thank you, Dave. I had Dave set up the suspension on my CBR600F4i at a track day at Miller years ago, and it _transformed_ the handling of the bike; the bike's handling was *on rails* after Dave set me up. 👍
Thanks Dave I have found your channel useful so many times and I love to learn more and more. Too bad my thirst for knowledge began at a later time in life.
after all those years i just learned quite a bit in this video thanks Dave
Dave, you are a good man for sharing your extensive knowledge with the motorcycle community.
I appreciate that!
Dave glad to see you're doing well and looking forward to seeing you again up here in Canada or at the Ridge when this mess is over :)
I, like everyone else am anxious to get back to traveling to help riders worldwide. A little more patience......
Glad I saw this, It`s good to see a Professional show how it should be done !! >>> Thank You Dave !!
Perfect timing on this video, have to do this today! Thank you.
i used to do this years(20)ago regulary with my dirtbikes when changing tyres. i havent had dirtbikes for 2 decades and lost this important knowledge.
thanks very much for reminding me of this. youre instructions are clear and precise. thanks again.👍
Thank you for being nudged and sharing what you will start doing again based on the importance it had for you with your dirt bikes!
I learn something new every video I watch, thank you for your time.
Thanks Mr Moss brilliant advice👌 Most of us just don't know these intricacies and encounter problems when we least expect it
Thank for the comment - tips and tricks can really make a difference!
Damn Dave Moss your deep into bikes man. Been riding for 44 years and am a mechanic by trade. Your videos are excellent and carefully thought out. Thanks for your contribution to motorcycling man. Cheers
Thanks for your honest comments, thank you! I appreciate you watching and enjoying the content.
Thanks for the tips and the tuning Dave. You set up my suspension a few months ago at Streets of Willow on my 2023 V4.
It made a big difference at the track and so much better on the street.
Hope to see you at the track again in November.
Thank you. Next SoCal date is Chuckwalla Nov 6th with Moto Forza.
Hi Dave thanks so much for making and posting this video.
A so called bike mechanic ripped me off royally and made a right mess of my bike a year ago. Still trying to put everything right. Could have been killed riding home it was so bad.
This video has given me something else to check. Certain he wouldn't have done any of this.
I get a violent wobble on my steering at any speed no matter how slow.
I'm doing my first track day this weekend and just put on fresh tires for it. Glad I saw this video beforehand as I learned something new and it makes perfect sense to me why you did the things, in did in that order. I will redo my front end first thing tomorrow, thanks Dave!
Have a great time and welcome to the track! Don't forget to find your pressures and gain cold to hot should be 3-4psi ideally.
Thank you for this video. I am learning every day something new about my bike and your videos are pretty much the best.
Thank you for the kind words and enjoy your learning from our videos!
Learning is occurring. Thank you Dave!
Awesome as always Dave, thanks for sharing the knowledge, Nice mask 👏
Definitely was taught the proper way thanks Dave
Thanks Dave! I didn't know any of this. I'm about to use your tips to align the front end of a 2003 CRF150F dirt bike. They have a similar fork design as the sports bikes you were working on (a threaded left fork for the axle and pinch bolts on the right fork).
Excellent - and the end result will be a front wheel that spins far more easily.
Thank you dave moss. Learned something really useful.
This is a great video , after watching loads of different people and doing my own bikes I learnt the proper way here . I tightened the caliper first
Thanks for your thoughts! Glad the video helped you.
Excellent and thorough video thank you Dave
great vid, helped me a lot for my 1st front wheel removal. My addition ? a zip tie to hold the break leaver :)
Dave, about twenty years ago (!) I was a customer at the GMD Computrack shop in El Segundo, just outside LAX. They did work for the American Honda roadrace team in AMA, and I'd seen their CBR600 Supersport bikes in back of the shop. Morris told me that the team was chasing setup problems at the track with one of those CBRs, and it was traced back to front end misalignments which occurred when cinching down the straps inside the truck! One crew was doing it correctly (Miguel Duhamel's, if I recall) and the other crew was twisting things up. A simple matter to fix, once the problem was understood and the knowledge was shared. Even the professionals will mess things up sometimes!
Great information and thank you for sharing!
Muchas gracias! One million likes. Very instructive. Saludos desde Guatemala!
I had major issues with calipers binding on my BMW S1000R following the replacement of fork seals. This will be the solution - thanks very much Dave!
Did it fix it? I have a problem with my discs not being central to my calipers and causing massive brake judder
@@TeamSimpsonRacing Hi Toby, yes it did. If your discs are causing pulsing of the hand lever or judder then you should check them for warping. If the floating bobbins are dry and not allowing the disc to self correct or the disc has been overheated, then it could be warped. There are plenty of videos on youtube around how to service the bobbins and free them up.
Never ever done it that way but I will from now on. Excellent tutorial.👍
Thank you! You will be really pleased with the benefits as every time you do this the front wheel will spin free or show you the brake calipers need a cleaning via inconsistent rotation speed.
I just did this to a bike I had rebuilt the forks on... Suberb. Now rides like it should.
Thank you so much... Everyday is day to learn something new. 👍
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Thank you for this! I have R6 and always tightened everything at once!😅 well the bike has been working still great nothing is bended, but next time I will do it this way☺
Glad it helped!
Brilliant. going to share this with so many home mechanics. thanks for the awesome information...
Please do!
Thank's from Nice,Azur Coast, good job ,nobody do this,I've learned something too
Nicolas
My workshop manual says to use feeler guages to check clearance between the calipers and the rotor. (Brembo calipers without guide bushings). I've just carefully eyeballed it every time with success so far.
The exception to this is the forks on an 06/07 zx10r that has a "normal" bolt and nut as an axle (neither side floats). The guy I bought my zx6r race bike from put on 06 zx10 forks and I get a bit of excess stiction in the front with no way to correct it. I might send one fork leg to a machine shop to bore the axle hole out and get a spacer made to float the fork. But that will be a winter project
Dave, how did you know I was going to need this vid ? Thanx !!!!
Errr.... hmmmmm...... tea leaves? :)
@@CatalystReactionSBW I like people like you who know their stuff !
Wow, thanks a lot, I bought new bike and hear and fell some repeating friction from front wheel increasing accordingly with speed, so have to align wheel and brakes properly. Thanks for sharing !!!
Tons of great content on this channel!
Thank you for watching!
Sir that's been very very helpful thank you very much for your time and dedication very good
Spot on Dave 👍🏻
Thank you Dave that's an essential video
Would be great if my service place knew this
Great info in your videos love it! thank you Dave!!
Thanks for watching!
You're awesome. Thanks Dave!
Dave, you helped me tune my suspension with your video's. But there was a glitch I couldnt tune out of there. Ocassionally I would feel some unbalance in the front. Not all the time, but enough to notice in certain pieces of road. Sometimes the bike wanted me to lean at slow speeds, and 2 seconds later not Etc. Continuous small adjustments... . A motorcycle mechanic fixed a leaking fork seal couple months ago. I figured the oil must be old on one side or different viscosity... They claimed to me the other one was recently replaced already... Today I did what you showed here. And jezus, the floating axle side exluded about 1mm now, before it was flush. 1 hand springing the front imediatly felt a change in smoothness and balance/preload etc. between left and right. Not like the seals where binding... Drove today, and it cuts the cornerline way more stable. Bro, your my hero.
Again you indirectly saved my life, and improved my driving experience.!!!! A question, I didnt release the calipers, should I calibrate those again to the new wheel position?
Thanks for watching and using the content to assist you and your motorcycle.. Yes and go through the full reset to 100% ensure the calipers are correct.
@@CatalystReactionSBW Thanks Dave.Sorry I forgot to mention I do have older type calipers which are mounted sideways onto the fork. I had a buddy's fork in mind which has same as the video.
wow never thought of doing this. thanks
I'm so glad my bike can't watch Dave's videos. I feel it'd be pretty upset with me if it could.
u can use the bending on the free leg to square it.. with same procedures but instead, bend it (free leg) far in then out, measure it if u want to, and half the distance should be the middle.. for some its quicker and no bounce needed. whatever u comfort with:)
To Joao Santos. Your comment is not accessible. Yes, do it by tightening the pinch bolts on the bolt/nut side first and then tighten the free leg second.
fantastic video thank you!
Pooof and just like that I learn something new thanks dave
Thank you I’m going to be removing my wheels and tires for new rubber and I had no idea you had to do this
Same here had no idea thats what needs to be done!
EXCELLENT INFO. Thank you.
Good instruction - for safety sake - double Check all screws before riding: leaving those calipers loose and tightening them later is a risk because you may forget them. My advice: never interrupt work when your assembling the wheels and brakes. Paint marks can help to be 100% sure.
Wow....been doing it all wrong then for years. If you haven’t already, please make a video on setting up the rear wheel properly. Every day is a school day!
i wish you were closer to the east coast man
Nice quick and efficient
Ooookaaaaay... gonna re-do my front end today...
Great vid. Thanks.
Thanks awesome.
A velcro strap be good to hold lever
amazing the uses in the garage for an old bicycle inner tube.👍
Or my old favourite, a zippy tie!
Oh wow that was useful. I'll definitely do this next time i get me tires replaced.
When you do, please post the differences in distance for the front and rear so others can see a real/live experience in action.
thanks for sharing!
Yay I was doing it right - for once!
excellent video dave.j had problems with the front wheel not spinning freely. went to a lot of trouble. stripping down the calipers and changing all seals and a 4 hour brake bleed🙄got there eventually. had I seated the axle correctly like u have done in the first place everything would have been fine 😬
every days a school day.
A tip of my hat to you for the commitment to make it right and thank you for watching this video so you have a permanent method from this point on as the first step.
I pretty much do it this way, but instead of just bouncing it up and down I also take it for a short spin and brake a few times.
Dave Moss, I hope you have many children, they all tune suspension, and they would be craftsmen and prosperous.
Surprisingly, my 1985 BMW bike owners manual describes it the same as shown (single pinch bolt)
Hey @dave moss tuning, can you do a video about how to vertically align the forks in the triple clamps (so the wheel sits perfectly level left to right)? great video by the way!
I take it this is based on having different length fork springs or different rate fork springs in either leg?
This thing help me alot.Thank you.🥰
I appreciate you watching ad thank you for your comment!
I found this video because lately when I put the fork brace back on my '04 V-Strom 1000 after changing a tire, I get massive stiction. When I remove the brace, all is well and I can set sag as normal. I thought maybe I was putting the tire back on incorrectly. So of course I looked up Dave first, and - very timely - found this new video! I followed these instructions exactly tonight, and...when I put the fork brace on, I still get massive stiction. (Remove it, and all is well.)
Any idea what causes the forks to stick when you put a fork brace on?
My hero!
I know that bike has less suspension travel than my dirt bike, but I have learned not to be a fan of any method of getting the fork legs parallel if you are not measuring it somehow. Using this method on my dirt bike is also standard YT procedure, but after I actually made a gauge, (1" dia. round stock aluminum that fits through my brake disk, faced off on a lathe on both ends to 5.661" long, the distance between my plated fork legs, calculated from a triple clamp.), I found the pump and brake method to be off about .030". After I got the legs parallel within + or - .001", I found that I had to go to the next stiffer fork springs because I eliminated the binding.
Lots of riders are wearing out their bushings prematurely, and not getting the best action from their forks.
It does not matter if the axle is threaded on one end, or clamped on both ends. The forks should be parallel, and not many are. :)
Agreed, very few are. Thanks for sharing your ingenious solution to remove binding.
Glad I watched did not know all this thank you
Thank you for taking the time to watch and then use the information.
thanks Dave! I need this for my Yamaha R1 2004 :D
Excellent - thanks for going the extra yards and getting it done.
@@CatalystReactionSBW Yes I have achieved it! I have left my front wheel and brakes perfect thanks to you, now my wheel spins and spins! hahaha :D greetings from Galicia, Spain. a big hug!
Good tipper.
It's what I do.
I have to keep everything taut but wrenchable.
58mm marzocchi that apparently I'm the only person alive who has one on his Harley.
They were huge money new.
I got mine off a custom chrome buyout in 2007 for 100.00 trees also 100.00.
Wanna hear something fun about brain injuries?
I just realized this year why it vibrates so hard.
I had a bad day and never oiled them.
Yeah...get em in boys.
I never said I was 100%.
I would love to come work for you. Being able to pick your brain and work on bikes would be awesome.
Very understandable and logical with the sequence that these steps are done. If the rotors are not tightened last, is that why you can warp your rotors?
If you simply tighten the calipers without holding the brake on they can align off center. That can contribute to the rotor being stressed and potentially warped in time.
Thanks
You are outside. You don’t need a mask. Nice vid Dave.
Hi Dave. Thanks for the awesome video my 04 zx10 had a spindle the goes in from the right but the left hand bolt acts as the centering spacer for the spindle. So neither side locks up against the wheel spacer unless the wheel is tight both sides. How do I make sure the calipers are seated correctly on this case
Set your axle first. Get that task done, bounce the front end and get the forks aligned. Lastly, do the calipers.
Instead of holding the brake lever and twisting the body to reach the bolts, use several thick rubber bands so your hands are free. Irwin grip clamps work even better.
Great suggestion to help others and thank you for the post.
I’ve ended up here after watching you replacing fork seals on the R6, making it look a simple job! Not sure if should be attacking the job or not, or if should just pay to have the job done properly.
If I was to carry this job out, what fork oil would you recommend.? I’m a bit of a fatty weighing in at 14st, 200lbs!
Great advice on the front wheel alignment tho Dave, I to will be following the great advice given in this video as I’m a sucker for being meticulous 👍🏻
If you us the pause button regularly and take your time, it is a simple job to do with very few tools. Give it a go! :)
On my cb300r the forks are a little different. I plan on changing the fire tire and was wondering if the process is the same? It has clamps on both forks and is a single rotor set up
For one set of pinch bolts on the axle, if im trying to straighten my forks and have the lower tree clamps loose as well, would i still torque the axle first before pumping the forks?
This video has helped a lot since i believe having the axle threaded into one side has made all my attempts at aligning my wheels go all wrong.
Yes, you would torque the axle first.
Thanks Dave, CBR F4 looks similar to he R6
Thank you!
I would be surprised if most mechanics take the time to do it right. Seems like a lot of them are just trying to get it done asap. I wish I had a Dave Moss out here in Utah.
Yea, probably most mechanics wont do this. I have seen few and didn't do it..
Dave, can you do an indepth video on a post crash check? Like resettling the frame, forks, engine, checking to make sure the frame isn't bent etc.
something like this but in more detail? ruclips.net/video/vGkPOk2fbYc/видео.html
I have done this exact process 0% of the times I've had my fork legs off
Hi David, can you do a video on Yamaha R3 suspension setup
davemosstuning.com/2-clicks-out-yamaha-r3-stock-vs-upgraded-suspension-setups/
Ah! Now I get it...
Thanks for this video! Even though it's been some time since upload and I keep coming back to this video to review the procedure to balance the free fork. I have one question: why would you first tighten the brake calipers which are mounted directly onto the forks before bouncing the front end and not first bounce it and then center and tighten the brake calipers? Only after bouncing, tightening the pinch bolts, lifting it back up to spin the wheel to get the brake calipers centered would give you the best braking performance no?
I set the caliper nut 1/4 turn from tight, bounce the front end and torque the pinch bolts. Then spin the wheel and hold the brake lever firmly on and torque the brake bolts. It has been a while, I am fighting cancer and need to take time for myself to win this fight.
Hey Dave great video, but i think there is step missing from this if the legs are considered to move left right about a pivot then the lower triple clamp should be loosened but still tight to hold so the pivot is moved to the upper triple and the fork let has more room to move straight, be interested in your/the communities thoughts on this, thanks for all your vids
One leg is captive in that is is screwed/bolted to the spacer. The side the axle goes through is the free/open side and that is the leg that can move on the axle shaft, so we need to make sure it is straight. The leg base is part of the moving tube as the triple clamps hold the outer tubes in place. If you want to be 100% sure, loosen the steering stem nut, all triple clamp bolts and set the forks even. Tighten the steering stem nut, then triple clamp bolts. Bounce the front, then follow the process.
@@CatalystReactionSBW Thanks Dave, that makes total sense. Cheers.