Wrecked... *sigh*

[neuendor]

After moving and getting married, I finally pulled the bike out of the garage this morning after a few months...  Jumped it, got a whopping three blocks and dumped it going around a turn...  

Most of the damage seems "minor" (new speedo, new clutch handle and hardware, new light bracket, new turn signal, some tank polish, etc.  -> need to find a part bike with a reasonable front end.)  However, the fork is rather difficult to turn...

So, for all of you vision experts who are tired of questions about carbs and stators and stuff like that:

I'm assuming this means the fork is bent...  However, it doesn't *look* bent...  Any suggestions on how to tell what is going on here?  

Steve

[Cdnlouie]

Sorry to hear you say so.  Nevertheless, there are ways and means to get back on the road.  If things are hard to turn you must have something jaming the triple tree from turning such as headlight and instrumentation gear that turns with the fork assembly.  Especially if the impact was not sufficient to make things really look bent your main triple tree is probably allright.  However, it is a really tough call here since we cannot see the bike.  At least have someone who knows motorcyles take a peak at this issue.  You might want to strip a few things off just to clear away the tangle.

Fork tubes can actually be straightened if you only have a slight bend.  A good machine shop and knowledgable operator can put a dial gauge up against them and detect where to make the correction in a good press by actually bending it back.  This is for only minor twists as it could weaken the tube if corrected too much.

Check to see that your steering stops are okay, since you don't want to customized you tank with fork dents.  Check for any cracked or fatigued metal steering components.

For the rest of the stuff you may want to go shopping.

Hey look at the bright side, your okay and your a lot harder to replace.

 :-/  Louie

[neuendor]

I took another look at it and there doesn't appear to be anything interfering with turning visible outside.  The headlight and bracket is destroyed, but it's not bent back far enough to touch the bain bike frame that doesn't turn.  Is it possible that the head bearing is jarred loose internally?

Is it possible that simply having bent forks would interfere with the triple-tree enough to make turning difficult?

The steering stops are OK, but the left turn signal was crushed under the tank causing a big dent: fortunately, no holes...

[Cdnlouie]

Yes, it is possible. Best to remove the wheel, and fork tubes and see if that makes a difference.  They need to be checked anyway.  Then you will know if you need to repair the steering head bearings.  Take the It is a good thing to check all of the above and go over things very carefully looking for fractures, flaking paint (indicating a twist, etc.).

 ??? Louie

[Cdnlouie]

Hey, while I am thinking about it I know of a guy junking out a Vision in Houston, Texas and I believe he has quite a few of the front end parts left (ie. headlight, tubes, fender, signal lights maybe).  Might be worth a call.  Email me and I will forward it to him.