hot grips and longer skid plate

[Robert Bordasch]

A few months ago I bought a new KLR650 (first bike I've owned since 1965). I now have about 2000 miles on it. After about 500 miles I noticed that the front forks seemed to be out of alignment a little. When traveling straight down he road, you can see a misalignment of the instruments with the windshield, but only by a degree or so. But this is enough to be annoying (like a slightly misaligned picture on a wall). The dealer tried to straighten it by forcing the handlebars with the front wheel fixed agains a wall. Didn't work. I think it was this way when I bought it, but not sure. Doesn't seem to cause any problems, but just annoying. Do I have any reason for concern? Is there an easy way to straighten them? Thanks.

[Jud Jones]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Robert Bordasch" wrote:

> > A few months ago I bought a new KLR650 (first bike I've owned since > 1965). I now have about 2000 miles on it. After about 500 miles I > noticed that the front forks seemed to be out of alignment a little. > When traveling straight down he road, you can see a misalignment of > the instruments with the windshield, but only by a degree or so. But > this is enough to be annoying (like a slightly misaligned picture on a > wall). The dealer tried to straighten it by forcing the handlebars > with the front wheel fixed agains a wall. Didn't work. I think it > was this way when I bought it, but not sure. Doesn't seem to cause > any problems, but just annoying. Do I have any reason for concern? > Is there an easy way to straighten them? Thanks.

It could be the fairing that is out of alignment. It is not at all uncommon for the brackets to be tweaked from a fall, or even from the factory.

[Arden Kysely]

How hard did the dealer push on the bars? It takes a real good whack if you don't loosen the triple clamp bolts on the forks. Try loosening them enough so there's some flexibility in the front end, but not so much that the fork tubes slide up, then wiggle the bars back and forth a bit, wiggling less and less until you stop. The wheel will pretty much self center. But...before you go through all this, make sure the front fairing frame isn't bent and throwing off your sense of straight. __Arden --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Robert Bordasch" wrote:

> > A few months ago I bought a new KLR650 (first bike I've owned since > 1965). I now have about 2000 miles on it. After about 500 miles I > noticed that the front forks seemed to be out of alignment a

little.

> When traveling straight down he road, you can see a misalignment of > the instruments with the windshield, but only by a degree or so.

But

> this is enough to be annoying (like a slightly misaligned picture on

a

> wall). The dealer tried to straighten it by forcing the handlebars > with the front wheel fixed agains a wall. Didn't work. I think it > was this way when I bought it, but not sure. Doesn't seem to cause > any problems, but just annoying. Do I have any reason for concern? > Is there an easy way to straighten them? Thanks. >

[E.L. Green]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Robert Bordasch" wrote:

> A few months ago I bought a new KLR650 (first bike I've owned since > 1965). I now have about 2000 miles on it. After about 500 miles I > noticed that the front forks seemed to be out of alignment a little. > When traveling straight down he road, you can see a misalignment of > the instruments with the windshield, but only by a degree or so.

Pop the bike up on a lift, loosen the bottom triple clamp bolts on both forks, and force them open a bit to let the forks move in them. Wiggle the bars then let the forks seek the straight and narrow. Then tighten back up to factory spec torque. Voila! Note that the problem may not be the forks tho. My KLR came from the factory with a miswelded fairing bracket. My fairing was crooked from day one. So my forks were facing straight down the road, but my windshield wasn't! A replacement fairing bracket off of eBay fixed that one. Check your windshield and make sure it faces straight down the road. If your bracket isn't completely miswelded, it should be easily straightened. -E

[Spike55]

My instrument cluster seems out of center too. Also the left hand grip seems further away than the right. Just the opposite of what I need since my right arm is longer from a broken collar bone in 1991. Don R100, A6F --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Robert Bordasch" wrote:

> > A few months ago I bought a new KLR650 (first bike I've owned since > 1965). I now have about 2000 miles on it. After about 500 miles I > noticed that the front forks seemed to be out of alignment a little. > When traveling straight down he road, you can see a misalignment of > the instruments with the windshield, but only by a degree or so. But > this is enough to be annoying (like a slightly misaligned picture on

a

> wall). The dealer tried to straighten it by forcing the handlebars > with the front wheel fixed agains a wall. Didn't work. I think it > was this way when I bought it, but not sure. Doesn't seem to cause > any problems, but just annoying. Do I have any reason for concern? > Is there an easy way to straighten them? Thanks. >

[Norm Keller]

>noticed that the front forks seemed to be out of >alignment a little. >When traveling straight down he road, you can >see a misalignment of >the instruments with the windshield, but only by >a degree or so. But >this is enough to be annoying (like a slightly >misaligned picture on a >wall). The dealer tried to straighten it by >forcing the handlebars >with the front wheel fixed against a wall.

It sounds like the common result of a mild dump/crash. What happens is that the front fork tubes rotate and the front axle is positioned out of alignment. I'm surprised that your dealer failed to resolve the issue and suggest that you evaluate their competence. My 10 year old knows how to straighten this symptom. You may need to block the bike up to take weight off the front wheel. Be advised that the KLR is tall and top heavy while on its wheels but far more so when blocked up! When the front wheel is unloaded, loosen the fork tube clamp bolts until they are just snug. Stand with one leg on each side of the front wheel and use the handle bars to align the bars with the front wheel. Using a string or laser off the rear wheel is a more accurate means but IMO doing a super accurate alignment will condemn you to dumping it again (VBG). Check Mark's site as it has a number of very useful procedures documented with pictures. He's done a very professional job! HIH Norm [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Bob Bordasch]

Thanks to everyone who responded. I took another look at my forks and now I am not sure if it is the forks or the fairing. So before I do anything I need to figure this out. Thanks again. usa1911a1 wrote: Mine is the same way (2006). I just change the gas. I think it must be the plastic cowling. Bob

----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Bordasch" To: Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 3:09 PM Subject: [DSN_KLR650] misaligned forks > A few months ago I bought a new KLR650 (first bike I've owned since > 1965). I now have about 2000 miles on it. After about 500 miles I > noticed that the front forks seemed to be out of alignment a little. > When traveling straight down he road, you can see a misalignment of > the instruments with the windshield, but only by a degree or so. But > this is enough to be annoying (like a slightly misaligned picture on a > wall). The dealer tried to straighten it by forcing the handlebars > with the front wheel fixed agains a wall. Didn't work. I think it > was this way when I bought it, but not sure. Doesn't seem to cause > any problems, but just annoying. Do I have any reason for concern? > Is there an easy way to straighten them? Thanks. > > > > > > > Archive Quicksearch at: http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com > List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > Member Map at: http://www.frappr.com/dsnklr650 > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[dooden]

Bike on lift, triples loosened a little bit, spin wheel as fast as you can (forward), and grab the front brake to make the wheel stop fast.. Using the centrifical force and sudden stop should make everything bout as straight as KHI designed it. Of course re-torque triple bolts. (Look up torque value) Worked for me anyway. Dooden A15 Green Ape

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Robert Bordasch" wrote: > > A few months ago I bought a new KLR650 (first bike I've owned since > 1965). I now have about 2000 miles on it. After about 500 miles I > noticed that the front forks seemed to be out of alignment a little. > When traveling straight down he road, you can see a misalignment of > the instruments with the windshield, but only by a degree or so. But > this is enough to be annoying (like a slightly misaligned picture on a > wall). The dealer tried to straighten it by forcing the handlebars > with the front wheel fixed agains a wall. Didn't work. I think it > was this way when I bought it, but not sure. Doesn't seem to cause > any problems, but just annoying. Do I have any reason for concern? > Is there an easy way to straighten them? Thanks. >

[Hedrek]

Someone mentioned once that a vendor (Arrowhead Motorsports?) will sell a longer skid plate for use without a center stand, is that the place? Anyone use Hot Grips? I want heated grips I can use with Maier probably Woods Pro Hand guards, will this work? Thanks. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com