Motorcycle Fork & Handlebar Alignment: How To Straighten

My handlebars were slightly out of whack after my bike went over last week. It's fairly easy to rectify though - you just need to loosen the lower yokes and manhandle the bars back into alignment. Some say you can just pump them up and down but mine needed a little more persuasion.
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[@kerrylawless8163]

Started learning to ride last summer (aged 49). Had my first spill last week on a roundabout, rear wheel slid out. Riding home saw my handlebars were slightly off and got really stressed. Found your video and problem was sorted in less than 10 minutes. Many, many thanks for making this video.👍👍

[@DudePlays247]

❤ to see good people out their, thanks for leaving such a nice admirable comment

[@Thebestsnowborder6]

Did the same thing a month ago my friend lol

[@Dunkinblownutzz_1]

@@Thebestsnowborder6 i dropped my bike a month ago too! except i broke my humerus 😢 i’m recovering now tho and doing well. my handle bars are having this issue and i hope it’s the fox

[@sazutawideuh]

@@Dunkinblownutzz_1 get well soon

[@Dunkinblownutzz_1]

@@sazutawideuh i appreciate it , i’m doing a lot better now. still a little pain but physical therapy is helping !

[@arthurcwm]

4 years later and your video is still a lifesaver! A million thanks from Sabah, Malaysia!

[@MusicMath123]

and now still 7 years later

[@flint5868]

Bro you're a life saver. I ask 4 mechanics and told me i need to change my fork for just slight misalignment. And then i saw your video and did a diy. And it work! Thank you for sharing this technique!

[@earthlyng_official4599]

im finding a lot of mechanics at dealers lie to people on this fix... i took mine to a dealer and they returned it the same way i gave it to them and they charged me $140 to do it... fucking ridiculous... i took it back and the shop manager got into it with me... they seemed to get it right after the second time..

[@HondaWanderer]

Idiot mechanics then, if you ever rode a bike as a kid you already knew you could do this, perhaps just not exactly what to loosen

[@julianceballos8795]

I like this video due to the fact that I have done this several times before and had great results. I usually do this with a front stand so that I can adjust the fork height of my sport bike. I tend to do this every other year due to the potholes in the Bay area. Awesome video 😁

[@nanalcd5628]

Bay Area, potholes? I hear the city of San Francisco turn into a shttholes because of your Governor.

[@weedfeed7458]

Deadass doing this now because i ate it on a pothole in Sf and bars were loose haha

[@jason_a7420]

I recently got T boned by a car, and it knocked my alignment off. I've been fixing parts of my bike but this was the part that kind of daunted me the most, as I'm a new rider and never done anything like this before. This video really helped and it worked straight away without any hassle! Thank you!

[@ANDY1985UK2011]

Jason Atoche did it work after you pumped the forks or did you need to put the wheel between your legs to straighten it too?

[@jason_a7420]

@@ANDY1985UK2011 it actually turned out to be the easiest thing to fix. I only needed to loosen the bolts a bit on the triple clamp, then i sat on the bike and pumped it maybe 10, 15 times? It worked a treat and took less than 5mins

[@ANDY1985UK2011]

@@jason_a7420 I can't lossen those clamps though, there too tight and I broke my arm 2 months ago so it hurts to undo things

[@jason_a7420]

@@ANDY1985UK2011 if you broke your arm, it wouldn't be a good idea to attempt a correction of your handlebars at all. Not only will you have to get through loosening the bolts a bit, but to pump the handlebars you gotta pump them hard, which would only damage your arm more. I'd advise you to wait until your arm is fully healed before attemptimg any repairs on your bike that require heavy lifting or any physical stress. It took me almost 6 months to ride my bije again, you'll get there bud

[@ANDY1985UK2011]

@@jason_a7420 have already been riding my bike for 2 weeks, broke my arm 10th march

[@podnucmo5]

You were the cure to my anxiety. Took the tiniest spill in the dirt and thought I made a costly mistake after feeling the bars were off. Thank you!!

[@meangreengrillingmac]

Me too! Get this guy a beer!!!

[@matthewhykel2502]

@@meangreengrillingmacsame here👍literally fell over in the mud doing donuts but had the softest fall imaginable and thought… oh noo🫠

[@Lupcheong89]

i just dropped my bike for the first time after stupidly forgotting that my sidestand isnt on yet. Only noticed my slanted handlebar 2days later. I just want to say thank you for sharing this! Really appreciate it!

[@hermanosamuel8744]

I realize this is an older video but...Today, I dropped my first ever motorcycle, while standing still in my parking spot. (Mad at first, but then I remembered, its like the first door ding on your car, some things are just going to happen.) Anyway, I noticed that the forks were just slightly off. So slight that I argued with myself if they may have already been like that. This was the very first video that came up when I asked Google. Walked outside...five minutes later...perfect. Thanks.

[@cooterbruiser4037]

Thank you so much man. I thought my handlebars were bent. Turns out the risers had shifted and the forks were out of balance like yours. Great how to fix video 👍

[@abovemercury25]

Thank you so much! Just had a little tip over and I thought I needed new forks. Again, thanks 🙏

[@aiczz]

Same, im about to test this out on my bike

[@FedericoLucchi]

I low-sided my bike 3 times already, twice over 50kmh. Never broke more than a mirror and a few plastic fairings, but some alignment and bolt re-tightening always comes in handy!

[@Bjorn899]

This video helped me slot I just had my first motorcycle drop.and the it felt out of balance..now I can stop worrying thanks bro

[@motobob]

My pleasure mate!

[@TempoRL]

Same bro just an hour ago

[@jurgenhidalgo3612]

Tempo same bro, just five hours ago.

[@LavenderBluz]

@@jurgenhidalgo3612 same bro, just two days ago

[@MG-pm7en]

Today lol

[@olo2223]

wow, what a coincidence, I was looking for help because my fork isn't straight, I click this video and you have exactly the same motorcycle :D

[@motobob]

+Aleksander Matuszewski ah you and me both have great taste then 👍 it's my first bike so I haven't got a huge frame of reference but I love it! Good luck with the forks. Took me a few attempts to get it just right but it's not too tricky 🤘

[@timnarbeth8704]

Same! I wonder if this is a weak point in these bikes

[@Fordahord1]

Tim Narbeth cbf125 only has 2 bolts 1 on each side so they get twisted everytime

[@650r_ninja_phx6]

Same bike different version - ER-6F. Helped me a ton just now. Other videos were terribly long with dialogue so A+ from me 👍💯

[@bionickchief]

@@motobob and here i am again,just like you,er6n is my 1st bike,some idiot dropped her while parked and the engineer didn't bother straightening the forks after replacing the handlebars....once again to the rescue my man !!! love you :),I feel like subscribers who know you from your er6n vids and not your news-vids love you a bit more xD

[@ICEY02]

Wow just wow hahahaha words can't express how happy I am that i've fixed my first beloved bike hahahaha thanks brotha this really helped me!!

[@JamesRav516]

Riding for years and seem to learn something new all the time. Nice vid!

[@milangrg1091]

I have my test on friday and I was thinking how to fix. Thanks alot mate. It really works.

[@PopeOnArope]

its hard to do when your bikes is using a side stand your should use a rear stand and place your tire on a sheet of platic or like a sheet of stainless steel so the front tire can turn easier. I would recommend loosening everything up meaning the front wheel axle, front fender, calibers and yokes on both sides of the bike. it also works better if you get over the handle bars and press straight down on the center of the bars rather then holding onto your bar ends. if youre unsure what to loosen just loosen everything up jut a little it wont hurt.

[@motobob]

+santasfake 21 cheers for the extra info. Will pin this comment so others can see when I'm next at my computer

[@Near2Future]

@@minicopilot1 Loosen everything below your triple tree. Your triple tree is what is stopping the forks from jumping out, you don't wanna losen that.

[@Motofbr]

Won't loosening all the screws cause it to fall out?

[@ChristopherChartier]

This works! I really doubted this when I first saw it but I just tried it on my KLR and everything straightened right up. Thank you for this post!

[@motobob]

No problem! Glad it helped you

[@professionalpiercer]

Hey! 2018 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports owner here. I wanted to throw the year and bike up to let you know that this DOES work, and works incredibly. Keep the bike completely upright and straight. Bounce a bit on the front fork. If it is NOT realigning, give it a bit of a twist and you're all good! This is NOT something you adjust once in a motorcycles life span. Drops can tweak the for a little. So keep your tools with you. Especially in the jungle.

[@anowarulbari]

For better result, loosen the front wheel centre nut as well.

[@ketankadam5669]

Saw this in delboy's garage video. For it to align after compressing the forks down, you have to undo the triple clamp centre nut too! Else you will have to use your legs to hold the wheel.

[@psychopigeon8973]

dellbboyyyyy

[@EvendimataE]

i rathaer use my leg....because i have to remove the handlebar to loosen the center nut...i will try it. i hope it will work without touchong the center nut

[@gadda7]

Dropped my Africa Twin on forest leaves trail yesterday, your video helped me a lot!! Thanks man!

[@alejandrotroncoso4828]

Just had my first fall trying to go down a muddy narrow trail and now my front handlebars are just slightly misaligned. I’ll have to try this out. Thanks for the video!

[@Jake-yy9fg]

i love you, my family loves you and my dog loves you. saved me faffing around. thank you

[@sherwynd1911]

Had a head on collision and the steering was off, seen this video and it fixed the problem Thanks so much

[@garyt123]

You're doing it wrong. You need to loosen the top yoke (triple tree for our USA friends) centre nut too. It's also recommended to loosen the axle pinch bolts too. All then needs torquing down to their correct settings - nothing too major, except the centre nut needs about 110lbs (80nm).

[@tonybaloney5606]

Just done this today on my yz250. It works! Thanks!

[@thejoker_2127]

perfect timing, just had a lite frontal impact from the van that pulled in front, we both couldn't stop in time due to the roads are very loose

[@boylatagawofficial9497]

Thank you soo much for your vedio ,I been suffering for how many years ,my hand to much pain because my steering wheel is not Align thanks for this man ,my problem is Answerd ,from Philippines ❤️

[@NoahRayburnXR]

Your video on fork alignment saved me a lot of trouble.

[@motobob]

Thanks Noah! Glad it helped 👍

[@TheSports_Line]

Laid my bike down because of a preoccupied driver, thought I needed new forks! I’m going to give it a go! Hoping it works! 👍🏽

[@WaydMatkins]

Did it ever work??

[@tylerdobson1850]

Did it work

[@MartinSage]

I "T-Boned" a car and noticed the forks were slightly bent. Didn't notice any handing problems at normal speeds and since I had just paid $700 to have my stock "01 Triumph speed triple forks upgraded with Race Tech HD springs + Gold Valves (yea, my good luck, I know) I tried riding to see if my handling/ suspension had changed at high speeds Good News...it was still good!! Amazing. Ran her up to 140mph without any vibratoin/cornering or handling issues. Thank You Buda/God.

[@motobob]

Awesome! 🤘

[@horza5393]

I was nearly 100% confident this wouldn't work for my bike. I had measured from my axle on both sides up to the end of each bar and it was about a half inch difference. 10 minutes later after watching this video and my bars are perfect! That's what I get for always thinking I'm so smart

[@onesimpleclik]

huh. this might be exactly what i need. have the same problem on my crossrunner and haven't figured out whats wrong. will give this a try on the weekend. thanks!

[@denyB18]

Just fixed my CBR F3 thanks to you. Cheers m8!

[@TheWolf047]

I had to watch twice because the first time i was just paying attention to the music !

[@JohnnieVick]

What was the song?

[@judesonmartin]

This one video fixed my 2 year old issue, even my dealership and service center said to replace whole front portion of my motorcycle after the minor accident 😳

[@tiago_tojeira]

took a spill recently and was worryed I'd actually twisted the fork, thanks for the tip!

[@IceBurk]

I’ve been riding a 50cc Supermoto since a few weeks and today the road was really wet because It rained and when I wanted to stop I pressed the front brake even tho I should have pressed the rear brake and then I slipped out so after that I checked if everything was ok and then I realised my handlebar was not straight so I got really stressed but then I watched your video and fixed it in 10minutes

[@rickyevans3845]

yeh loosen the yoke halfway down as you did, loosen the nut in the centre of the top yoke, may have to loosen another further down again (i think) depending on forks can also loosen the mudguard/fender if you want, and with bike on rear paddock stand or upright (easier if someone stood at rear of bike holding it with this option), push forks down. Don't push the forks in the same way you would if you was checking dampening or whether they bottom out, but literally get above the forks and push downwards. Straight down.

[@tsepoelement9026]

Simple and straightforward. Thank you, needed this since my crash 2 days ago.

[@christianhill5013]

Same but today

[@tsepoelement9026]

@@christianhill5013 glad you okay buddy

[@TheA-iu9ip]

Funny cause two day ago I crashed my bike.

[@tsepoelement9026]

@@TheA-iu9ip Giving thanks to life, bike can be fixed but life is none replaceable.

[@christianhill5013]

Ohio roads are not safe I hit plastic lane divider that didn’t have sticks on it so it looked like a regular lane. I was fr sick had to watch my video to even comprehend what happened wack!!!!!

[@lewissinclair5287]

Just done this on my R6 worked perfect thank you

[@SonGoku-sw3gk]

Dude I love you lol I been trying so hard figure that shit out and you just saved me a trip to dealership

[@lampard696]

Make sure to keep the bike straight through the whole process, like on a main stand because when you straighten the wheel and put it on the side stand it will get crooked again

[@lices]

what if you hanve only side stand??!

[@JDuBz815]

@@lices wheel clamp or race stand. Or have a friend keep the bike upright.

[@psychopigeon8973]

@@lices someone has to hold the back of the bike for you, while you pump the forks and tighten everything up

[@israelorr5755]

Ive got a crf250l 2015 and i crashed it yesterday, was shitting bricks until i found this. I'll need to get home and try it out first but thank you if it does!

[@tylancarino2959]

did it work

[@jeramieogle883]

Worked on my '13 Super Tenere after a bad landing. Thanks pal

[@motobob]

Happy to help!

[@noypiakomtb3945]

@Jeramie Ogle i have 2018 ES model super tenere as will, drop it in my garage due to the kickstand not fully deployed and misaligned the bars what did you basically do to fix it what bolt did you loosened up? thanks for your response.

[@mkuzio3331]

Worked great on my XR650L. Thanks a lot!

[@FedericoLucchi]

Thanks! I low sided in the wet a few days ago, was wondering how to fix my alignment.

[@sarahpenn4453]

Wow that's all I can say, truly a lifesaver

[@rlauzon86]

Just laid my bike down this afternoon, some lady wasn't looking and pulled out in front of me. Squeezed and stomped my binders and a manhole cover toppled me to the right. Still rode home, but handlebars are out. I'm hoping this fixes it. No pain, no gain.

[@studiojason8049]

cool video. one bit of suggestion tho is to loosen the top nut 1.5 turns after loosening the fork brackets. it'll help :)

[@Zexsrbenda]

I cant express how happy I am to find this video... I've got the same problem, and Ive got exactly the same bike er6n '08 :)

[@motobob]

Ah that’s lucky then! Good luck with it - let me know how it goes

[@Zexsrbenda]

But I was just thinking, what if the handlebar itself s bent, and we are actually doing alignment according to its bent condition? I hope u understand :)

[@motobob]

If your bars are bent then you should replace them first anyway!

[@Zexsrbenda]

I think thats the problem... I cant tell.. It looks same like on your video, but I would want to know how to check if they are ok or just bent...

[@motobob]

Why not just try doing what I said in the video? It only takes 10 mins and it might work

[@buddhistpriest1357]

I noticed my tapered bars looked a little bent after dropping it on a rutted muddy road yesterday. I haven’t had the chance to take a look at it yet but it’s probably just some fork twist in the clamp. Tapered bars don’t bend so easily.

[@alifikhsan1923]

Thanks mate!....really works on my v strom 650!!...

[@motobob]

Good news! 👍🙌

[@lunacygaming8118]

I recently hit a young buck (deer) at about 55 mph on my CBR500R. Broke every single fairing and headlight in the front, both side fairings, and headlight and some other odds and ends things. Unfortunately I mistakenly did not have my M Class license at this time so I couldn’t make a insurance claim… So I’ve gotten all the OEM parts I need ordered. I noticed a nice dent in my tank and couldn’t figure out how it got there. Well this issue shown in this video was my exact problem I was stressed over. Last thing I want to do is buy a new set of forks for 1000$. When I turn my bars to the right they hit the tank before the bar stopper. Turn to the left and they hit the stopped and have a quite a way before hitting the tank. I’ve been more stressed over this issue than any of the other 20 broken parts I have. I hit the deer hard enough to kill it on impact. And my bike went down hard on the right side. I really hope this video will be all I need. Really hoping this is my problem and my forks aren’t bent.

[@twozup1098]

Just a bit of info- ALSO Loosen bottom fork pinch bolts and axle as well as bottom triple clamp on forks. Everything needs to be “loose” to realign not just the bottom triple clamp.

[@normzymotovlogs]

Thank you so much mate! I thought I made a costly mistake until I came across this video.

[@josephdelosreyes9672]

Bro, u saved my life, Thank you

[@marksmith8663]

I've got the same problem , I repaired my bike after a low side accident . Just Noticed the handle bars are slightly to the right . I just that a go

[@motobob]

+mark smith any luck?

[@marksmith8663]

Not really just the same I have anther go Then it's take it somewhere to pay garage to do it

[@motobob]

Check out the comment above by santasfake 21 - he has a few extra tips that might help!

[@fritziandelacruz3534]

Thanks a lot. I have a underbone motorcycle and lucky for me i find this video. So my motorcycle handlebar ang forks are now align.

[@xtremetestprep6941]

Totally fixed my crooked bar!

[@HeavenAintClose]

What a fucking life saver. Came off mine in November. Bars were bent but after replacing them they're still not straight. Tried doing this not knowing you could loosen the bolts. I have been shitting bricks for months since the bike was literally brand new when I did it. I'm doing this first thing tomorrow morning

[@thewolfkingtwk5068]

I think this might help me, thank you for the video I was so stressed

[@fredboat]

Thanks ,Easy as cake. Ridin a kawa 750 Vulcan. Later from Texas.usa.

[@alexriedel1609]

Just letting you know your a hero 7 years after dropping this

[@MisterSuki]

Watched with interest, this and a few others regarding the same fix after dropping my SV650. Had high hopes but unfortunately my bar is actually bent at the contour on the right side...where it fell. Can actually see a changed / different angle in the bend compared to the left / clutch side. Guess it's new bars for me. Pisses me off...more than a little. Live and learn...won't happen again.

[@motobob]

I had to change the bars on my ER6 when some scooter gang scoped it out to see if they could nick it, saw the big chain and just tipped it over out of spite. Super annoying! Not an inconsiderable job swapping the bars...

[@MisterSuki]

@@motobob I'm not looking forward to it. Also need the rear brake pedal...front brake lever and mirror. The right bar end. Got a sweet deal on the bike but the expense of this repair kinda cuts that in half.

[@MujoNovak]

Now its a real dragbar!

[@kunganu-ano5385]

exactly what i was looking for. hope this works. thanks!

[@feero9680]

bought my bike yesterday and i fell this morning. see the bars are off so i asked my teacher; KZbin. thank u for this vid

[@YOLO-yo9ij]

Very useful video Bud.

[@Ariautoace]

5 years later and it has helped me, Singaporean.

[@justbanter8727]

Just what I needed to know - I've only just noticed mine are slightly askew also! Great info, thanks

[@motobob]

Glad it helped!

[@koopspook]

for anyone reading this, when you look at your manual, the torque specs for these bolts specifically on those clamps is lower than you think, don't tighten them that much, my bike which is 400 pounds says to tighten the bolts to 17 ft/lbs. or 23nm, That's less than hand tightened for sure

[@jetblack357]

Hey thanks a lot, this fixed my machine right up!

[@motobob]

Awesome - that’s great to hear! 👍👍👍

[@123falcocastillo]

bro thank you so much ahah i didn't know it was that easy.

[@carlwilder1]

Thanks mate! Sorted my Harley

[@xavierv5115]

wish i saw this video first. I loosened the top screws and it lowered my bike and now im looking for a way to fix that.

[@kerrylawless8163]

Very, very helpful. Thanks for the video. 👍

[@peyuzumaki]

Hey thanks dude. Very appreciate does tricks.

[@motobob]

👍

[@aleksandarborisov6535]

Wow thanks so much, I didn't know is that easy!!

[@T0BBi94]

Im gonna try this later, I think my recently acquired DR750 has this issue from a tumble in its 30y lifespan

[@lyonscultivars]

I had some tosser on a building site severse into the front of my bike. It even squated the side stand and made it slack and lean more in the stand. I belive I've got distortion somewhere. Ether the fork/s or yokes. Finding it difficult to spot the issue with having limited equipment and no jigs to reference off of

[@lyonscultivars]

I did have to replace the original bearing and fitted one of them nicer stronger taperd bearing sets. It fixed the knocking issue upon breaking and give a more fluid thst new rotation. But I still find my handle bars always keep over within a week of riding and have to keep resetting them true

[@AjieBetek]

thanks from Indonesia

[@bye6558]

Good video straight to it. Nice bike

[@callsigncrusader9877]

Thanks buddy for uploading 🙏

[@MusicMath123]

you should also loose front axle nuts at the same time.

[@mattm1987]

Do you not have to loosen the steering stem nut, mudguard, caliper and front axle?

[@cinoaz1243]

Great info, tho, I normally don't trust anyone who wears sneakers without socks....but, an exception was made on this one.

[@hitokirichris]

Dude this worked. Amazing!

[@motobob]

Sweet!

[@shermanxavierremoquillo6059]

Broo it fucking helpss!!! I just had an accident this past june 11 now i've change my handlebar and some accesories but now my main problem is just like yours! I've been looking for a youtube vid to help me on how to straight this shit up!! Mannnn thank you!! i thought i needed a new tpost or idk hahahah THANK YOU!!

[@storymaker_____]

did it worked

[@Yamaha.ha.ha.ha.]

You should crack the stem nut off first.. then the bottom yoke.. then crack off the mud guard and brake calipers.. then crack the bottom axle.. when it's all loose except the top yoke fork clamps then it can be pumped up and down with the wheel on the floor..

[@FirstLast-numba1]

omg it worked ty i had to ride mine and slam on brakes cuz im weak af but it worked

[@filipvelkov6829]

Fell at a low speed on grass... Same as on your bike, the left side was closer to me than the right one, gonna need to do this! Thanks for the vid!

[@JT2023.]

Did this work for you?

[@filipvelkov6829]

@@JT2023. Took it to a mechanic and he did it for free on the spot since it was a minor job. I believe he did the same with loosening the front end, and then did the same as in the video - legs between front tyre and straightened the handlebars. Havent had a problem since.

[@RobTheSquire]

my bars are a little bit more out than yours, but at least i've got only 2 bolts on the bottom yoke instead of 4.

[@Filaxsan]

Thanks man, helped a lot.

[@muhammedfayas5907]

Whether it can be do on usd forks

[@coldproduct]

Great video

[@arzhotsmotovlog4827]

I wanna try this tommorow bro

[@Utsab_Giri]

You were moving everywhere, how on earth is the video so stable??

[@motobob]

+Utsab Giri GoPro hero 5 black has really awesome image stabilisation. It's such a great camera and almost always when people see footage from on the bike they remark at how stable it is. I shoot in 1080p but it can shoot 4K which gives it a massive canvas to play with for the stabilisation

[@EZaharievv]

Hey, video is great. I am wondering cuz I am new rider, can I fit all kind of levers (brake and clutch) to every bike and I really like yours there is adjustment to both. Can you tell me what they are. Are they oem from a different bike? Thanks in advance.