after hitting a series of potholes last week i had a major off and the bike bounced a bit and slid approx 100 yards down a grassy embankment and was then winched back by a rough arsed recovery chappy.

apart from cosmetics it doesn't look so bad - but....

looking at the bike when it's propped upright, it's clear the mudguard has gone cos it's been twisted, and the fork stanchions LOOK straight.
without removing the fairing and wheel, forks etc i can't tell if they are slightly bent.

with the wheel pointing dead ahead, the bars and yokes are at 1 o clock.
with the front brake on, sat on the bike, if i pump the forks down they seem normal and the wheel doesn't twist to the side etc and they bounce back up as normal...

one (vfr) bar has moved a bit on it's clamp, but apart from that, could it just be that the stanchions have moved and twisted slightly in the yoke clamps, and all i need to do is undo the bolts and twist them back straight???
as in a simple re-alignment???

reason i need to know is i have an assessor coming tomorrow so i don't want to remove or adjust anything until he's seen the damage, but there is a good set on ebay due to end in a few hrs.

also, if it comes to replacing the front end, i might as well fit a fireblade set for the better handling, unless you can suggest something better that will go straight on... tried and tested, that will fit the same wheel etc

i want to keep the bike but if the forks, yokes, frame, swing arm and subframe are all gone, as well as the fairing, mudguard, tank, mirrors, indicators etc, it's looking like it's a lost cause and maybe i should just ride my old cbx until i get weighed in and get myself an sp, which is what i wanted in the first place....

main point is, are the forks just out of alignment in the yokes and can they be twisted back?

any help gratefully noted.


*note, i haven't yet slackened off the yoke clamps or anything and don't want to until the damage has been assessed by the insurance guy.
i have sorted misaligned forks before, mostly on dirt bikes - usually a bent fork i can tell by bouncing the front as they action is either stiff or the fork won't rebound, or the bars twist when i bounce the front end.
in this case it seems like the yokes have slipped a little, but i don't want to miss a bargain set of good forks and then find i need them!

sorry for rambling a bit but i am on some superb painkillers atm lol
in case you're wondering, i broke my rt hand in a few places, took my knee down to the bone near enough, got a very colourfull bruised backside and broke 3 ribs - even with heavy armour and shoei lid

 

WOW, bummer about the crash.

After the adjuster leaves just do like on your dirt bikes. Loosen the triples and straighten the wheel to center.

If you loosen the axle bolt and pinch bolts as well, after straightening, then turn the slider (top part) of the forks you may get an idication of their straightness. If they are bent the bottom of the fork will move in and out on the axle. you need a front end stand, yoke type, to remove the load from the axle to do this.

 

yeh bud, cheers for the reply, i figured the same about testing for slight bend.
the wheel is perpendicular / in line north-south, seems like it's just shifted a bit.
there is no scraping to the lower legs or impact damage to the front, all left side slide damage.
i decided to bid on the new stanchions anyway cos i dont want to find i need them when there's none for sale at a good price.
if i dont need them i can always sell them on, but tbh i won't really know until i ride the bike again, see what it corners like eh?

i'll update when it's back together but here's a pic of the wreck...

 

if your triples and wheel aren't both at 12noon, then one of them is bent; most likely a fork. It doesn't take much of a bend to make the mis-alignment noticeable.

 

Best way if you want to be surest is to remove the wheel, slide the forks out and see they are straight. If you want to skip that, Then just go through the steps in the manual as though you'd removed the forks - starting low and loosening the bolts secureing the axle and the lower triple. get on the bike pump up and down and turn the bars fully right/left several time. Sometimes if the top and bottom triple have twisted relative to each other that will be all that is needed. then retighten everything according to the manual. Then fully assess. If there is no binding and all is now pointed straight ahead, they are probably OK. be sure to check the frame near the steering stem very carefully also. Be sure the check the rim and discs for run-out - (side to side and up/down) even a simple indicator or fixed reference point should be good.

 

well good news is i got a new set of forks at a good price, and a few hours ago managed to realign them ok - looks fine to me.
did the string thing and checked the discs (as a flat edge) with a spirit level and the bike perfectly upright, no lateral distortion and got them set up at 12 oclock with the top yoke.

bad news - (sort of)
insurance guy came and wrote it off as a total loss.
i should get full price back and get to keep the bike as they have no interest in taking it on.
what swung it, apart from the subframe being well out of true, was this -

the aluminium lock stop on the frame is deformed quite a lot.
there doesn't appear to be any other damage to the frame, no stress marks in the headstock casting or welds, but the lug was enough for him to write it off.

fortunately for me, he commented it is only superficial and won't put the frame damage on the report, otherwise it would be a cat b write off and can't be put back on the road.#
but look closer - check out the bottom yoke....
that's marker from a breaker's yard.
this bike has been crashed before!
also found evidence of plastic weld on the underside of the front mudguard (below) and around the instrument pod.

this bike was bought from a honda main dealer too.... not sure whether to make a fuss tbh, seeing as ive already spent a few 100 on bits to fix it up.

what do you think???

 

Take the insurance money, buy another SH / Firestorm, and use the current bike for parts when you need them, or sell some of them off. I am glad that you are ok, bikes can be replaced, you can't. Look forward, forget about the stupid dealer. My 2 cents (pence).