Is it easy to bend your forks?

nr19952910 · March 20th, 2015, 07:03 PM

Last year I Crashed my bike (Only at about 15km/hr). I hit a curb and bent the front rim and destroyed about every piece of plastic on it along with bending the cluster bracket. But since then I have painted the bike (With new plastics) and replaced the rim, and bent the bracket back, but I am a little worried the forks might be bent? How would I check this or is it rather unlikely?

Sirref · March 20th, 2015, 07:21 PM

check if the front wheel is aligned perfectly, many times (in my own experience, this is likely a bad idea) you can continue to ride with bent forks and it's not an issue unless you try to push the bike hard

CC Cowboy · March 20th, 2015, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nr19952910

Last year I Crashed my bike (Only at about 15km/hr). I hit a curb and bent the front rim and destroyed about every piece of plastic on it along with bending the cluster bracket. But since then I have painted the bike (With new plastics) and replaced the rim, and bent the bracket back, but I am a little worried the forks might be bent? How would I check this or is it rather unlikely?

Are your fork seals leaking? A bent fork will sometimes cause the seals to leak.

alex.s · March 20th, 2015, 09:13 PM

if you can't tell its probably not bad

Ghostt · March 20th, 2015, 10:03 PM

WOW!! seriously guys????

If you did that much damage, then I'm betting the forks are bent as well.

Remove the forks from the bike, and check them for straightness. The part that gets bent is the inner tube, the chrome part / upper, part # 44013.

Once removed from the bike is should be easy to tell if they are bent, use a straight edge as well.

As this is not only a handling issue, it is a safety issue as well.

Personally I'd R.D.I. the forks, and the triple tree as well.

SteveL · March 21st, 2015, 01:40 AM

Take the front wheel out If the forks are bent you would normally have a problem putting the axel back in, due to misalignment.

Steve

alex.s · March 21st, 2015, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveL

Take the front wheel out If the forks are bent you would normally have a problem putting the axel back in, due to misalignment.

Steve

usually caused by twist inside the trips but still straight forks. usually you can loosen the trips and it lines back up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghostt

WOW!! seriously guys????
If you did that much damage, then I'm betting the forks are bent as well.
As this is not only a handling issue, it is a safety issue as well.

as far as handling... if the fork seals aren't leaking, and no internal damage (as in, you don't hear terrible grinding when bouncing the forks) then the amount of bend in the forks would be so minor when its not obviously visible that you would have bigger handling detriments from things like not having proper swingarm lubrication, having old fork oil, not perfectly aligning the rear wheel....

when you say serious safety and handling issues... well... i just have to laugh.

Motofool · March 21st, 2015, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nr19952910

.......... I am a little worried the forks might be bent? How would I check this or is it rather unlikely?

You may have two different types of deviations in your forks:

1) The wheel's axle twisted respect to the upper triple and handle bar.

2) One or both upper tubes bent just below the lower triple.

Please, read these:
http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/I_need_...nd_front_wheel

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Removin...stalling_forks

https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=113263

March 20th, 2015, 07:03 PM	#1
nr19952910 ninjette.org newbie Name: Nick Location: GTA Join Date: Mar 2015 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 250R Posts: 7	Is it easy to bend your forks? Last year I Crashed my bike (Only at about 15km/hr). I hit a curb and bent the front rim and destroyed about every piece of plastic on it along with bending the cluster bracket. But since then I have painted the bike (With new plastics) and replaced the rim, and bent the bracket back, but I am a little worried the forks might be bent? How would I check this or is it rather unlikely?

March 20th, 2015, 07:21 PM	#2
Sirref Private Joker Name: Ben Location: Towson, MD Join Date: Nov 2012 Motorcycle(s): '99/'01 Ninja 250 "sketchy", '13 Ninja 300 "yoshi", '03 GSXR 600 "merlin" Posts: A lot. MOTM - Mar '14	check if the front wheel is aligned perfectly, many times (in my own experience, this is likely a bad idea) you can continue to ride with bent forks and it's not an issue unless you try to push the bike hard __________________________________________________ I see you over there seeing me, do you see the me I think you see?

March 20th, 2015, 09:13 PM	#4
alex.s wat Name: wat Location: tustin/long beach Join Date: Sep 2009 Motorcycle(s): wat Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 5 MOTM - Oct '12, Feb '14	if you can't tell its probably not bad __________________________________________________

March 20th, 2015, 10:03 PM	#5
Ghostt in your machine Name: Scott Location: Summer Shade, Ky. Join Date: Oct 2014 Motorcycle(s): 98 Ninja 250/F12 aka ZX-2R "SERENITY", 91 Ninja 500/A5 aka ZX-5R "Phoenix", 84 Honda GL1200A "SIREN" Posts: A lot. Blog Entries: 25 MOTM - Jun '17, May '16, Mar '15	WOW!! seriously guys???? If you did that much damage, then I'm betting the forks are bent as well. Remove the forks from the bike, and check them for straightness. The part that gets bent is the inner tube, the chrome part / upper, part # 44013. Once removed from the bike is should be easy to tell if they are bent, use a straight edge as well. As this is not only a handling issue, it is a safety issue as well. Personally I'd R.D.I. the forks, and the triple tree as well. __________________________________________________ *violente et ignorantia* ZX-2R BLOG *Twitter and Instagram = Ghostt_Scott* *I'm not here to change your mind, just to inform.*
	1 out of 1 members found this post helpful.

March 21st, 2015, 01:40 AM	#6
SteveL old git Name: Steve Location: Geneve Switzerland Join Date: Mar 2009 Motorcycle(s): BMW K1300S Posts: 479	Take the front wheel out If the forks are bent you would normally have a problem putting the axel back in, due to misalignment. Steve __________________________________________________ Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.

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