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Forks bent?

billyd1

billyd1

Active Member
Hi everyone. I just had the misfortune of a guy backing into my parked '09 RKC with his van. His cell phone conversation was more important than seeing where he was driving :( :bigsmiley6: He rammed my bike back into the grass behind the parking space. The front fender is toast and being replaced. The dealer says the forks "don't look bent to me". They do look torked or bent to me. How can I check and verify that the front end and forks are aligned, straight and true?
 
If a dealer made that statement to me without actually going thru the process of checking the front end....I would be seeking the help of another dealer.
The tubes need to be thoroughly checked according to H-Ds prescribed proceedures, along with the frame neck and the tripletree.
If your dealer does not want the job, I would find one who did.
 
The quick test that I have found is roll the bike forward while sitting on it and grab the front brake compressing the front forks. If it doesn's compress fully or makes any noise the forks are probably bent. The only way to make sure is to dissasenble the forks and but a stright edge on them or put them in a lathe and check the runout. If they are bent and you continue to ride the fork seals will begin to leak and the spacers will rub.
 
STEVE07 said:
They should be taking them off,dissassembling them and having everything checked for straightness.Thats the only way to check the fork tubes that I know of.Visual doesn't cut it.
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The service guy and insurance estimater have already submitted the claim and didn't include that procedure. I'm not sure what to do. :newsmile047: How should I go about this?
 
I would tell them to reopen the claim. They did not present you with the correct information at the initial meeting.
 
It has been written above, but to reiterate:

The only way to definitively know if the fork tubes are bent is to disassemble both forks and roll the tubes on a granite or marble surface. If the tube is not true you will see the wobble or at least the light gap at some point in the roll.

This is NOT a complicated procedure to do, but is a bit time consuming. If it is an insurance claim, I would demand that be done. If they find the tube(s) bent, then I would pursue furthering in the front end (neck bearings, frame/neck welds and triple tree).

TQ
 
I second what TQ said. The insurance company is going to try to do the minimum. This is your bike and from what I have read, you were not even on the machine, making the acident pretty much the other guys fault. These insurance agents can be very agressive when it comes to saving their company a dime, and you need to become equally agressive to insure that you are "made whole" again. If you have an attorney that you use on occaision, they might pen a "nastygram" to the insurance adjuster demanding that the bike be checked out in it's entirety, or you will pursure alternate means to satisfy the claim. Either way, keep after these guys and don't "settle".
 
Had misfortune on my last bike with the rear end of a car at 5MPH. Nothing looked damaged so I took it to dealer to look over. The dealer said they could not be sure if the tubes were bent until they took them completely apart. Turned out they were bent and I had them replaced.
 
lowrider1963 said:
Had misfortune on my last bike with the rear end of a car at 5MPH. Nothing looked damaged so I took it to dealer to look over. The dealer said they could not be sure if the tubes were bent until they took them completely apart. Turned out they were bent and I had them replaced.
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Lowrider1963, thanks for the headsup...reflects clarity to TQ's post...forks should be removed and tubes checked for wobble on flat surface. As Steve07 said..."--visual on the bike does not cut it." :s
 
I was able to look at surveillance video of the incident and he was moving approximatly 5 or 6mph. The bike was resting on the side stand unattended and properly parked. I leave the bike in neutral when I park so that probably helped reduce the damage. The wheel was turned in the standard left to lock position and the bike weighs about 820lbs. he pushed it back in the grass behind the parking spot. I wish I had pics but I forgot my phone that day of all days. :(
 
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