Handlebars are a little crooked... help?

Very Common. Bars tend to bend when you dump the bike. Happens to everyone. You can try to live with it or buy new bars.


EDIT: HHmmm...seems I put my foot in it this time. I have bent so many bars over the years that I totaly overlooked the obvious and didn't even think about the triple-clamps. Well, at least you have all the info you need to solve your problem now. :cool:

you might want to check to see if your forks are twisted. There is occasion when the whole front end will get a bit of a twist to it and make the bars seem bent. If they are, holding the front tire betwixt your knees and giving the bars a bit of a jerk will straighten things right out. Afterward, go over all the front end bolts and make sure everything is torqued proper-like.

Either that, or you got bent bars. They do make bar-straightening tools, but the bars have already had their integrity compromised and it's a relatively inexpensive replacement part.

Are the bars crooked in relationship to the triple clamp or is the triple clamp out of alignment with the front tire?

If the bars are crooked in relation to the triple clamp (a very common thing with CRs that have robber mounted handlebar mounts), loosen the handlebar clamps (both the pinch bolts that hold the handlebars and the nuts under the top triple clamp that hold the handlebar mounts to the top triple clamp).



Take the handlebar mounts out and see if you bent the threaded portion that goes through the rubber inserts. I have been able to fix crooked steering by making sure that both bolts were bent in the same direction. :)

If they aren't bent, they may have just twisted in the mounts and reinstalling them straight might fix your problem.

If the handlebars are in line with the top triple clamp but the triple clamp is out of alignment with the front wheel, loosen all 8 pinch bolts on the top and bottom triple clamps that hold the fork tubes. Wiggle the front end around until everything is straight. I usually do this standing in front of the bike, facing the bike, holding the front wheel between my knees while turning the handlebars. Be careful re-tightening the pinch bolts as they do not take very much torque...probably only 14-15 foot-lbs. I would suggest getting a service manual (not just the owner's manual) and use a torque wrench for this.

If the bars are bent themselves, it is a good time to consider Pro-Tapers.

I had this problem, and was adjusted by the shop.

XRpredator said:

you might want to check to see if your forks are twisted. There is occasion when the whole front end will get a bit of a twist to it and make the bars seem bent. If they are, holding the front tire betwixt your knees and giving the bars a bit of a jerk will straighten things right out. Afterward, go over all the front end bolts and make sure everything is torqued proper-like.

Either that, or you got bent bars. They do make bar-straightening tools, but the bars have already had their integrity compromised and it's a relatively inexpensive replacement part.

Click to expand...

More than likely this is the problem. Do as he says put tire between legs and turn bars.

HLG has the way to go. Its very common to have alignment issues. I've fixed mine many times by doing exactly what HLG suggested. Since mine are not rubber mounted, sometimes I'll hear a click when loosening the lower pinch bolts when the fork untwists itself naturally.

Usually, I'll do the full calibration with the loosening of the front axle bolts as well - just like if you were re-installing your forks. If the bars bent after the proper re-install, you'll know it right away.

Good luck.