Fork Damage
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6th Gear
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 12
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From: Napoleon,OH
Fork Damage
Bought a 2013 street glide that had some damage to the fairings. It also had a cut in the tire and a chunk broken from the front wheel. I haven't taken the forks off to verify that they are perfectly straight. But they don't really look bad at all.
Input from techs or people that have dealt with this before would be appreciated.
thanks
Input from techs or people that have dealt with this before would be appreciated.
thanks
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 35,724
Likes: 38,307
From: Post Falls, ID
You knowingly bought a bike with collision damage? And now asking what you should do? Did you buy it with a salvage certificate?
At some point, an insurance company determined the damage exceeded the value of the bike. What ever the bike struck probably tweaked the frame. Buying a crashed bike is a can of worms, no one knows until you open it up. If it were me, I'd check to see if the frame is straight before doing anything else.
At some point, an insurance company determined the damage exceeded the value of the bike. What ever the bike struck probably tweaked the frame. Buying a crashed bike is a can of worms, no one knows until you open it up. If it were me, I'd check to see if the frame is straight before doing anything else.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 44,791
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From: PNW
Bought a 2013 street glide that had some damage to the fairings. It also had a cut in the tire and a chunk broken from the front wheel. I haven't taken the forks off to verify that they are perfectly straight. But they don't really look bad at all.
Input from techs or people that have dealt with this before would be appreciated.
thanks
Input from techs or people that have dealt with this before would be appreciated.
thanks
Thread Starter
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6th Gear
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: Napoleon,OH
Its all fixed for the most part but was just wondering about the forks. It looks great.
I probably will take the front apart again though and check the forks.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 44,791
Likes: 29,726
From: PNW
I thought the same thing. I have had many different bikes with different things wrong and fixed them. I have had sportsters with front end damage and not one time did the frames get bent. Not saying it can't happen. But what i do know from taking Harley's apart the frames are extremely stout. Unlike an Indian, where their frames snap off like potato chips.
Its all fixed for the most part but was just wondering about the forks. It looks great.
I probably will take the front apart again though and check the forks.
Its all fixed for the most part but was just wondering about the forks. It looks great.
I probably will take the front apart again though and check the forks.
While you're in there, maybe some black or chrome lowers? Also use the heavy duty fork oil and remove some of the mushiness.
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 600
Likes: 231
From: Dewey, Arizona 86327
Take the lowers off the fork tubes, take the tubes out of the triple tree and fork clamp. Roll the tubes along a FLAT surface. If they roll smoothly, OK. If they wobble, they're bent.
Tubes can be straightened with careful work on a hydraulic press. ITs handy if you have a block with a hole that's just a couple of thousandths larger than the diameter of the tube. If the block slides all the way along the tube, its straight.
Used to have a straight steel rod about 3' long. At the top, there were threads and two cones, so that you stuck the rod up through the frame stem and tightened the cones on the bearings. If the rod stuck straight down, the end was equadistant from teh frame down tubes, the stem was true and the frame likely was.
You'll usually see paint flaking away from frame bends.
I used to work in a frame and fork shop. We did repairs for insurance companies.
Don't ride if anything's bent. Handling can get REALLY squirrley, especially in an emergency.
Tubes can be straightened with careful work on a hydraulic press. ITs handy if you have a block with a hole that's just a couple of thousandths larger than the diameter of the tube. If the block slides all the way along the tube, its straight.
Used to have a straight steel rod about 3' long. At the top, there were threads and two cones, so that you stuck the rod up through the frame stem and tightened the cones on the bearings. If the rod stuck straight down, the end was equadistant from teh frame down tubes, the stem was true and the frame likely was.
You'll usually see paint flaking away from frame bends.
I used to work in a frame and fork shop. We did repairs for insurance companies.
Don't ride if anything's bent. Handling can get REALLY squirrley, especially in an emergency.
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From: bklyn,ny
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Club Member
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: Niles Canyon Ca.
OP check the tubes for straightness and pay attention to how each one drops out of the triple trees, if they fight you chances are the trees are tweaked.
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