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[gstrub]

A guy hit my parked bike and knocked it over while the steering lock was on. It fell to the side of the turned handlebars. At first I thought it was just some superficial damage (broken mirror, scratched fly screen, and HUD bent a bit) but now I think the handlebar/front wheel might be ever so slightly off. I can’t tell if it’s just the bent screen or if I am having to hold the bars slightly to the left to go straight.

How can I check this? I can’t seem to bend the metal which holds the HUD back to true and honestly that is so subtle it’s no big deal, but if the handlebar alignment is off I want to address that right away.

Any thoughts?

[sharagan]

If you have the feeling that it is off, then it probably is. It can be a bent handlebar, but you would see chipped off paint at the bend. It can be a bent handlebar riser or a misaligned one. It can also be, that the forks moved in the triple clamp.

First check by eyesight if the handlebar is aligned with the fork tubes, find a point to focus on like the adjustor screws on top of the forks. Look straight down from above the handlebar and you will see if the handlebar covers them evenly in your eyesight. After that remove the front fender and focus on the wheel if it is straight when you point the handlebar like you would want to go straight. If it is not, loosen the screws in the triple clamps, hold the wheel with your legs and give the handlebar a push in the right direction till you are satisfied and tighten it all back to spec.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

[SonOfAnakin]

FWIW when I dropped mine and bent the handlebars and twisted the forks, the handlebar paint did not chip. Mine was so obviously bent I need paint chipping to see it. For the forks, I taped two yard sticks across them at the top and bottom. That exaggerates any possible twist and let’s you see it clearly.

There are some good YouTube videos for straightening twisted forks. I would watch 3 or 4 of them before you attempt it. There is a lot you need to loosen and then tighten carefully. I had never done it before but was able to do it once I found the monster socket I need for the main fork nut right in the center.

Good luck.

[Crissa]

Mine was merely the steering column had turned.  The triple tree had to be turned slightly and re-tightened.

You can put it on a rack and put a brush next to it, but to be honest, the human eye can detect a surprisingly small out of alignment.

As an on-street fix I stuck the wheel between my legs and torqued the handles until it 'felt' straight.

-Crissa

[Demoni]

Bummer 

A lot of times the impact force on the bars from a tip over can knock the forks out of alignment.

I would first confirm if the bars are bent. First verify the bars are centered in the top clamp. Take a measurement from the left bar end to the edge of the right bar clamp, then do the opposite, they should match. Alternatively you can measure from the ends to the bottom side of the lower triple tree.

For the forks you will need a way to lift the front of your bike off the ground.
Loosen the lower fork pinch bolts, the axle, triple tree center pinch bolt and nut, upper and lower triple pinch bolts.
You don't need to back everything off, you just want things loose enough to allow adjustment.
Measure the stick out of each of your fork tube above the top triple tree, they should match.
Tighten the pinch bolts on the upper and lower triple trees.
Then tighten the center nut and it's pinch bolt.

Once the forks and triple trees are aligned torque down your axle nut.
Before you tighten the axle pinch bolts lower the bike so the front wheel is under load.
Cycle the front forks a few times so everything settles, then torque the pinch bolts.

Bike should ride straight, if it does not something is bent.

Also since you mentioned the steering lock was engaged when the bike fell over I would inspect the locking pin for damage. Damage to the pin will require replacement of the ignition assembly.
Lower triple tree steering stops are another thing that can be damaged, if these bend it will allow the bars to turn further than designed.

[Kill3rT0fu]

Shouldn't insurance cover taking it to a shop?

[gstrub]

It would but Zero dealer is 400mi away, I may bring it to a local shop and have them look at it.

[Richard230]

It would but Zero dealer is 400mi away, I may bring it to a local shop and have them look at it.

I would think that is a smart move. There is nothing special about your Zero having its forks or handlebars a little out of adjustment that any motorcycle shop hasn't seen before and knows how to fix. You might want to visit a shop that tends to specialize in dirt bikes. I bet they all have a lot of experience repairing damage like that.