Front wheel checks after knock?

[Guest]

Evenin'

On the way home I clipped a kerb on a roundabout near my home which sent me into a minor tankslapper... pretty bloody scary but managed to keep it upright and pulled into a P space conveniently located at my exit.

I rode home slowly and just looked at the bike expecting to see some damage at the rim etc. but nothing... all I can identify is that there are some grazing marks on the tyre (not the sidewall, around a cm from the edge of the tyre) which are about four inches long. I was extremely lucky. I have been trying to think what I need to check to make sure everything is alright... I've checked the wheel bearings and steering head bearings and all seem fine.

What else should I check? Whats the best way to check if there is a wheel buckle? What about fork alignment?

I think all-in-all it was quite a minor knock (although it felt as if I took off lol)... but want to make 100% sure (or at least as much as possible) that all is well

Cheers,

Rick.

[Guest]

How did you manage that??

Has your bandit got a full stand? If it was me, I'd put it on full stand, with someone leaning on pillion seat. This would raise the front wheel so you could spin it. You'd then see any distortion in the wheel or tyre.

As for fork alignment... Not sure. Anything in Haynes?

[Guest]

How did you manage that??

 

I was going around a small roundabout that is never busy... single lane to single lane... usually straight line it and did so today, but poor visibility (and probably being so tired) meant I was lazy and got a bit too close Feel like a right pratt for doing it... lesson learnt!

 

Has your bandit got a full stand? If it was me, I'd put it on full stand, with someone leaning on pillion seat. This would raise the front wheel so you could spin it. You'd then see any distortion in the wheel or tyre.

 

Have done that to check wheel/steering head bearings, all seems ok tbh... will check closely for buckle etc.

I think all is well, but want to be thorough checking it. Nothing felt odd on the rest of the journey so should (fingers crossed!) be ok.

[Guest]

put bike on main stand. look down the rear wheel at the front, it should look the same from both sides..

repeat from the front, you should see the same amount of rear on each side.

have you ridden it since..... how does it feel, does it feel normal, or does it drop into left easier than right..

its most likely you have just impacted the tyre and had a scare..

[Guest]

Hey WF knew I could rely on you for a reply

In addition to wheel/steering head bearings now also checked alignment with rear wheel using string and whether the wheel is buckled by spinning it and using a fixed reference point next to the tyre. All seems fine to me. I haven't looked from the front to rear and vice versa as you say, although I imagine the string test would have highlighted a problem... will have another eyeball in the morning though

Am I right in thinking a buckle would manifest itself as a wobble at speed?

When I rode home (around 2 or 3 miles) I didn't noticed anything wrong, I was just very tentative! I hope, as you mention, it was just a scare... thankfully the kerb wasn't one of those large square ones, but a rounded one

[Chrissb6]

It take a big bang to knock your bikes steering out to the point of forks and wheels being damage, dow't if you had stayed on if that had happened, as others have said, give the wheels a spin and check there in true, you might also want to check that the balance weights are still in place.

[Colin the Bear]

And clean the saddle

[Guest]

And clean the saddle

 

done!

[Guest]

Update, all was well this morning... so lucky escape