Front Wheel/Handlebar Alignment

[FJRoss]

I have a slight misalignment of my handlebars relative to the front wheel. With the front wheel pointing straight, the handlebars are very slightly pointing to the left. To be honest, I can't even feel it, but I can see and that is enough to spike the OCD. I just noticed this recently and now I can't un-notice it. It may have been like this since I had the forks out to replace fluid/seals/bushings a couple of years ago. Note: The bike tracks straight with hands off and there is no steering wobble.

I ASSume I can loosen either the top OR the bottom triple clamp hold the wheel with my knees and twist the bars, re-torque and that's it? If it doesn't make any difference, I would choose to do the top clamp because it is easier to re-torque...
Any reason why I should use the lower triple (or both upper and lower) for this adjustment instead of just the upper?
Any need to loosen the main handlebar bolt?
Any tricks to make sure it is exactly straight other than eyeball which is what I did the last time? Was thinking about zip-tying a couple of dowels to the front wheel and running them back toward the rear wheel to make sure the wheel is is straight. Perhaps a straight edge on the base of the bars or across the bar ends would help me judge whether they are perpendicular to the bike.

Once done, I would loosen the axle pinch clamps and the front axle and do the bouncy thing before re-torquing to spec.

[raYzerman]

Loosen the pinch bolts either upper or lower, and maybe tweak it a bit first....... then perhaps back off the preload all the way, then do the bouncy thing several times with as much fork travel as you can get. It should self-center. You can leave the wheel end of things done up, it needs to stay it's own straight and square sandwich.

[FJRoss]

Thanks Ray - you pretty much confirmed about one set OR the other. Easier to do the upper pinch bolts - awkward to get a torque wrench on the lower ones. Hadn't thought about backing off preload before bouncing.
I think I'll try to do my best to make sure it is properly lined up before buttoning all down. Surprised there isn't anything (that I saw) in the FSM with respect to handlebar alignment with the front wheel. Perhaps an eyeball confirmation is all anyone does.

[N4HHE]

Uh, my handlebars are adjustable on 2016. Is this not true for 2011? Has some fore/aft sweep adjustment. One side can be off. I know of no good way to ensure perfect adjustment each side other than to eyeball it. Or, hopefully adjusting to either extreme should result in uniform placement.

While loosening pinch bolts is a good first step it is incomplete without loosening the 36mm nut in the center of the top bridge. This holds the top bridge (it isn't a triple-clamp, only has 2 clamps) to the steering stem which is pressed into the bottom bridge.

[FJRoss]

Uh, my handlebars are adjustable on 2016. Is this not true for 2011? Has some fore/aft sweep adjustment. One side can be off. I know of no good way to ensure perfect adjustment each side other than to eyeball it. Or, hopefully adjusting to either extreme should result in uniform placement.

While loosening pinch bolts is a good first step it is incomplete without loosening the 36mm nut in the center of the top bridge. This holds the top bridge (it isn't a triple-clamp, only has 2 clamps) to the steering stem which is pressed into the bottom bridge.

Mine have the three position bars as well but there didn't seem to be enough wiggle room. Besides, they look OK so I think the issue is related to the forks in the clamp. (Not to mention that I have Genmar risers which complicates things a bit with respect to adjustment.) The rear of the top clamp does not appear perfectly perpendicular to the bike when the front wheel is straight, although it is difficult to tell exactly.
(I thought that the "Triple" referred to the three contact points with the bike - the two forks and the steering stem.)
Looking at the assembly, I concur that the big (36mm) nut will have to be backed off if I want to adjust by loosening the top two pinch bolts rather than the four lower pinch bolts.

[raYzerman]

Loosening the top nut will help... I forgot to mention that.

[N4HHE]

Loosening the top nut will help... I forgot to mention that.

And come to think of it there may be a pinch bolt under it.

So many motorcycles, memories merge.

[Hppants]

On the DR, most drops usually result in a handlebar tweaking. I use the "put the front tire against a post and twist the bars back in place" method. So far, I've never had to loosen anything - triple clamp, handlebar riser bolts, etc are all torqued to spec.

[FJRoss]

Had a go at it today. Removed the center nut and loosened the two top pinch bolts. Couldn't get it to move - at least not much. Are the bars splined to the top clamp (don't recall from the last time I had the bars off)? If so, I'm wondering if one spline is enough (or too much).
I'll have another look and see if I am missing something. Perhaps the bottom pinch bolts will need to be loosened. Haven't really done this adjustment on the FJR before...

I'll wait until I'm in the right frame of mind.

[raYzerman]

No spline but a line to line fit. With nut loose (or off), wiggle bars and lift up to get it loose(r).

[FJRoss]

No spline but a line to line fit. With nut loose (or off), wiggle bars and lift up to get it loose(r).

Couldn't remember and although I loosened the bars, I never lifted them off. As I said, I'll revisit this when I am in the right frame of mind. I'll probably be doing a fork refurbish next year (seals, bushings and AK20 refurb) and I might just wait until then.

[N4HHE]

Had a go at it today. Removed the center nut and loosened the two top pinch bolts.

I can't remember if there is a pinch bolt on the center stem in addition to the top nut?

[FJRoss]

Had a go at it today. Removed the center nut and loosened the two top pinch bolts.

I can't remember if there is a pinch bolt on the center stem in addition to the top nut?

Don't think so. I didn't remove the handlebars to look...