SuzukiSavage.com - I think my bike was hit while parked

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I think my bike was hit while parked
11/13/17 at 05:23:16

Hey all,

I commute on my 2013 every day to work. I noticed that when I went to pull the cover off this morning, it was oddly stuck under the rear tire a bit which I thought was strange. When I started riding it, I noticed that the handlebars were definitely off-center thought the bike tracked straight. I still rode it in to work since I'm only a few miles away and it performed fine. I'm thinking since it's parked in a parking space at my condo between my car and a neighbors, that someone pulled in to the spot enough to hit the front wheel. I don't know what else I can do but to ride it to the shop to have them take a look. Any idea if the forks could have gotten damaged or bent? Nothing is really evident just looking at it. Worried this will be expensive but not enough to call insurance about.

What a crap way to start a Monday Sad

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Re: I think my bike was hit while parked
Reply #1 - 11/13/17 at 05:39:04

More than likely the forks are just a bit "tweaked".....this can happen pretty easily. When I rode a dirt bike it could happen in a fall.

The cure is to loosen the pinch bolts on the lower triple tree - then stand in front of the bike with the tire held firmly between your knees.....then grab the handlebars and twitch them in the direction you need them to move. It might take a time or two to get it straight. Then tighten things up and be on your way!

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batman Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 3806 osceola new york Gender:	Re: I think my bike was hit while parked Reply #2 - 11/13/17 at 08:18:23 It may pay to park your bike so that it sticks out as far as the car next to you and add some reflective tape to your cover,so someone would see your spot is occupied .
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SALB Serious Thumper Offline FSO Posts: 668 Whittier, AK Gender:	Re: I think my bike was hit while parked Reply #3 - 11/13/17 at 10:30:46 I live in a Condo with just one covered space. My solution is to park my bike at the front of the space sideways next to the sidewalk. I then back my car in front of it, off to one side. My neighbor has been nice enough to park to the side of her stall, leaving me a path to get my bike in and out.
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Re: I think my bike was hit while parked
Reply #4 - 11/13/17 at 12:46:27

batman wrote on 11/13/17 at 08:18:23:

It may pay to park your bike so that it sticks out as far as the car next to you and add some reflective tape to your cover,so someone would see your spot is occupied .

Yeah I've been parking it closer to the sidewalk thinking that was safer, but parking it out further may have made it more noticeable. It's funny I just ordered some reflective tape to put on the cover since I'm pretty sure this must have happened in the evening. Even with the front door lights only feet away, it still can be hard to see the cover until you're on it. I've been parking it in the same spot for 3 years with never any trouble.

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Re: I think my bike was hit while parked
Reply #5 - 11/13/17 at 12:48:58

SALB wrote on 11/13/17 at 10:30:46:

I live in a Condo with just one covered space. My solution is to park my bike at the front of the space sideways next to the sidewalk. I then back my car in front of it, off to one side. My neighbor has been nice enough to park to the side of her stall, leaving me a path to get my bike in and out.

I've thought about doing this, but my wife and I share the car and she drives it most of the time. If I entrusted her to park the car in front of the bike, it would have been knocked over and run over at least a hundred times already. I was doing really good up until this point. I'm just glad that the forks were the only thing that seem to have been impacted by this, though I'm going to have to take it to the shop.

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Re: I think my bike was hit while parked
Reply #6 - 11/13/17 at 12:50:30

Dave wrote on 11/13/17 at 05:39:04:

More than likely the forks are just a bit "tweaked".....this can happen pretty easily. When I rode a dirt bike it could happen in a fall.

The cure is to loosen the pinch bolts on the lower triple tree - then stand in front of the bike with the tire held firmly between your knees.....then grab the handlebars and twitch them in the direction you need them to move. It might take a time or two to get it straight. Then tighten things up and be on your way!

Thanks, I wish I was a little more mechanically inclined and had the tools. My shops been real good to me so I'll probably just ride it in to have them inspect it to make sure nothing else happened to it.

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Papa Bear Senior Member Offline Posts: 476 Canada ... near the Motor City Gender:	Re: I think my bike was hit while parked Reply #7 - 11/13/17 at 13:05:36 Have the shop mechanic show you how he realigns the handlebars so you will be educated in the matter
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TTom YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 34 Charlottesville, Va. Gender:	Re: I think my bike was hit while parked Reply #8 - 11/13/17 at 13:16:10 Papa Bear wrote on 11/13/17 at 13:05:36: Have the shop mechanic show you how he realigns the handlebars so you will be educated in the matter Good advice! I'll definitely talk with them about it.
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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 18101 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: I think my bike was hit while parked Reply #9 - 11/13/17 at 13:47:12 Seriously.....it is Easy-Peasy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAZqLO4bj1s You don't need to worry about the top triple clamp or axle...just loosen the bottom triple clamp to make it easier.
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IslandRoad Serious Thumper Offline It doesn't vibrate, it purrs! Posts: 1147 The Kiewa Valley, Australia Gender:	Re: I think my bike was hit while parked Reply #10 - 11/14/17 at 03:25:45 I had a similar issue when I bought the bike second hand. It wasn't until I got home I realised the handlebars weren't straight. In the end I swapped the risers, left to right, and held pressure on the bar as I tightened each little by little. The bike has rubber everywhere! ... room for play
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ohiomoto Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 2775	Re: I think my bike was hit while parked Reply #11 - 11/14/17 at 08:32:27 Dave wrote on 11/13/17 at 13:47:12: Seriously.....it is Easy-Peasy! ------------------------- Yep, so easy a caveman could do it. Just find someone who has raced or ridden dirt bikes. They'll know what to do.
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Re: I think my bike was hit while parked
Reply #12 - 11/14/17 at 18:20:31

IslandRoad wrote on 11/14/17 at 03:25:45:

I had a similar issue when I bought the bike second hand. It wasn't until I got home I realised the handlebars weren't straight. In the end I swapped the risers, left to right, and held pressure on the bar as I tightened each little by little. The bike has rubber everywhere! ... room for play

Thanks guys, the video was great. I'll give that a shot. I was worried something may have gotten damaged but now I'm relieved that this should be an easy fix.

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