I noticed this today halfway through a ride. I have to steer the bike to the right a few degrees in order to keep the front wheel straight. I checked closer and the entire front tire is cockeyed in the fender. The rotors and tire appear to be centered properly between the forks, but the front part of the tire is about a 1/2" towards the left side of the fender, and the rear part is 1/2" towards the right side of the fender. Obviously the fender's not a great point of reference though. But it appears almost as if the forks aren't parallel. I'm thinking the right fork is somehow angled forward more than the left.


There's no way the bike has been this way since I owned it, I would have noticed over the last 13,000 miles, or during my iron butt ride 3 weeks ago. I got a front tire installed maybe 3,000 miles ago, but they shouldn't be messing with the forks or clamps to do that. I don't think it's been wrecked, there's no evidence of it other than the stickers missing on the front fairing, but I figured that was just a previous owners personal preference.

The front axle doesn't appear to be bent or have any room for movement. And I don't see how a bearing could cause the wheel to stay cockeyed like that.

So can I just loosen the triple clamps and tweak everything straight?

Possibly related, the bike has an intermittent issue where the front end will shutter during low speed stops, almost feels like a loose bearing or something, but the bike shop said they couldn't find anything when they did the front tire.

 

just loosen the upper triple clamp, hold the front wheel and twist.

 

Sounds like the bike shop didn't out your bike back together properly. Things have to be assembled and tightened in the correct sequence so the alignment is correct.

 

I loosened both triples and was able to straighten it out. Thanks!

I don't think it was the shop, but I won't be going back to them regardless. Haven't been pleased with their work or attitude of the owner in general.