slightest twist

Bah yer all a bunch of yokels....

ML said:

john robert bould said:

wheels in alignment?

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Greatest misconception on a Commando. I have heard so many ideas on string lines and jigs and measuring between forks etc' that ultimately don't do a damn thing. If you have a standard straight frame, forks and wheels, the front wheel sits where it is designed to be. The rear wheel is staked to the inside of the brake hub. The brake hub is fixed to the left swing arm for chain alignment. The rear is mounted by 3 stakes into 3 cush sockets. The axle goes through and as it is tightened, it SELF ALIGNS.
If you skew the rear wheel to suit a string line, then the drive chain is skewed. Solve one issue to make another?? Otherwise you can only separate the chain hub alignment from the wheel alignment by inserting thin wedges or shims between the inner face of the brake hub to the inner face of the wheel hub.
Otherwise, on re-built wheels, the centre off-set can be incorrect. But with standard fitting there is no wheel alignment to do.

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Why is there provision for adjustment of the axle at each end of the swing arm ? Are you telling me that Mr Norton Frame Manufacturer in Italy has a perfect frame jig ? The wheels can both be pointing in the same direction however be offset out of line by a few millimetres, making the handling feel stiff. If you are an insensitive lame-brain, you might think there is something wrong with your tyre choice, or pressures.

Today I followed the alignment recipe as described so many different ways here. It worked! The front wheel and the handlebars are now in agreement.

One more of many threads i have indirectly benefited from - thanks to all!

Spread the Happiness ! :wink:

Had a monster HD mech grab my Fatboy once and give it a yank to straighten it out.
Eh, told him I was all good. Not the way to do it.

comnoz said:

You can likely just hold the front wheel between your knees and twist the bars a little to get it just right. The are alarmingly easy to tweek without loosening anything.. Jim

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Loosen .yank . tighten. Worked fine. So what's your idea ? :|

I'm having the exact same trouble. Bars seem turned slightly to the right when riding straight ahead.
If I sight down along the forks it looks like the handlebar alignment is spaced closer to the right hand lower yoke than the left hand side.
Almost as if the handlebar mount bosses were cast out of alignment. I know this can't be possible because it popped out of a mass produced casting mold. I've tried loosening everything and pushed it back into alignment holding the wheel between my legs and it sort-of works but this can't be right.

Last winter I pulled everything apart and checked for straightness. Fork tubes were perfect, new springs installed, checked frame
with all manner of levels, strings, straight edges and it looked fine. I checked the yokes as best I could making sure they lay flat on a glass plate, making sure the stem was perpendicular.

So now methinks the yokes might be the culprit so I've bought a used set in good nick and will replace them this winter.

mschmitz57 said:

Almost as if the handlebar mount bosses were cast out of alignment. I know this can't be possible because it popped out of a mass produced casting mold.

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:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Keep in mind that the handlebar saddles, stem hole, and tube tapers are all cut after the mold process has taken place. Anyone of those operations could miss their mark and throw the whole thing off. You'd hope that QC would have caught something like that, but as we learn more every day about the marquee...

That's a good point.
The boys in the Meriden might have gone to the pub during the lunch break and had a few pints
before returning to the machine shop.