is my A10 straight or bent

[huddie]

I built my A10 from a basket case. Everything is fine now that i have cured the oil leak from the forks,( see recent topic) by fitting the oil seals the right way up. When road testing it prior to booking an mot it looks to me like the handle bars are pointing slightly left although the ride seem fine. Again back in the shed I tried the string method for checking wheel alignment and it seems to me that to get the wheel straight ahead the bars are slightly of centre. Any ideas.

[groily]

Your forks are probably a bit skewed in the yokes. If you slacken the 2 pinch-bolts on the lower yoke of the steering head (they clamp the forks into the bottom yoke there), stand in front of the bike, hold the wheel between your knees and twist the handlebars the correct way, you may find it all comes into line. If nothing else is amiss, it ought to. Worst case something's bent - but hope not. Good luck!

[LJ.]

is my A10 straight or bent

Could be 'Bi'  Mine point the other offset way. I gave up trying to straighten them. I tried slackening off the pinch bolts, everything in fact, holding the wheel between my legs and twisting the handlebars the other way.... (Wife says "I knew you fancied that bike more than me"!) Nothing seems to work, unless someone here comes up with the purfect answer. 

By the way Huddie. Better way to line up your wheels... http://www.ljswain.btinternet.co.uk/lining-up-wheels.htm

[huddie]

Thanks Groily and GM
I will give your resolution a try. A question for you GM, If your bars are off set a bit does it pass the MOT?.

Thanks foy your help, Huddie

[LJ.]

I gather that GM must be me as only Groily and myself (LJ) has so far replied.

I did indeed get through the MOT okay, maybe the bars are not offset that much for a tester to worry about, certainly if they were too bad I'd not have ridden the bike there in the first place, besides the bike in question has an Avon fairing which might hide the offset a little. Certainly the offset is something that I really should get put right sooner or later.

Hope this helps

[huddie]

Thank Global moderator, I have looked at your link re wheel line up, seems like the right solution to me. I am going to have a go at making a replica to see how i get on. Was thinking a piece of 5mm angle iron might be ok as the straight line. I just happen to have a piece to hand. Thanks again, am i glad i found this forum. Hope to contribute info one day rather than just retrieve it. Rgards Huddie

[huddie]

Hi Groily, tried your resolution and it worked fine, many many thanks. Hi manosound the 5mm refered to the gauge!.