04-28-2014, 02:30 AM
Remember to work safely and don't do anything beyond your skill level. Leave those jobs to a qualified mechanic!
That said (you've been warned), the quick and dirty way is to leave the top triple clamp bolts torqued, and then (after lifting the front of the bike off the ground with a suitable stand or jack) to loosen the front axle and lower pinch bolts on the triple clamps. This will hopefully relieve any gross tension but it's not really doing it up right.
To really be sure everything is as it should be, you should disassemble the entire front fork assembly. A few of us have done this, which is necessary in order to change the fork oil. By doing the whole shebang you're ensuring it's right.
You'd basically be removing the handlebars and front wheel, along with the brake calipers, to have both fork tubes unencumbered. You'll need a good stand or jack to lift the front end free of the floor, of course. Once both tubes are freed up, you'll be wanting to loosen the bolts on the upper and lower triple clamps (so named because they clamp the two fork tubes to the steering stem, 1,2,3). Slide each fork out of its side of the clamp and inspect it, clean it, and reinstall. Make sure when you slide it back into the clamps that it slides freely with no binding. Also be certain to get those forks aligned to the same height as they were, so take note of this by inspecting the top of the triples for an indexing reference before you remove them.
Reassemble by indexing the fork tube to the correct height, with enough torque on the bolts to hold it in place as you fine-tune it (a buddy can be helpful here). Then torque those pinch bolts to the correct specification (don't guess on this!). Get the specs from your dealer or maybe someone here has 'em.
Reinstall the front wheel and brake calipers. You'll need four new caliper bolts, that will run ya about 20 bucks, but better do it the right way.
You do this right, that front end should be stiction-free and nice and smooth. Set your preload and you should be good to go.
That said (you've been warned), the quick and dirty way is to leave the top triple clamp bolts torqued, and then (after lifting the front of the bike off the ground with a suitable stand or jack) to loosen the front axle and lower pinch bolts on the triple clamps. This will hopefully relieve any gross tension but it's not really doing it up right.
To really be sure everything is as it should be, you should disassemble the entire front fork assembly. A few of us have done this, which is necessary in order to change the fork oil. By doing the whole shebang you're ensuring it's right.
You'd basically be removing the handlebars and front wheel, along with the brake calipers, to have both fork tubes unencumbered. You'll need a good stand or jack to lift the front end free of the floor, of course. Once both tubes are freed up, you'll be wanting to loosen the bolts on the upper and lower triple clamps (so named because they clamp the two fork tubes to the steering stem, 1,2,3). Slide each fork out of its side of the clamp and inspect it, clean it, and reinstall. Make sure when you slide it back into the clamps that it slides freely with no binding. Also be certain to get those forks aligned to the same height as they were, so take note of this by inspecting the top of the triples for an indexing reference before you remove them.
Reassemble by indexing the fork tube to the correct height, with enough torque on the bolts to hold it in place as you fine-tune it (a buddy can be helpful here). Then torque those pinch bolts to the correct specification (don't guess on this!). Get the specs from your dealer or maybe someone here has 'em.
Reinstall the front wheel and brake calipers. You'll need four new caliper bolts, that will run ya about 20 bucks, but better do it the right way.
You do this right, that front end should be stiction-free and nice and smooth. Set your preload and you should be good to go.