Crooked KTM handlebars

[Ecupirate23]

I had a crash last weekend and my bars became crooked in relation to the triple clamps? Anyone know how to fix this. I tried loosening the bolt on the underside of the clamp but I started to strip the bolt and stopped. Anyone know how to help me get my handlebars back straight again. It’s a 2016 KTM 250sx.

Thanks

[William1]

The firks are probably just twisted. You need to loosen all the bolts in the front end, (Bike on a stand) and face the bike, wheel between your legs, hands on the bars and rweak a little in the direction it needs to straighten. Just like you did to your bicycle. Then properly tighten the bolts.

[Gflo]

When you look at the photo, it looks like the bars are straight and in alignment with the triple clamp.  I agree with William1.  There probably slightly twisted in the clamp.  Do as he outlined and everything should straighten out.

[crypto666]

Learn fork alignment procedures and do it often. 

You will want to buy a torque wrench.  Thumper talk has entire threads dedicated to just torque wrenches if you have a question there.

 

[pat22043]

Get the proper sockets/torx wrenches so you don't screw up the bolts and nuts.
Loosen all of the tripple clamp clamps, and the axle, and straighten it up. It is normal.

[PLaTNuM KNiGHT]

The sx and xc have rubber bushings around the bar mount bolts. Lots of people report this problem when taking a good crash. So much so that ktm hard parts offers a set of solid bushings u can use to replace the rubber ones. I've never had this issue on my xc, but I hear its the tits if ur having this problem. 

Edited November 3, 2018 by PLaTNuM KNiGHT

[Rembrand]

2 hours ago, Ecupirate23 said:

 

I had a crash last weekend and my bars became crooked in relation to the triple clamps? Anyone know how to fix this. I tried loosening the bolt on the underside of the clamp but I started to strip the bolt and stopped. Anyone know how to help me get my handlebars back straight again. It’s a 2016 KTM 250sx.

Thanks

 

KTM and Husqvarna use bolts with round heads and nuts for their bar clamps. You will have to remove the handlebar and use a torx socket to loosen or tighten the bar mounts.

 

[Wild Alaskan]

knock wheel against a tree to re align, continue riding!

[gauvin33]

Same thing happend to me this year I actually bent the cheaply mount that they supply!! I ordered the brp full mount worth every penny ! Only down side is if you have a really good crash with them your going to bend the actual bars befor the mount breaks 

[BOAB]

If this is the first time this has ever happened to you you haven't been riding much.  Like mentioned above, just loosen the triple clamp bolts with bike on a stand, straighten and reTORQUE bolts.  Ride until it happens again...it will.

Edited November 3, 2018 by cjjeepercreeper

[TGP]

6 minutes ago, cjjeepercreeper said:

If this is the first time this has ever happened to you you haven't been riding much.  Like mentioned above, just loosen the triple clamp bolts with bike on a stand, straighten and reTORQUE bolts.  Ride until it happens again...it will.

Little known fact is Ktm’s are subject to this happening 78% more frequently than Japanese bikes...

[Fatt_Tones]

12 hours ago, Wild Alaskan said:

knock wheel against a tree to re align, continue riding!

 

+1   ? 

[pat22043]

4 hours ago, TeamGreenPilot said:

Little known fact is Ktm’s are subject to this happening 78% more frequently than Japanese bikes...

No, you are wrong, its only 76.87% more frequent with KTMs.

[Blaster528]

When I look at the gap between bars to clickers it appears the bar clamps themselves are twisted. Maybe just my eyes playing tricks on me? Op get it figured out yet??

[Gelston]

The stock bar clamps are weak. To remove them you will need a torx (to hold the head of the bolt) and a wrench (17mm? For the nut). The bolts have lock tight from the factory and are not easy to remove. Get a good, solid, square bite and they will loosen. After removing the mounts, take the bottom bar mount and place it on a perfectly flat surface like a counter top to see if it’s bent. Chances are that it is bent. Replace the oem clamps with the “Fastway” solid clamps and new oem rubber mounts. Problem solved. Don’t kick your wheel or reset your forks, the problem is the weak aluminum bar mounts. 

[Still Bill]

I have had that happen and it turned out that one (or more) of the bolts were bent.

[Eric@ScottsPerformance]

 

Well known problem with the "new" rubber mounted triple clamps on the 16 on XC and SX models. KTM uses a really soft durometer rubber cones and a 10mm bolt to hold down the bar mounts as well as an extremely soft aluminum bar mount. Several companies, including us , are making stronger bar mounts to help combat this problem.

https://www.scottsonline.com/Product_Purchase2.php?Bike_ID=7308&BI_ID=1008706

Thanks-

 Eric

[CDNSXV]

On 11/3/2018 at 6:30 PM, Blaster528 said:

When I look at the gap between bars to clickers it appears the bar clamps themselves are twisted. Maybe just my eyes playing tricks on me? Op get it figured out yet??

It is entirely possible to bend the bolts that attach the bar clamps to the upper triple clamp.  My last big crash I bent one bolt quite badly and had to replace it.

[Decreasing Dave]

On the 2017 and 2018s, the bridge is on the top, not the bottom.  On those bikes, the top bridge bends/twists making it impossible to straighten the bars until it is removed.

The quick fix, and actually a long lasting one I found, is to cut the bridge in the middle so that the twisted bridge can't hold the bottom clamps out of alignment.  I did this at the track on my 2018 450SX-F and after loosely putting it all back together, twisting the bars back into alignment, then tightening everything back up, I was able to ride the rest of the day.

I went out and bought the Ride Engineering clamps ($85) to replace the stock ones.  However, my friend keeps a 2017.5 250SX-F FE at my house and the same thing happened to him.  We performed the same surgery, he continued to ride the rest of the day, and is still riding it like that right now.  I believe we have put about 30 hours on that pit-stop repair and although the bike has crash several times since, it still is working just fine.

All of this to say that if I were you, I would pull the bars off, and cut the bridge, then bolt everything together loosely, twist it straight, the tighten it down.  My bet is that you will never have to worry about it again.

Dave

[7Tktm]

This is is the worst clamping system that has ever been fitted to an offroad motorcycle. KTM recognised there was an issue due to the number of bridge pieces being sold by their dealers. Their solution? Move the lower bridge to the top for the following year's models. The bridge bends along its length and also up. It cannot be straightened. If you cut it in half the clamps then turn in the top yoke even easier. Utter crap. Some companies in the USA have made a stronger bridge piece. Best solution is to get a used pre 16 top yoke (or complete set of yokes) which fits straight on and uses proper bar clamps. Gone are the days you could straighten the thing out during a race with the wheel between your legs. Bob.

Edited November 7, 2018 by 7Tktm