Hello and welcome to 30 Minute Motorcycling – the podcast where we’re talking two-wheelers – from motorcycles, to scooters, and other things on two wheels – in under 30 minutes.
Remember episode 17 when we talked about the different types of motorcycle wheels – from spoked wheels to composite wheels?
Each one has its strong and weak points, but they all rely on the same thing (apart from the tire, of course) - and that thing is called "wheel alignment."
And that’s exactly what this episode is all about – we’re about to deal with wheel alignment – specifically, what it is, 3 common things that can happen if it goes “out of whack,” so to speak, and 5 things that causes it to go “out of whack,” so to speak.
Let’s start at the top – what is wheel alignment?
In simple terms, wheel alignment refers to the alignment between the front and rear wheels.
Ideally, you want both wheels to point straight ahead when the motorcycle is going straight.
When the wheels are correctly aligned, it allows the motorcycle to ride smoothly down the road without pulling to one side.
Think of the front wheel as acting as the "steering" of the motorcycle.
If it is not pointing straight ahead, even when your handlebars are straight, the handling of your bike suffers.
And since improper wheel alignment reduces your ability to steer accurately (especially in an emergency, it's a safety concern, too.
In extreme cases, it can even cause the handlebars to shake left and right violently, seemingly on their own.
This phenomenon is the dreaded "death wobble", which talked more about in episode 48.
So in a nutshell, that’s why wheel alignment is such a big deal. But what happens when it goes out of alignment in the first place?
The first thing that can happen is one we just touched upon- do you feel like your bike might start to pull too much to the left or right, even when you’re not turning your handlebars?
Then the issue isn't with you or your handlebars - it's with your wheels and how they're not aligned.
With the wheels incorrectly aligned, the bike will naturally want to pull to one side rather than track straight down the road.
It's not hard to see why - one wheel might be pointing straight, but the other one is pointing to the right.
As you can imagine, this can make the ride feel unstable - not to mention uncontrollable.
The second thing that bad wheel alignment can cause is increased or uneven tire wear.
That’s right - bad wheel alignment also takes its toll on your tires - wearing them out much faster than if the alignment was set up correctly.
So, even a pair of brand-spanking-new tires that are correctly inflated might not last as long as they should.
And finally, the third thing that can happen if your wheel alignment is out of whack, is vibration and difficulty steering.
Remember the "death wobble" we covered earlier? Think about having your handlebars shake to the left and right on their own.
Pretty scary, right? Well, it's about to get worse.
But what could be scarier than having your handlebars shake uncontrollably?
Picture this - you need to turn to the left, so you turn your handlebars left.
But the problem is that the handlebars don't turn as smoothly or as much as you want them to.
That's what could happen in an extreme case of bad wheel alignment.
So to recap, if your wheel alignment is anything but aligned, it can affect your:
1: Stability
2: Predictable and controllable handling of the bike
3: Maximum possible traction (given the condition of your tires)
4: Tires' lifespan
5: Ability to handle the bike safely
Certainly something you’d like to avoid, isn’t it? But why does it happen? There are many reasons, but for this episode, we’ll stick with just 5 of them.
The first one is riding over potholes and uneven roads too much
Think these are unpleasant to ride over? You’re not alone – your suspension and steering feel the same way.
Hitting road imperfections at the wrong angle can subtly tweak the suspension, your steering geometry, and, you guessed it - your wheel alignment.
It might take a few potholes before the steering is seriously affected, but it's worth knowing about this so you can catch improper wheel alignment as early as possible.
In fact, that’s a very good reason to avoid potholes as much as possible, isn’t it?
The second thing that might cause your wheel alignment to go out of whack is a crash or a drop. Or, to be more specific, "a crash or drop which affect your front forks."
It might seem unrelated and may not be the first thing you consider when your wheel alignment has gone off a bit.
Perhaps the first thing that crosses your mind after a crash or a drop is whether you're fine.
But it's crucial to know that any impact that jars the front forks can potentially bend or kink components enough to affect alignment.
Moving on to number 3 – your wheel alignment can go out of whack because of worn steering head bearings.
These are located in the headset, which is the collective name for the assembly where the upper fork tubes and fork legs pivot.
As you turn your handlebars to the left and right, these steering head bearings support intense loads.
And like anything that "supports intense loads", these steering head bearings will break down with use, which leads to play in the steering.
But what does all this have to do with wheel alignment?
Well, with this play in the steering, the front wheel's alignment has now shifted from its original position.
This means that even though the issue is technically not in the wheel itself, it is in a component the wheel relies on - the steering head bearings, in this case.
The forth thing that affects wheel alignment badly is doing too many wheelies or stoppies. I’m sure you’ve seen videos online of people on motorcycles doing these, and sure, they do look cool.
But the thing is – no matter if the front or the rear is pointing up, it must eventually come down.
And when it does, it’s usually with a large “thud” - which puts a lot of strain on your suspension and your wheel bearings.
It might not happen the first couple of times you do a wheelie or a stoppie, but the more you do it, the more strain you put on your suspension and, consequently, your wheels.
And last, but not least – the fifth reason why your wheel alignment might go out of whack is changing a tire or other maintenance jobs.
Wait – what? Can you really cause a mechanical issue by performing a maintenance task? Isn’t the whole point of maintenance to avoid having mechanical issues?
It seems strange, I know – but, really think about this for a minute. When you change a tire, you have to take the entire wheel off and then put it on again.
Even if the tire is put on and balanced properly, unless you get lucky, the odds are that the wheel alignment may be a bit off once the tire is on again.
So, when you're done doing any kind of tire or wheel work, remember to check the wheel alignment after you're done.
And that concludes this episode about wheel alignment – and as you can see, it matters. Quite a bit, when you think of it – both for the steering, and for your own safety.
Anyway, thank you for tuning in, and until next time – happy trails – no matter what or where you ride!