The magazine for classic Japanese motorcycles

Q&A: Dodgy handling

The tyres are Conti-force front and back. I’m wondering if it could be fork oil differences because I had the right-hand fork seal replaced by a dealer. Could one fork have too much or not enough oil or is it something completely different? I tried the same bend on my Thunderace, no problem, so it’s not me and, amazingly, it’s never been crashed.

Brian Williams
Merthyr Tydfil

A: Well, you have answered the first question I would put to you: are the frame or forks bent? Evidently not. So I think things to check are: the tyres as these can wear asymmetrically on some bikes, wheel alignment, and as you suggest, to make sure that the oil level and grade and perhaps too the spring rates are the same in each fork leg. Another possibility, which can occur with some riders, is that you tend to sit over to one side, thus affecting the lateral weight distribution.