Wheel / handlebar alignment issue - help please

Hi all,
Just used my Silverwing after all the snow we have had here and noticed the handlebar alignment is way off!
I'm steering about 35 degrees right to actually go straight.

I had left the bike on the road for a few days and all i can think of is someone has knocked it over and picked it up then driven off.

Any ideas what could be the problem / fix?

I also noticed the plastic cover over the handlebar center is all buckled, probably due to something being bent.

Any help/tips greatly appreciated.
I'm already missing my bike!

thanks.
Olly

Remove the plastic cover and have a look. Its possible if the handle bar was loose that it could have shifted to one side. You wont know until you have a look. Nothing else can be done till then. Take a pics and post it and someone will be able to help.

I had a low-speed fall a few months ago and afterwards my steering was off too, but maybe by 10 degrees. I took off the handlebar plastics, reached down into the hole with a long-handled box end wrench (I think it was 17mm) and loosened the 2 pinch bolts by tapping the top end of the wrench a few times with a hammer. I was able to realign everything and tighten it all back up and it was back to normal. I hope my solution will be as easy for you and you don't have more damage.

Jesse in Atlanta

Hi tinman, Jesse,
thanks both for your responses.
I took your advice and opened her up.
As soon as I got the black plastic cover off I could see the problem, the handlebars are bent!
Further inspection shows some new scratches on the bent side of the bars so I'm not 99% sure it was dropped.

I tried bending them back but couldn't get them to budge.
I guess it's time to find a new one.

I started trying to remove all the levers etc but got stuck with the throttle lever/handle. Hopefully it won't be too difficult though. I'm sure someone has a guide on here about it I can find!

Thanks again.

Olly

I would definitely keep an eye on Ebay for a few days before buying new (just make sure the seller guarantees it's straight and will refund if not). I don't see one there now. The job shouldn't really be difficult- you would just need to remove the components from it, unbolt it, install the new one in the reverse order and line up the punch marks on the bar with the corresponding marks or seams on the components before tightening down the new one (to make sure everything lines up for the bar cover).

Jesse

20 years ago I mist a 40 klph curve when the rain wash sand a crost the road and i lost control and bent the handle bars.Not wanting to order a new one , I removed the bar and put it in a vice and using a peace of felt and a pipe wrench was able to straighten the handle bar . It came out very good. You might be able to do the same and with the plastic cover should be able to hide any defects. It cant hurt to try.

I wouldn't do that- metal fatigue.

If you want to eliminate metal fatigue , Plug one end of the bar with a wooden dole tape it so it will stay in place ,fill the bar with sand and plug the other end, heat the part that is kink ,straighten the handle bar ,it will eliminate metal fatigue. The way that the swing bars are made it don't take much to bend them out of shape when the scooter falls down .The only way way that it will break off is if it falls again . Repairing it is a way to put your Swing back on the road until you find a replacement.