A steering lock stop issue.

[Athame57]

While my bike was in the garage this morning the mechanic pointed something out to me I hadn't been aware of. The handle bars could reach the tank and it explains a tiny chip in the paint. The lock stops were present on the yoke but there was nothing to meet them on the frame, could I have broken something off down the line somewhere, issue is on both sides.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

The lock stops are part of the casting on the lower steering yoke, these touch what I would describe as a tongue shape on the front of the frame where the steering tube fits.

Usually a bent lock stop is the cause of contact with the tank.
Photo is my 400 on full left lock you can see the tongue that is part of the frame in the centre right of the photo.



.400 lock stop by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr

[Athame57]

Thanks for this Ted, I'll be taking a closer look at my bike in the daylight! 

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I should have cleaned off the dust plus some recent Aluminium filings before I took the photo but you get the drift.

[taysidedragon]

My lockstops are undamaged but my fork stanchions can just touch the tank. Everything is correct and straight, as far as I  can tell, so I added a small packing piece to each lockstop to reduce the steering lock a little.
It works fine as it is now.

[Rozabikes Tim]

I should have cleaned off the dust plus some recent Aluminium filings before I took the photo but you get the drift.

👍

[DomP]

My lockstops are undamaged but my fork stanchions can just touch the tank. Everything is correct and straight, as far as I  can tell, so I added a small packing piece to each lockstop to reduce the steering lock a little.
It works fine as it is now.

Same on my xs650, everyone told me something must be bent but there is absolutely no sign of damage so I did the same and jb welded on a shim.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I too fixed a small washer to the left side stop on my 400 so the aftermarket headlamp bracket cleared the tank.

Interestingly it is also affected by how far the tank fits on the front rubbers - I lubricated my new rubber front mounts with some red rubber grease on the U part on the tank where the mounts fit.
This gave me some forwards & backwards movement if I wanted the tank to rest a tad further back as the rear mount has some flexibility as to where it rests.

[TrickyMicky]

I have just been in the garage and had a look at mine. Original frame, tank, bars etc.,  and if there was any more movement on the steering the first part to touch the tank would be the top yoke.

[TrickyMicky]

If it's any help??

[TrickyMicky]

And another. These are obviously of a standard bike.

[Athame57]

With me it is the throttle linkage on the right side and the switchgear on the left. My original bars were a bit higher than those I have now. That  tongue thing the stops are supposed  to meet is missing on my bike, I hope this can be fixed? missing

[Bryanj]

It can but it means welding so ruining the paint.

I supose it would be possible to fabricate something that could be bolted to the steering stem

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

That  tongue thing the stops are supposed  to meet is missing on my bike, I hope this can be fixed?

Looking at your frame is there any sign of where the tongue used to be as it appears it's just welded onto the bottom flanged part of the column tube that houses the bottom steering race?

[Athame57]

I've discovered that only a slight adjustment of the handle bars prevents anything getting into contact with the tank. I doubt very much if I'll ever have a tank slapper again, so a stop  isn't important to me but is the lack of a stop a construction and use offense?