Front wheel alignment with handlebars

[Jynxd]

Hey all,
I need some help. A buddy of mine backed into my bike, very little damage, just a cracked fender, but it was in lock position and I feel as if the alignment is off with the handlebars. Does anyone know how to properly align and adjust the front tire?

Thanks

 

[Hoover]

It sounds like you have tweaked the upper tree alignment. Try losening the upper tree bolts a little amount and hold the front wheel secure. Then push against the bars in the direction against the tweak. You may get lucky and are able to move them back to the right spot.
At least enough to be able to ride it to a shop and have them do a proper alignment on it.
You can get them real close by eye but not spot on.

 

[lothodon]

get it to a shop. unless it's just bent handlebars it was more than just a bump and you could have a bent fork tube (or both). the triple trees shouldn't "move" that easily. there is no "alignment" adjustment for the front tire, at least, not like the rear axle. check to be sure your tubes are at the same height on the top triple tree as well as the bottom (use a tape measure to be accurate).

 

[FZ1inNH]

It sounds like you have tweaked the upper tree alignment. Try losening the upper tree bolts a little amount and hold the front wheel secure. Then push against the bars in the direction against the tweak. You may get lucky and are able to move them back to the right spot.
At least enough to be able to ride it to a shop and have them do a proper alignment on it.
You can get them real close by eye but not spot on.

Do this but instead of push/pull on the bars, put the front wheel against something solid like a wall and with the upper triple bolts loose, bounce the front suspension up and down several times. Then check the alignment and if you're OK, torque the upper triple back to specs.

 

[Jynxd]

Thanks guys, from everything I've read it does sound like a tweaked fork, which seems to be fairly easy to fix.
And before I may have forgot to mention it's not off by much, rode it home fine, just felt slightly off, and to me looked off; but others couldn't tell.