Is wheel alignment necessary for two wheeler
Wheel alignment is necessary for any vehicle to function properly and this is true even for two wheelers. While driving in the city, bikes often hit potholes or gravel, which can cause the wheels to shift.
Similarly, if you use a two wheeler for off roading, it can lead to wheel misalignment.
Riding a two wheeler with misaligned wheels is risky as it can affect the balance of the vehicle and cause accidents. Thus, it is necessary to get wheels aligned, even for two wheelers.
How do you know if your Motorcycle needs alignment?
Most bike owners will notice that their wheels are misaligned, since it will be difficult to ride well with misaligned wheels. If you notice the balance seems off or there is a problem with taking turns or steering well, then it could be the wheel misalignment.
If you suspect the alignment, you can use a ruler or a rope to measure the position of both the wheels, which will tell you whether or not the wheels are aligned well.
What are common signs of wheel misalignment?
Misaligned wheels can cause a whole host of problems, which can indicate that the bike needs to be taken to a service station. Some common signs of misalignment are:
- If the tyres of the bike are getting worn in an uneven manner, it might indicate that the wheels are not in a straight line as they should be. Furthermore, if tyres are getting worn quicker than usual that too can be a telling sign, since misaligned wheels can put more pressure on the tyres causing them to wear faster.
- If the handles seem crooked when you are riding, that too is a sign of misalignment. This happens because the handle and tyre aren’t facing in the exact same direction and there appears to be a disconnect between the two.
- Another sign of misalignment is the vehicle being pulled to either side. If your two wheeler seems to constantly be pulled towards either the left or the right side, even though you wish to ride straight, then chances are the wheels aren’t properly aligned.
- Since misalignment puts excess pressure on the tyres, noisy steering or squealing tyres are quite common. If your two wheeler is making more noises than usual, then it could be because of the tyres.
How much does it cost to get wheels aligned?
The price of the wheel alignment can depend on the type of vehicle you own as well as the shop or service station you go to. However, in general, wheel alignments are a fairly simple and routine process and therefore are not very costly.
In India, you could get your wheels aligned for approximately 300 to 500 INR.
How often should wheel alignment be done?
The owner’s manual of vehicles generally specifies how often the wheel alignment should be done, but on an average, most two wheelers should have their wheels aligned at least once in two to three years.
Furthermore, if there are any obvious signs of misalignment, you should definitely take it to the service station to get it checked.
How long does it take to align a wheel?
A wheel alignment is quite a simple process that is done often and therefore does not take too much time. For either two or four wheelers, wheel alignment generally takes about one hour.
However, depending on the extent of misalignment, wear and tear, damage on the suspension system, or problems with other parts, it can also take longer.
Should wheel alignment be done after getting new tyres?
Most of the time, after you get the wheels on your two wheeler replaced, you assume that the alignment is correct and do not pay much heed to it.
However, this is the time that wheel alignment should most definitely be checked. This is because, when tyres are taken off and put back on, there is a chance that they aren’t fixed exactly in the correct alignment, and could be a little crooked.
While most service stations will align wheels correctly while replacing tyres or check the alignment on their own, if the wheel alignment isn’t checked, you should ask for it to be done, just to be safe.
