2022 Yamaha YZF R7 often tilt

[ShiftHappens]

Fellas! Got a real head scratcher about my boy's R7, and frankly, it's got me a little stumped and a lot concerned.

The kid's bike, for some reason, just wants to lean or tilt while he's riding straight. Now, I'm not talking about it pulling to one side like the alignment's off; he says it literally feels like he's riding down the road like this / if you were looking at him head on.

The weirdest part is that the bike tracks straight as an arrow, and the tire wear looks perfectly even, so that's not it.

But get this: when he's actually in motion, he can see the triple tree is crooked to the right. It just doesn't look right, and he says his whole body position feels unnatural because of it.

We're both wondering if that crooked triple tree is the root cause of this leaning, or if there's some weird aerodynamic thing going on that's beyond our pay grade.

And here's the kicker – we've hauled it back to Yamaha three times already. They can't seem to figure it out, and honestly, they won't even admit something's actually messed up. It's enough to make a guy pull his hair out, especially when it's your kid's ride.

Anyone here ever run into something like this with an R7 or any other bike? What in the world could be making his bike lean like that? Any help or insights would be a godsend!

 

[Dewyz_20]

Oof, sorry that sounds incredibly frustrating especially after three trips to the dealer.
My first thought when you mention the bike leaning and the triple tree looking crooked while in motion is that the forks are twisted in the triple clamps.
It's surprisingly common, even from a minor tip-over or hitting a pothole hard, and it can cause exactly what you're describing.
The bike tracks straight because the wheels are aligned, but the handlebars and triple tree are misaligned relative to the front wheel, making it feel like the bike is leaning or the rider is crooked.
Anyway, if that's it then it's a quick fix!
You just have to loosen the triple tree pinch bolts and axle pinch bolts, realign the wheel straight with the handlebars or vice versa, and re-torque everything.

 

[hunnybunny29]

That crooked triple tree is definitely suspicious, even if the bike tracks straight, a bent or misaligned triple tree can throw off your body position and cause that leaning feeling, maybe get a second opinion from an independent shop or have the frame and forks professionally checked for alignment.

 

[RockawayBeach78]

Oof, sorry that sounds incredibly frustrating especially after three trips to the dealer.
My first thought when you mention the bike leaning and the triple tree looking crooked while in motion is that the forks are twisted in the triple clamps.
It's surprisingly common, even from a minor tip-over or hitting a pothole hard, and it can cause exactly what you're describing.
The bike tracks straight because the wheels are aligned, but the handlebars and triple tree are misaligned relative to the front wheel, making it feel like the bike is leaning or the rider is crooked.
Anyway, if that's it then it's a quick fix!
You just have to loosen the triple tree pinch bolts and axle pinch bolts, realign the wheel straight with the handlebars or vice versa, and re-torque everything.

Quick question, when you say "realign," do you mean eyeballing it or is there a better way to make sure everything's truly straight? Also, do I need to lift the front wheel off the ground before loosening the bolts? I have a 2022 Yamaha YZF-R7