Gentleman,

When I take my hands off the handlebars the bike goes left... Any thoughts?


Dennis

 

Tire pressures are at spec and the weight is evenly distributed?
If those are ok then I'd double check the rear axle, perhaps at the last belt adjustment one adjuster got turned more then the other causing your back tire to track different

 

Not necessarily abnormal on our bikes, especially with a lighter aftermarket exhaust. The primary side of the bike is heavier. Sometimes you can tweak rear wheel alignment enough to make it go away. For instance, having the left side of the rear wheel a little further back would put a little more wind pressure on that side of the bike. Take it too far though, and it can make handling funny in corners, not to mention problems with the belt tracking properly.

 

Don't take your hands off the bars?

Does it act the same at different speeds? Is it a gentle drift or a pull?

 

Poor man's alignment: put bike on Jack and spin the rear wheel while being directly behind the rear sprocket. Adjust wheel until the belt stays as close to center of sprocket as you can get it. Keeping the tension correct, tighten everything up and go for a ride. I have two Harley's and they both go straight with hands off. Of course I'm kinda **** about my bike going dead straight. When I'm on longer ride I often ride for miles with just a little body english, no hands, with the cruise on and no traffic. I keep my cars aligned too, I have my own alignment machine at my shop so it's no big deal for me, and the tires last a lot longer too.--- food for thought!

 

[QUOTE=Warp Factor;14364349] " having the left side of the rear wheel a little further back would put a little more wind pressure on that side of the bike."


I needed a good laugh this morning, Thanks.

 

Exactly how I do mine. Made a world of difference in handling and tire life.

 

That's cool. It's true though. Rear wheel alignment will affect whether the bike runs perfectly straight down the road, or slightly sideways, presenting more of one side or the other to the wind. Not that changing the air pressure on each side of the bike is the only thing going on when rear wheel alignment is changed. It's just one of the easiest to visualize and explain. Explaining some of the other dynamics of rear-wheel steering gets much more complicated.

 

[QUOTE=Warp Factor;14367057]It has nothing to do with air pressure on the side of the bike, it has to do with the wheel not being straight in relation to the front wheel and frame and therefor physically trying to steer the bike to that side....have you ever been behind a vehicle that looked like it was going down the road crooked?

 

[QUOTE=Warp Factor;14367057]For "air" pressure on the side of the bike to effect it the alignment would have to be so far out that the bike would be unridable.