Major Problem with my NEW 08 Roadglide
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 370
Likes: 1
From:
RE: Major Problem with my NEW 08 Roadglide
Yeah, I noticed on my 08 Roadglide that the bars and the instrument cluster are cocked a few degrees to the right. I'll try that guy's suggestion of locking the forks and trying to straighten it out.Dealer wouldn't do anything.
It definitely pisses me off every time I ride down the road and look at it.
I'll try looking over the tank at the front forks like you did.
It definitely pisses me off every time I ride down the road and look at it.
I'll try looking over the tank at the front forks like you did.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 304
Likes: 0
From: Gainesville, Virginia
RE: Major Problem with my NEW 08 Roadglide
Dealers suck, go to to private shops that care about you and your bike. I go to the dealer to BUY the bike and for t-shirts. I order everything else online and use custom speed shops that have 1/2 the labor rate of the stealership.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,282
Likes: 115
From: British Columbia
RE: Major Problem with my NEW 08 Roadglide
ORIGINAL: blueride
Yeah, I noticed on my 08 Roadglide that the bars and the instrument cluster are cocked a few degrees to the right. I'll try that guy's suggestion of locking the forks and trying to straighten it out.Dealer wouldn't do anything.
It definitely pisses me off every time I ride down the road and look at it.
I'll try looking over the tank at the front forks like you did.
Yeah, I noticed on my 08 Roadglide that the bars and the instrument cluster are cocked a few degrees to the right. I'll try that guy's suggestion of locking the forks and trying to straighten it out.Dealer wouldn't do anything.
It definitely pisses me off every time I ride down the road and look at it.
I'll try looking over the tank at the front forks like you did.
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Major Problem with my NEW 08 Roadglide
Same problem on my 08 RKC, dealer said it was normal[:@]
They finally checked the alignment and found it was out of spec, anyway the bike still pulls to the left. I haven't be back to them yet, it just makes me mad when they try to bs me.
Anyway good luck, let us know what happens.
They finally checked the alignment and found it was out of spec, anyway the bike still pulls to the left. I haven't be back to them yet, it just makes me mad when they try to bs me.
Anyway good luck, let us know what happens.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,150
Likes: 1
From: Tallahassee, Fl
RE: Major Problem with my NEW 08 Roadglide
I would suggest you do the following:
Loosen the bolts on the bottom holding the handlebar clamps and twist the bars to get them lined up correctly and then have someone sit on the bike and hold the bars firmly as you tighten them back down. These things use handlebar riser bushings and they do flex if you tug on the bars. You can get some aftermarket ones that are made of a much stiffer compound.
Loosen the bolts on the bottom holding the handlebar clamps and twist the bars to get them lined up correctly and then have someone sit on the bike and hold the bars firmly as you tighten them back down. These things use handlebar riser bushings and they do flex if you tug on the bars. You can get some aftermarket ones that are made of a much stiffer compound.
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,783
Likes: 10
From: Oh
RE: Major Problem with my NEW 08 Roadglide
Well lets see if I can make some sense of your potential problem. There are two alignments you need to make sure you have, the front fork tubes and the back wheel.
Front tubes- The upper and lower triple trees must be aligned. It is possible the bottom and top trees are twisted, with the tubes not parallel. This is fixed by loosening the trees and bringing them back to parallel. There is a spec that HD probably uses to bring this into alignment, I do it with magnetic straight edges. It does not take much to make the frontend seem out of line and this will also give the sensation of pulling to one side as you describe.
Rear wheel alignment - This is crucial or you will have the sensation of the rear wheel "dog tracking" to one side. This has a different feel than the front alignment problem above. It is possible for the handlebars to be straight and have the rear dog tracking. This does not sound like your problem though. But, this is how you check....If you have a line cut on your driveway or just mark in chaulk a straight line and then pull the bike onto the center of the line. Now ckeck to see that both front and rear wheels are centered on that line and they should be. If not your rear wheel adjustment is off.
Lastly, it is possible the handle bars are just twisted in the bar clamps and need to be loosened and straightened. Yes, Peppa1 is correct also about the riser bushings also. Remember to loosenthe riserbushing bolts when you loosen the bar clamps and realign together.
Warning - I would not tug on the handlebars with the steering lock on, because you will actually break the lock. This is how thieves steal bikes, they just snap the steering lock.
Front tubes- The upper and lower triple trees must be aligned. It is possible the bottom and top trees are twisted, with the tubes not parallel. This is fixed by loosening the trees and bringing them back to parallel. There is a spec that HD probably uses to bring this into alignment, I do it with magnetic straight edges. It does not take much to make the frontend seem out of line and this will also give the sensation of pulling to one side as you describe.
Rear wheel alignment - This is crucial or you will have the sensation of the rear wheel "dog tracking" to one side. This has a different feel than the front alignment problem above. It is possible for the handlebars to be straight and have the rear dog tracking. This does not sound like your problem though. But, this is how you check....If you have a line cut on your driveway or just mark in chaulk a straight line and then pull the bike onto the center of the line. Now ckeck to see that both front and rear wheels are centered on that line and they should be. If not your rear wheel adjustment is off.
Lastly, it is possible the handle bars are just twisted in the bar clamps and need to be loosened and straightened. Yes, Peppa1 is correct also about the riser bushings also. Remember to loosenthe riserbushing bolts when you loosen the bar clamps and realign together.
Warning - I would not tug on the handlebars with the steering lock on, because you will actually break the lock. This is how thieves steal bikes, they just snap the steering lock.
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 216
Likes: 2
RE: Major Problem with my NEW 08 Roadglide
I agree with the above, do not put force on the bars with the forks locked. It is an alignment issue, and as mentioned above push the dealer until the solve the problem. Should go straight as an arrow if it was aligned correctly. Left side drive does not cause a pull, neither does the primary hanging on the left. I built a Kenny Boyce pro street with the primary 3/8 offset for additional tire clearance and it tracks perfectly straight.
[IMG]local://upfiles/48173/8B08A76815B8472D96524E802E29A729.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/48173/8B08A76815B8472D96524E802E29A729.jpg[/IMG]
Tourer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 320
Likes: 0
From: UK
RE: Major Problem with my NEW 08 Roadglide
I'll second DO NOT use the steering lock to hold the trees while you force the bars, it will break. On all baggers the motor trans and swing are are all supposed to be aligned, now we all know how much care HD take during production and the dealer always checks everything is correct before the customer takes delivery [sm=trust_me.gif]. So there is a good chance the back wheel isn't parrell to the frame, smokindave's idea about the line on the driveway is a good way to check.
A guy i know in Ormond Beach Fl has the same problem with his new 08 RG. Strange that a lot of 08 RG's have this problem, or is something wrong in production ?
A guy i know in Ormond Beach Fl has the same problem with his new 08 RG. Strange that a lot of 08 RG's have this problem, or is something wrong in production ?
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Joe Kucinski
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: gainesville fl
RE: Major Problem with my NEW 08 Roadglide
It seems to me some where it says another way to checkfront and rear wheels is with a long straight edge, have someone stand the bike up and run the straight along both wheels, I'm going to try this over the weekend to check the rear wheel.
