Drifting left: HELP
Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 195
Likes: 0
From: Rockland County NY.
Yep, except I'd craft my call to customer service to sound more like a call for assistance than a complaint.
"Hello, I need your help. Can you suggest an HD dealer in my state who is properly equiped and trained in full chassis alignment? I have a serious alignment problem that my local dealer can't resolve. I'm concerned because it's become dangerous and prevents me from riding my bike safely."
Craft your request as a call for help and cite safety. Follow it up with a letter or email. The MOCO itself is sensitive to potential law suits and will make a reasonable effort to respond to a written notice about any unsafe bike....go on record with them in that fashion and you might get a proper response.
"Hello, I need your help. Can you suggest an HD dealer in my state who is properly equiped and trained in full chassis alignment? I have a serious alignment problem that my local dealer can't resolve. I'm concerned because it's become dangerous and prevents me from riding my bike safely."
Craft your request as a call for help and cite safety. Follow it up with a letter or email. The MOCO itself is sensitive to potential law suits and will make a reasonable effort to respond to a written notice about any unsafe bike....go on record with them in that fashion and you might get a proper response.
Thread Starter
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Novice
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
From: dartmouth ma
Wow!
Look at all the people with issues. I'm glad I asked. I am a machinery tech and I have tried a lot of different things like taking off my windshield to see if it was that, taking off the bags, taking off one bag, etc. Like I said earlier, I can make it go straight hands off but I have to sit way off the seat to the right. There is something wrong and if a lot of bikes are doing this then there is either a design problem or major component alignment problem like was mention here. None of us should put up with it. It also appears that the majority of the bikes all go left. Only one has said their bike goes right. My arm does not usually bother me but when I put on 1,800 miles in less than 5 days, it really ended up bothering me. Up at the top of the arm/shoulder deltoid area. When I got home and couldn't ride anymore because of the weather, the pain went away. I've tested the bike on all kinds of roads and it does the same. One thing I forgot to say, with my wife on, it's worse. This tells me that when the swing arm changes position, the alignment goes off more, because of the weight I would think. I think either the swing arm, swing arm mount, or the chassis is off. It can be off half a millimeter and cause the issues we're all having. I can ride my son's dirt bikes down the road and they stay straight, why not my RK!
Thanks for the advise on how to go about the conversation with HD. I agree completely. If it is considered a safety issue and I go about it diplomatically, they will be more willing to work with me. I will keep all posted on my progress.
Look at all the people with issues. I'm glad I asked. I am a machinery tech and I have tried a lot of different things like taking off my windshield to see if it was that, taking off the bags, taking off one bag, etc. Like I said earlier, I can make it go straight hands off but I have to sit way off the seat to the right. There is something wrong and if a lot of bikes are doing this then there is either a design problem or major component alignment problem like was mention here. None of us should put up with it. It also appears that the majority of the bikes all go left. Only one has said their bike goes right. My arm does not usually bother me but when I put on 1,800 miles in less than 5 days, it really ended up bothering me. Up at the top of the arm/shoulder deltoid area. When I got home and couldn't ride anymore because of the weather, the pain went away. I've tested the bike on all kinds of roads and it does the same. One thing I forgot to say, with my wife on, it's worse. This tells me that when the swing arm changes position, the alignment goes off more, because of the weight I would think. I think either the swing arm, swing arm mount, or the chassis is off. It can be off half a millimeter and cause the issues we're all having. I can ride my son's dirt bikes down the road and they stay straight, why not my RK!
Thanks for the advise on how to go about the conversation with HD. I agree completely. If it is considered a safety issue and I go about it diplomatically, they will be more willing to work with me. I will keep all posted on my progress.
The Schlong Man
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,772
Likes: 4
From: Nantucket
I think the bike that went right was a Honda. BTW my bike pulls left too but not so much that its noticible with hand or hands on the bars. I can shift my weight and make it go straight but I'm not comfortable riding totally hands free so I don't do it much. Really the only time I'll take my hand off the bars is to see if the bike will still pull left which it always does. I just don't see it as any big deal. Tires seem to wear fine too.
Last edited by ken thompson; Apr 21, 2009 at 02:14 PM.
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 548
Likes: 1
ok im not an engineer so this is just a basic guess...the road surface is pitched...they all are...have to be to keep water from standing on the road surface...hence why drains are always on the right shoulder...i think the slight pitch of the road may cause the bike to slightly wander....mine does it slightly also...so if the road is slight higher in the center than on the shoulders wouldnt that make the bike since its technicaly leaning left now make it wander slightly to the left?....
Hello All,
I'm new here. I was referred by a HD dealer. I purchased a 08' Anniversary Road King just about a year ago. I am experiencing a problem with it that my dealer tells me isn't there. I have had others ride my bike and they too experience it also. The dealer tells me they can't duplicate it.
The Problem: When riding the bike down the road, doesnt' matter the speed, the bike will slowly start to drift left, then drift more quickly the further it goes. I have to constantly apply a light pull on the left grip the whole time I'm riding it. To correct it so that it doesn't drift left with no hands, I have to sit with the right cheek of my butt way off the seat and my upper body way to the right of center.
History: When I first bought the bike it did it. The dealer told me to keep driving it until it's first check as it was probably a break in adjustment. When the bike went in they told me they could not get the bike to do it and wheel alignment, fork oil, tire pressure, etc. was all correct. I kept riding the bike hoping it would quit doing it. I sent the bike in to put a chrome front end on and they again went through everything again. This was done during the winter so I didn't ride it again for a while. Well, got on it and sure enough, still doing it. I took it back and told them that something was wrong. I told them if they set the cruise and took their hands off the handlebars, they would easily see the problem. They called and said they found the problem and the bike was ready. When I went to pick it up they said that the tire inflation was way off and that was the reason. So I said to them, "so, what your telling me is that you delivered the bike to me with incorrect air pressure and I guess I've never checked my air pressure?" They must think I'm stupid. I again take the bike home and sure enough. NO CHANGE, it's still doing it! Now I call back really P'd off and they tell me that they are not allowed to remove both hands at the same time! Supposedly HD rules. I said you really don't have to take your hands off but just hold the grips loosely and you will have it happen. Well, I went to Daytona this past Feb. and put on close to 1,800 miles in one week. My left arm was aching from having to constantly hold the pressure to pull the left grip back. Something is wrong!
Suggestions: I am looking for help here. Has anyone else had any problem like this and been told what I have been told. A local after market parts guy who has been around for forty years and is well respected told me he had heard that there is a problem with the wheels that came with this bike. The wheels are the the ones that are totally round or shaped like a half circle. There is no definition in the rim in the bead area. Can anyone shed some light on this. I am going to get the owner of the dealership aside and give a piece of my mind on this. I tell the people at the dealer to get on the bike and ride it but they never do. They always have just the mechanic who it is assigned to, ride it. The dealer (not where I bought the bike) that told me to post here agrees with me that it must be alignment but still told me to ask. Any suggestions.
Thanks in Advance,
Ted
I'm new here. I was referred by a HD dealer. I purchased a 08' Anniversary Road King just about a year ago. I am experiencing a problem with it that my dealer tells me isn't there. I have had others ride my bike and they too experience it also. The dealer tells me they can't duplicate it.
The Problem: When riding the bike down the road, doesnt' matter the speed, the bike will slowly start to drift left, then drift more quickly the further it goes. I have to constantly apply a light pull on the left grip the whole time I'm riding it. To correct it so that it doesn't drift left with no hands, I have to sit with the right cheek of my butt way off the seat and my upper body way to the right of center.
History: When I first bought the bike it did it. The dealer told me to keep driving it until it's first check as it was probably a break in adjustment. When the bike went in they told me they could not get the bike to do it and wheel alignment, fork oil, tire pressure, etc. was all correct. I kept riding the bike hoping it would quit doing it. I sent the bike in to put a chrome front end on and they again went through everything again. This was done during the winter so I didn't ride it again for a while. Well, got on it and sure enough, still doing it. I took it back and told them that something was wrong. I told them if they set the cruise and took their hands off the handlebars, they would easily see the problem. They called and said they found the problem and the bike was ready. When I went to pick it up they said that the tire inflation was way off and that was the reason. So I said to them, "so, what your telling me is that you delivered the bike to me with incorrect air pressure and I guess I've never checked my air pressure?" They must think I'm stupid. I again take the bike home and sure enough. NO CHANGE, it's still doing it! Now I call back really P'd off and they tell me that they are not allowed to remove both hands at the same time! Supposedly HD rules. I said you really don't have to take your hands off but just hold the grips loosely and you will have it happen. Well, I went to Daytona this past Feb. and put on close to 1,800 miles in one week. My left arm was aching from having to constantly hold the pressure to pull the left grip back. Something is wrong!
Suggestions: I am looking for help here. Has anyone else had any problem like this and been told what I have been told. A local after market parts guy who has been around for forty years and is well respected told me he had heard that there is a problem with the wheels that came with this bike. The wheels are the the ones that are totally round or shaped like a half circle. There is no definition in the rim in the bead area. Can anyone shed some light on this. I am going to get the owner of the dealership aside and give a piece of my mind on this. I tell the people at the dealer to get on the bike and ride it but they never do. They always have just the mechanic who it is assigned to, ride it. The dealer (not where I bought the bike) that told me to post here agrees with me that it must be alignment but still told me to ask. Any suggestions.
Thanks in Advance,
Ted
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,939
Likes: 3
From: TX
There is an engine alignment (in the frame) procedure in the service manual that will almost always fix that issue. Most bikes, even BRAND NEW, are not properly aligned and benefit from the engine alignment.
Thread Starter
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Novice
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
From: dartmouth ma
What some people are not understanding is my bike's "drifting" is more like it's pulling. If I relax my grip on the bars and let my arms relax my bike will climb the crown of the road, go over the center and then really go left fast once it is over the crown. I don't make a practice of riding "no hands". I'm just saying if you remove your hands what it does is so obvious. Within 100 feet my bike has gone from one curb almost to the other! It's not wandering, I wish it did wander as it would give my arms a break. It goes LEFT!!!!! plain and simple. And it seems everyone else's here that has replied, goes left also. What amazes me is it seems that only me and one other are the only one's who have pursued trying to get this fixed. And we both got the same answer because I don't think the dealer is really trying to fix it. I understand physics and mechanics enough to understand that what our bikes are doing is not right. Even when I tell the dealer he agrees, the bike should not go left. But then the dealer tells me they can't duplicate the problem and then when I say to ride it and I will ride along side on another bike they refuse.
That tells me they know something is up and are trying to avoid it. By starting this thread I was hoping to find somebody who has had the same problem and had gotten the issue solved. Unfortunately, it appears no one has. I don't understand how people are willing to except it. I guess it's the mechanic in me that won't. And like I said earlier, it's even worse when my wife's on back. This makes for a real safety issue when carrying a passenger. If the weight on our bikes is not centered then it is a design flaw as all mechanical machines of motion should always be balanced fore/aft and laterally. Imagine a plane that was heavier on one side? What are they going to do, put people out on the wing to balance it? I also fly and if a plane is not balanced on the proper CG then it is a death trap.
That tells me they know something is up and are trying to avoid it. By starting this thread I was hoping to find somebody who has had the same problem and had gotten the issue solved. Unfortunately, it appears no one has. I don't understand how people are willing to except it. I guess it's the mechanic in me that won't. And like I said earlier, it's even worse when my wife's on back. This makes for a real safety issue when carrying a passenger. If the weight on our bikes is not centered then it is a design flaw as all mechanical machines of motion should always be balanced fore/aft and laterally. Imagine a plane that was heavier on one side? What are they going to do, put people out on the wing to balance it? I also fly and if a plane is not balanced on the proper CG then it is a death trap.
Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 144
Likes: 0
From: Cypress,TX
take a straight edge 8 foot long, (put the bike on a stand) put the straight edge agaist the rear tire (touching two points firmly) extend the straight edge up to the front tire measure the gap (there will be a gap since back tire is wider) turning the handlebars til it's equal at front and back of the front tire. Do this to both sides if the gap is different then there is an alignment problem. The back tire is the culpret since the front tire has no adjustment.
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 131
Likes: 0
My 2007 Road Glide does the same thing. Pulls left the instant I am not compensating, be it riding with one hand, no hands, or just not applying any countersteer pressure with both hands.
I have 18" bars, so with that long of a level arm, I barley have to compensate for it to drive normal; with both hands on the bars like normal, it runs fine. But as soon as that pressure is off, it instantly just goes left.
Now, I don't really care THAT much, it would be nice to ride with no hands for brief stretches. But, what I am going to try is putting my tools/standard gear on the starboard side instead of port, and see if that weight will help compensate. Right now, my bike pulls left, but I have a whole big leather crash-bar bag full of tools on the left also, and that's only contributing to the pull.
If I were you... I'd take it out around your neighborhood and keep adding a few pounds to the right side until it feels more straight. I know it's just a bandaid, but I am not gonna spend the time or money to try and solve the riddle.
I have 18" bars, so with that long of a level arm, I barley have to compensate for it to drive normal; with both hands on the bars like normal, it runs fine. But as soon as that pressure is off, it instantly just goes left.
Now, I don't really care THAT much, it would be nice to ride with no hands for brief stretches. But, what I am going to try is putting my tools/standard gear on the starboard side instead of port, and see if that weight will help compensate. Right now, my bike pulls left, but I have a whole big leather crash-bar bag full of tools on the left also, and that's only contributing to the pull.
If I were you... I'd take it out around your neighborhood and keep adding a few pounds to the right side until it feels more straight. I know it's just a bandaid, but I am not gonna spend the time or money to try and solve the riddle.