'07 Street Glide pulls to one side
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 535
Likes: 0
From: MA
RE: '07 Street Glide pulls to one side
I haven't done a thorough brake inspection yet but I can say that whenever I back my bike out of the garage I hear the front caliper squeeling and slighly dragging against the disk. I would think that I would need a significant amount of drag on the disk to cause a pull but it is definitely a possibility. I would also think that a dragging pad would cause some serious heat issues that I could either smell or hear after I park the bike with the tell-tale 'tink tink' of steel shrinking back to original size.
I'll take a closer look after tomorrow morning's ride. This week is a vacation week and my daily ritual has been to take a nice morning ride of about 150 miles around the Quabbin and then Wachusett reservoirs here in central Massachusetts.
I'll take a closer look after tomorrow morning's ride. This week is a vacation week and my daily ritual has been to take a nice morning ride of about 150 miles around the Quabbin and then Wachusett reservoirs here in central Massachusetts.
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 829
Likes: 12
From: Central Texas
RE: '07 Street Glide pulls to one side
Yup, stock Harley brake discs suck. For the money they should provide floating discs. Its the first thing I change on my harley's, I hate the the shashashasha sound and drag of the stock calipers on the stock fixed discs. Guess I should be happy the moco isnt still installing front/rear drums as standard equipment. I know, I know, then they could'nt charge me to change out my brand new discs for another set of brand new discs. The stock set works fine if you dont mind settling for less.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,007
Likes: 4
From: Vancouver, B.C.
RE: '07 Street Glide pulls to one side
If I recall correctly, wasn't it decided in a previous thread that the reason for this was the clutch cable riding (pushing back) on the left side crashbar?
It imparts a bit of pressure so the bars turn away to the right making the bike fall in to the left.
When you're riding, reach down and push the cable forward away from the crashbar and it ought to make it more pronounced. When you're riding hands on, the force you exert to overcome this is not even noticable.
And while I'm here.........you can forget any theories around this issue being caused by one of the calipers on a dual disc braking system dragging, etc.
It's kinda like if you're in a sailboat with a big electric fan in your lap and you think that if you aim it at the sail it'll make the boat go faster. The sum of the forces generated have to act on something external.
Another way to look at it is like this.......if it were due to one of the calipers dragging more on the disc on one side than the other, wouldn't any bike with only a single disc brake up front turn like a bitch everytime you got on the brakes. I think not.
CN
It imparts a bit of pressure so the bars turn away to the right making the bike fall in to the left.
When you're riding, reach down and push the cable forward away from the crashbar and it ought to make it more pronounced. When you're riding hands on, the force you exert to overcome this is not even noticable.
And while I'm here.........you can forget any theories around this issue being caused by one of the calipers on a dual disc braking system dragging, etc.
It's kinda like if you're in a sailboat with a big electric fan in your lap and you think that if you aim it at the sail it'll make the boat go faster. The sum of the forces generated have to act on something external.
Another way to look at it is like this.......if it were due to one of the calipers dragging more on the disc on one side than the other, wouldn't any bike with only a single disc brake up front turn like a bitch everytime you got on the brakes. I think not.
CN
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Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 535
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From: MA
RE: '07 Street Glide pulls to one side
Not to offend anyone here as I've only got a handfull of posts myself but I also laughed my @$$ off about the clutch cable causing the drift. Considering centrifugal motion on the front wheel at 50MPH you would need roughly over 4 lbs of load at the grips to impart enough force to overcome the centrifugal force itself. That would make for a seriously 'misrouted' cable with a 'lot' of preload on it. Although not completely implausible it is very unlikely the culprit of my bike's drift.
Anyone with a similar drift issue can prove this to themselves by applying slight backwards pressure to the throttle grip during the 'drift'....and one will easily realize the force required to counteract the drift is a few pounds, less with lower speed.
Anyone with a similar drift issue can prove this to themselves by applying slight backwards pressure to the throttle grip during the 'drift'....and one will easily realize the force required to counteract the drift is a few pounds, less with lower speed.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,007
Likes: 4
From: Vancouver, B.C.
RE: '07 Street Glide pulls to one side
Geez.....now I see you have a Street Glide. DOH!!! The clutch cables on those are routed different than on an RK. Not likely the cause in your case.
I am almost 100% certain that this WAS in fact what was arrived at in the post way back with regard to the veer to the left after all alignment type issues were dispelled. It had to be on an RK.
My RK pulls left and this is easily countered moving my fat *** over on the seat and leaning a bit at highway speeds. I don't let it worry me.
Good luck with that.
CN
I am almost 100% certain that this WAS in fact what was arrived at in the post way back with regard to the veer to the left after all alignment type issues were dispelled. It had to be on an RK.
My RK pulls left and this is easily countered moving my fat *** over on the seat and leaning a bit at highway speeds. I don't let it worry me.
Good luck with that.
CN
Cruiser
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 193
Likes: 0
From:
RE: '07 Street Glide pulls to one side
Lol, love the one caliper bit...
I have a 06 SG and when i drove it off the showroom, it was straight ... after packing a few things in the bags, i noticed it started to fade left also..
So I put the tool bag and a few other things in the right bag and was back to a straight ride. Seems like an easy fix to just readjust bag cargo. I did notice that these things are very balanced and the slightest adjust in weight will drive it around..
I have a 06 SG and when i drove it off the showroom, it was straight ... after packing a few things in the bags, i noticed it started to fade left also..
So I put the tool bag and a few other things in the right bag and was back to a straight ride. Seems like an easy fix to just readjust bag cargo. I did notice that these things are very balanced and the slightest adjust in weight will drive it around..
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Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 154
Likes: 0
From: Longmont, CO
RE: '07 Street Glide pulls to one side
This is crazy. I have 20k miles on my 05 RG and I usually ride with 10lbs of junk in my right bag and the left bag empty. I can fill both bags and it doesn't change the handling at all. It runs true no matter how it is loaded. I think he needs to check the tire pressure or get the daeler to fix it.
1st Gear
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
RE: '07 Street Glide pulls to one side
Newbie to the forum here, be gentle.
I searched for "disc rubbing" and some x-rated stuff popped up on another thread so I came to this one.
As 1goindiesel put it "I hate the the shashashasha sound and drag of the stock calipers on the stock fixed discs" and that's
exactly what my 06' RKC does, but get this, if I apply a little break, it goes away. So in my case, the breaks are rubbing
constantly, and can be heard at speeds up to almost 30 mph, when I am not goosing it and just coasting. Not really bad, to
the point that the rotors are fried but there is definate indication that there's something wrong. I took it back to the dealer
once and they adjusted the axle and said that was the culprit. It sorta went away but not really and it has bugged me since.
It's not a huge deal but still. I've heard everything from "so", to "all HD's do that"
to my favorite, "remove thebaffles from the true duals".
What's the deal with switching out the rotors and breaks? Stock sux?
Any suggestions? If it were a squeal or wear issue or even a lack of wear issue because I never ride the thing, I'd understand,
but it only rubs (or I can hear it rub at slow speeds) untill I hit the breaks a little, then it stops, then I apply more pressure and
then I stop.
Thanks for any help you have to offer.
The Fruitman
I searched for "disc rubbing" and some x-rated stuff popped up on another thread so I came to this one.
As 1goindiesel put it "I hate the the shashashasha sound and drag of the stock calipers on the stock fixed discs" and that's
exactly what my 06' RKC does, but get this, if I apply a little break, it goes away. So in my case, the breaks are rubbing
constantly, and can be heard at speeds up to almost 30 mph, when I am not goosing it and just coasting. Not really bad, to
the point that the rotors are fried but there is definate indication that there's something wrong. I took it back to the dealer
once and they adjusted the axle and said that was the culprit. It sorta went away but not really and it has bugged me since.
It's not a huge deal but still. I've heard everything from "so", to "all HD's do that"
to my favorite, "remove thebaffles from the true duals".
What's the deal with switching out the rotors and breaks? Stock sux?
Any suggestions? If it were a squeal or wear issue or even a lack of wear issue because I never ride the thing, I'd understand,
but it only rubs (or I can hear it rub at slow speeds) untill I hit the breaks a little, then it stops, then I apply more pressure and
then I stop.
Thanks for any help you have to offer.
The Fruitman