Road Glide Steers Right
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,698
Likes: 11
From: Longview, Washington
We need to trade maps. LOL That way I'll have the east covered.
Thread Starter
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6th Gear
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Norcal
Easy Fix
Wow. This was a really easy fix. I can't believe that HD lets these kind of things happen at their dealerships. I argued with the local service guys til I was blue in the face and they insisted that there was nothing wrong with the alignment.
The hardest part about it was taking off the gas tank. I think I'm going to put a couple of petcock valves on the crossover so I don't have to deal with getting gas all over everything.
I followed the instructions in the shop manual and using two straightedges from the back to the front tire, it was off by over 1/2 inch. It took 2 and 1/2 turns of the lower adjustment linkage and adjusting the upper linkage to have the bolt drop in freely and now the bike tracks straight. As a side the upper linkage was misaligned and the mounting bolt was very bound up when I started.
This just emphasizes for me why I don't deal with the HD dealerships at all. If I can't do it myself then I take my bike to a local Mechanic that is not affiliated with hd. I can't believe I put up with this for so long.
The hardest part about it was taking off the gas tank. I think I'm going to put a couple of petcock valves on the crossover so I don't have to deal with getting gas all over everything.
I followed the instructions in the shop manual and using two straightedges from the back to the front tire, it was off by over 1/2 inch. It took 2 and 1/2 turns of the lower adjustment linkage and adjusting the upper linkage to have the bolt drop in freely and now the bike tracks straight. As a side the upper linkage was misaligned and the mounting bolt was very bound up when I started.
This just emphasizes for me why I don't deal with the HD dealerships at all. If I can't do it myself then I take my bike to a local Mechanic that is not affiliated with hd. I can't believe I put up with this for so long.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 10,788
Likes: 2,222
From: Texas
Wow. This was a really easy fix. I can't believe that HD lets these kind of things happen at their dealerships. I argued with the local service guys til I was blue in the face and they insisted that there was nothing wrong with the alignment.
The hardest part about it was taking off the gas tank. I think I'm going to put a couple of petcock valves on the crossover so I don't have to deal with getting gas all over everything.
I followed the instructions in the shop manual and using two straightedges from the back to the front tire, it was off by over 1/2 inch. It took 2 and 1/2 turns of the lower adjustment linkage and adjusting the upper linkage to have the bolt drop in freely and now the bike tracks straight. As a side the upper linkage was misaligned and the mounting bolt was very bound up when I started.
This just emphasizes for me why I don't deal with the HD dealerships at all. If I can't do it myself then I take my bike to a local Mechanic that is not affiliated with hd. I can't believe I put up with this for so long.
The hardest part about it was taking off the gas tank. I think I'm going to put a couple of petcock valves on the crossover so I don't have to deal with getting gas all over everything.
I followed the instructions in the shop manual and using two straightedges from the back to the front tire, it was off by over 1/2 inch. It took 2 and 1/2 turns of the lower adjustment linkage and adjusting the upper linkage to have the bolt drop in freely and now the bike tracks straight. As a side the upper linkage was misaligned and the mounting bolt was very bound up when I started.
This just emphasizes for me why I don't deal with the HD dealerships at all. If I can't do it myself then I take my bike to a local Mechanic that is not affiliated with hd. I can't believe I put up with this for so long.
I just love it when this happens! Good for you!
..
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,319
Likes: 1
From: Deep South Texas
See, you just joined and your problems are already being solved. Glad to here you have it straightened out.
I have the '09 and it pulled to the right when you let go of the bars, I re-routed the clutch cable and problem was cured.
I have the '09 and it pulled to the right when you let go of the bars, I re-routed the clutch cable and problem was cured.
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 791
Likes: 1
From: The Real World
Some people (me included) don't sit completely dead centre - you'll notice others when you follow them...If the alignment is correct and you still get the pull to one side, you can usually fix it by shifting your position. Riding hands-off can be useful at times, and just being able to trim it with small body imputs is good.............not recommended for long distances....except as a party peice..
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,999
Likes: 55
From: Bay Area
Now a days anyone who can change the oil on their car, gets a job somewhere and over time wrenches enough to have the title of a mechanic. Most of whom dont understand the theory etc and hack chit up.
Or on anygiven day a customer comes in with a complex problem such as yours and he doesnt have any techs on the floor that can do that job so he tells the customer theres nothing wrong with it. Its very costly for a dealer to turn someone out, I supervise over 100 mechanics and Im embarrassed to say the number of journey level techs there are.
Over time they become experienced "Parts Changers" although costly they do get better. In private sector you go broke, in public sector the entity has survived for a 100 years, but in todays word that is coming to a screeching halt. Sorry to get off track, but in response to your experience, I know a dealer that hired a 18 yo kid as a lot tech, went to HD tech school for 2-3 weeks, became a wrench, now he thinks he knows EVERYTHING. 3 years later whenever business he reverts back to lot tech. And he has no drive to learn the trade academically. So multiply this times the thousands becoming mechanics and you have what we see at the dealerships and small shops today. Not all are this way and I mean no disrespect to the good ones, but they are out there.
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Thread Starter
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6th Gear
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Norcal
The problem is and sad to say that the day of the full turned out journeyman are almost gone. Nobody really wants to be a mechanic anymore because there were better paying jobs, and you didnt have to get dirty back before the economy bust.
Now a days anyone who can change the oil on their car, gets a job somewhere and over time wrenches enough to have the title of a mechanic. Most of whom dont understand the theory etc and hack chit up.
Or on anygiven day a customer comes in with a complex problem such as yours and he doesnt have any techs on the floor that can do that job so he tells the customer theres nothing wrong with it. Its very costly for a dealer to turn someone out, I supervise over 100 mechanics and Im embarrassed to say the number of journey level techs there are.
Over time they become experienced "Parts Changers" although costly they do get better. In private sector you go broke, in public sector the entity has survived for a 100 years, but in todays word that is coming to a screeching halt. Sorry to get off track, but in response to your experience, I know a dealer that hired a 18 yo kid as a lot tech, went to HD tech school for 2-3 weeks, became a wrench, now he thinks he knows EVERYTHING. 3 years later whenever business he reverts back to lot tech. And he has no drive to learn the trade academically. So multiply this times the thousands becoming mechanics and you have what we see at the dealerships and small shops today. Not all are this way and I mean no disrespect to the good ones, but they are out there.
Now a days anyone who can change the oil on their car, gets a job somewhere and over time wrenches enough to have the title of a mechanic. Most of whom dont understand the theory etc and hack chit up.
Or on anygiven day a customer comes in with a complex problem such as yours and he doesnt have any techs on the floor that can do that job so he tells the customer theres nothing wrong with it. Its very costly for a dealer to turn someone out, I supervise over 100 mechanics and Im embarrassed to say the number of journey level techs there are.
Over time they become experienced "Parts Changers" although costly they do get better. In private sector you go broke, in public sector the entity has survived for a 100 years, but in todays word that is coming to a screeching halt. Sorry to get off track, but in response to your experience, I know a dealer that hired a 18 yo kid as a lot tech, went to HD tech school for 2-3 weeks, became a wrench, now he thinks he knows EVERYTHING. 3 years later whenever business he reverts back to lot tech. And he has no drive to learn the trade academically. So multiply this times the thousands becoming mechanics and you have what we see at the dealerships and small shops today. Not all are this way and I mean no disrespect to the good ones, but they are out there.
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