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Bike pulls to the right when I let go of the bars?

23K views 76 replies 35 participants last post by  peterj59 
#1 ·
Hey guys!

I've never had any issues letting go of my bars on any bike - it tracks straight unless you lean one way or the other.

On my '15 R1 I've noticed that if I take my hands off the bars the bike nearly immediately starts to head for the right shoulder. I thought perhaps it was simply the lean of the road but it seems to do the same thing in a parking lot.

I can counter this by leaning left a little bit but it's a bit unsettling.

I just wasn't sure if there is something I should check/adjust or if this is 'normal' so to speak.

I've noticed no handling/suspension issues during normal riding but I'm not a pro racer either so I'm likely not as sensitive to it.
 
#5 ·
I experienced this exact same thing. Take a look at the thread I started on this: http://www.r1-forum.com/forums/337-2015-mechanical-help/502010-alignment-issues.html

Long story short, I took it back to dealership and they compared it against another and it was doing the exact same thing. It doesn't pull when when my hands are on the bar even slightly, just when off. I don't think this is an alignment issue so I would be hesitant to believe those that say it is. It is more likely the added weight to the right side of the bike because of the exhaust.
 
#6 ·
I'd check the alignment or maybe loose bearings first. Then I'd check to see if there are any hoses or cable that are pulling or pushing the bars... A fellow with a new BMW S1000RR had the same issue and found out that it was a cable that worked loose from a spring clip and was pushing against one side of the fairing!
 
#10 ·
That makes sense - weight - because I can ever so slightly lean left and it tracks straight. Once I have the Grave's 3/4 system on there I'll see if it still acts this way.

TBH so long as there is nothing 'wrong' with the bike I'm fine with this because I never ride without hands ... well very seldomly :).
 
#11 ·
The rear wheel,chain tension adjustment bolts are probably not equal length on each side.
My R1M was off over 1/8 inch side to side, when I accelerated, the bike would drift one way and when you let off the bike would drift the other direction, I thought the rear axle was loose as bad as it was moving around.
I use calipers when I adjust chain tension and the side to side adjustments, that way the rear wheel is always square in the Swingarm.
 
#14 ·
You're assuming the swingarm distance from center of spindle to the spools are of equal length.

These work
You're assuming the countershaft sprocket is perfectly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bike. Then with the tool you're assuming parallelism because of the straightness of the chain by following the rod ensures the perpendicularity of the rear wheel shaft.


What you really want to do with a new bike or a crashed bike is take it to a frame specialist and get it measured by a CMM. This will give you the most exact information to around .004". Get the frame blueprinted, meaning back into design spec instead of manufacturing spec. Then retighten and check all bolts and cables especially on the front end. Remember the guys taking the bike out of the dealership crates are the lowest paid.
 
#18 ·
I changed the sprockets, chain, rear brake rotor and added lightech chain adjusters last night. Still need to rivet and adjust the chain after work today. I'm hoping it's the rear tire out of alignment and this fixes the issue. Sure seems odd that multiple people are experiencing the same pull in the same direction.
 
#24 ·
True, I do assume that the CNC machine work is pretty accurate.
I guess if you could measure from the Swingarm pivot accurately you could square it that way.
I will just trust the machine work from Yamaha and measure from where the Jam nut tightens to the front of the axle block. If I get whithin 5 to 10 thousands from side to side, I'm happy.
That measurement is more accurate than what I received from the manufacture.
Just my 2 cents
 
#27 ·
Well I just rode with my hands off the bars and it tracks completely straight. Stock bike.
The idea that the cables are pulling is a very good one. I noticed the clutch and throttle are quite tight and I've played around with them to make sure they don't pull. I've moved my controls slightly as well.
 
#28 ·
I went and picked up some string so that I can check alignment roughly. I have a laser chain alignment tool coming which should allow me to do a quick/easy check for alignment. Not quite as in-depth as the one linked to by peterj59 but it should do the job.

It looks like the one peterj59 linked can also measure if the wheel is canted to the left or the right vertically - something I can't do with my string test or the laser tool I ordered. That said I'm not even sure how you would adjust for that [beyond maybe it being a check for bad bearings?].
 
#29 ·
So many people with the same issue.
Probably not anything wrong with alignment. Could be exhaust, I hear it's quite heavy.
I haven't noticed that the bike tracks right with my hands off.
I will check it out.
I remember having a really worn front tyre on my 09, it basically was worn on both sides and shaped the tyre to a point.
It was very unstable when letting go of the bars.
 
#30 ·
According to the marks on the swing arm it's perfect. According to my caliper measurements the right side of the rear axle is closer to the front than the left.

That would explain the drive to the right.

I've just gotta go pick up a 32mm socket (not sure where mine went) for the rear axle nut so I can straighten it out.
 
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