Pulling to the left

[bob duke]

Hi . New fjr owner here. My bike tracks to the left with no hands on bars. Is this common with fjr or I have a problem? Bike is Gen 1.

 

[RossKean]

Not a common problem.  Has the bike ever been wrecked?

Check tire condition and have a really good look at forks.  Hopefully the frame or steering head have not been tweaked.

 

[hppants]

Also, check each fork tube and ensure that they are absolutely parallel to each other with respect to their position in the triple clamp.

Failing evidence of this or a crash, look Extremely closely at the condition of the front tire - if it is scalloped even in the slightest on one or both sides, especially on a road with a crown, you will pull to the most scalloped side.

 

[NTXFJR]

What the other guys said. I dropped my bike in pine needles one time and on a grass yard another, it had a soft landings in both cases with no visible damage, but when the handlebar hit the ground first, it was enough force to twist the forks where they clamp in the triple trees. After said incidents in both cases, my bike would track firmly to the left whenever I took my hands off the bars.

The solution in my case was to put the bike up on the center stand, loosen the clamp screws on both top tree clamps (don't take both top and bottom loose at the same time or the front end can collapse), align the front wheel by sighting down both sides with the back wheel, and then check handlebar alignment. I clamped the front wheel between my knees and pulled on the bars to untwist them, then verify bar alignment.

 

[Bounce]

Some pull happens on a lot of bikes because of the crown in the road.

 

[BigOgre]

I bought my '04 used in '04 with about 500 miles on it and kept it to about 65k if memory serves.  It had a slight pull to the left the whole time but barely so.  I could ride with no hands if I wanted to but always had to shift in the seat a bit.

Then again, maybe it's me that's unbalanced. 

 

[bob duke]

Had 3 k beemers before my yamaha. They all pulled to the right, that's common with these bikes, more weight on right side. Fjr has 50k and tracking left, original color no visible damage. I can ride no hands if I shift my body the other way.. So you telling me your fjr is tracking dead straight? 

 

[rbentnail]

Mine has always pulled left just a little.  Never wrecked, never dropped. 

 

[sullivan]

Common question.  Seems the majority of responses typically say the bike drifts to the right.  Try as I might, on my third FJR, it just is not a "no hands, Ma" bike.  Probably all the geometry of the axle shaft in relation to the forks, and fork angle.  Oh, well, no biggie.

 

[infrared]

The FJR should not drift to the right or left, no hands.  Try this:

Loosen all of the fasteners for the front forks, including the front axle and the pinch bolts.  Do not make the fork tube clamp bolts too loose at the steering head, or the fork tubes will slip upward in the clamps, lowering the front end.  Keep the fork tubes at the same height as original, there.  With everything loose then, hold the front wheel straight between your legs (or otherwise stationary) and twist the handlebars right and left.  Find the place where the front wheel is straight, and the handlebars are straight.  Tighten each fastener in order,  switching between left and right sides for each bolt location, starting from the top clamps.  Unless you have a bent fork tube or bad steering head bearings, the FJR should track straight then.

 

[harper]

Is the behavior similar to this: