Thought rim was bent, replaced and same problem

[Yroundrdn]

This is a bummer!

I bought this 05 from a guy who hardly rode it, with 10k miles. It had a garage drop but other than than straight bike. On the test ride I though the rim was bent. From 15mph down, the wheel literally turns right at a certain point with each rotation. It's hard enough that you have to hold on fairly good as you come to a stop. I took the rim off, noticed it wasn't perfectly true and assumed it was a bent rim. Just put a brand new rim on, new bearings, but same rotors, brakes and tire, and I have the exact SAME problem.

Could this be a bent rotor? I sure wish I knew $400 ago. Thought I had this one.

Thanks, any info is appreciated.

 

[Afast03nNJ]

Which rim/wheel/tire? There's 2 on the bike...

 

[lnewlf]

Wild guess...the front ? rotors..turns right...

The rotors should be checked for trueness..raise the front wheel off the ground, lay something heavy across a milk crate or something so that it just touches the rotor and spin the wheel..prolly would have been good to do this to the wheel before replacing.. Allowable runout is in the FSM.

You should put on a new tire too which would eliminate a possible bad tire...

 

[Old Guy]

I'm having trouble seeing how a rotor would actually turn the front wheel. I mean, for years, they only had one rotor, and it didn't turn the wheel. A warped rotor would pulse at the brake lever. By all means check them, but I'm doubting that'd turn the wheel.

My first thought was steering head bearings, but that's sure not many miles for bearings.

My second though was like Inewlf -- tire.

 

[Yroundrdn]

Well I found the problem. Once my son came home I had him turn the front rim while I held chalk on it. BIG flat spot on the tire. You can actually see it bend to the left like a lump in the tire. PO only put 1800 miles on it over 5 yrs so my guess is PO left the bike on the side stand for 2 yrs, tire got low, tire warped. I never would have thought a tire could do that but I have one. Guess I'll be putting a perfectly good rim with 15k miles on Ebay.

Thanks for the help. Lesson to all, change the tire first!

 

[Old Guy]

Well I found the problem. Once my son came home I had him turn the front rim while I held chalk on it. BIG flat spot on the tire. You can actually see it bend to the left like a lump in the tire. PO only put 1800 miles on it over 5 yrs so my guess is PO left the bike on the side stand for 2 yrs, tire got low, tire warped. I never would have thought a tire could do that but I have one. Guess I'll be putting a perfectly good rim with 15k miles on Ebay.
Thanks for the help. Lesson to all, change the tire first!

Good you found it that easily.

You might hang onto that wheel. Surely, someone here will need one sooner or later. You'll likely beat the eBay price.

 

[Fred W]

Hope that is it. I was going to say to check that the forks aren't tweaked or skewed in the triple clamps.

BTDT and that will definitely cause that symptom. If the new front tire doesn't fix your problem, post back here and I'll tell you more.