Bike pulling left - FZ1N

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battleshaft

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Hello all,

I've read a few threads with a similar theme to this, but none seem to specify the root of the problem.

My bike is a 2008 FZ1N - 8000 miles, never dropped/damaged. It tracks/pulls to the left when weight is off the bars. It requires a slight push of the right handlebar to keep it riding straight.

Tyre pressures are fine, nothing appears bent, headrace bearings are fine, wheel bearings are fine, wheel alignment is good....and it's not the camber of the road (tested on multiple surfaces at various speeds to make sure.

A local garage suggested maybe loosening all bolts on the front end while supporting the bike with a jack in case something is slightly misaligned, i.e. a twisted fork leg.

I'd greatly appreciate any more suggestions/thoughts on what could be causing this and would be interested to hear if anyone on here has had a similar problem.

Cheers!
 
I'd agree with the shop's advice. If the front tire is good and wearing even and your wheels bearings and steering head bearings are all in spec, I'd certainly prop the front of the bike up and loosen the fork brackets. I believe on the other FZ1 site there is a tutorial on how to make sure your forks are aligned properly. I'll try and find the link for you later as I am at work now. Also, check to see that one of your brake calipers aren't sticking, causing some drag on your brake pads on one side or the other.
 
fisherman322 said:
Think I read a lighter aftermarket pipe can cause the bike to not trackstraight ?
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I read that too, but I'm not sure it would truly affect it in that way... I've got a lighter can, but surely such a small weight difference wouldn't require slight counter-steer to correct?

I know that the standard one is a big lump, so perhaps I'll try it for a ride and see if it makes a difference. In past experience, though, none of the other bike's I've ridden have been affected by lighter pipes.
 
I'm curious about tire wear. What model of tire, what mileage and how's the wear on each side? I have had all kinds of odd handling issues that were simply a worn out front tire. I'm quite sensitive to things like that and always think something's broken; 9 times out of 10, a new front tire brings me back to reality.
 
Dustin said:
I'm curious about tire wear. What model of tire, what mileage and how's the wear on each side? I have had all kinds of odd handling issues that were simply a worn out front tire. I'm quite sensitive to things like that and always think something's broken; 9 times out of 10, a new front tire brings me back to reality.
Click to expand...

The wheel weights are on the right hand side of the rim.

The tyres are Michelin Pilot Power, about 2 years old, around 40% worn evenly from edge to edge.
 
I think Dustin is rite . Your bike had to sit for long periods of
Time to halve 40% of your tire left after two years .
Is it possible the was pulling to the left the whole time ?
GOOD LUCK


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Perfectly normal. Every bike i have ever owned pulled one way or the other with hands off the bars. Bottom line. Motorcycles are ment to be ridden with hands on the bars. Sure. Many will relpy that their bike doesnt pull, and that may be true. Every bike is different. Don't chase ghosts. Enjoy your ride. If it was pulling with hands on the bars that would be a different story. Otherwise normal.
 
stephenmwyatt said:
chain is not correctly adjusted
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If you are referring to chain slack I would tend to disagree. Chain slack should have no bearing on whether a bike will pull to one side. If you mean that the rear tire may not be centered in the swing arm, yes that can definately cause your bike not to track straight. However. I stick to my earlier statement. Many bikes will pull one way or the other without hands on the bars. Motorcycles are ment to be riden with hands on the bars. I've owned many brand new bikes, right from the dealer, that have pulled one way or the other hands free but tracked perfect with hands on. I learned early on that no adjustments made a difference. Keep your hands on the bars and enjoy your ride.
 
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